November celebrates the huge variety of non-fiction books available for children. These books are full of awe and wonder from the world we live in, and inspire curiosity and a thirst for knowledge whilst encouraging reading for pleasure. This week, I’ve picked a few of my favourite interactive non-fiction reads…
Marvellous Machines by Jane Wilsher and Andres Lozano is the perfect book for you if you have ever wondered what’s going on inside some of the world’s most incredible machines and inventions. Using the see-through magic lens, you can learn about mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering by exploring the inner workings of machines.
In your kitchen or bedroom, beneath city streets or far up in space, machines are at work day and night making, moving, building and even thinking for us. In this eye-catching book, you can explore the hidden inner workings of machines and inventions: from everyday objects like toasters and bicycles, to cutting-edge technologies such as pill-sized medical robots and super-fast maglev trains. The see-through magic lens will reveal how all these machines work, showing all the elements hidden within them from wires and pipes, to magnetic and gravitational forces.
Optical Illusions by Gianni A. Sarcone and Marie-Jo Waeber, shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Science Book Prize, is an eye opening look at how we don’t always see things they way they are.
The brain is an amazing thing, but it doesn’t always get things right when it comes to sight. This book is here to explain why, with astounding images, baffling puzzles, and simple reveals which show the reader how each trick works. Templates included at the back of the book reveal answers and aid the creation of astounding illusions. The science behind each element is simply explained in an engaging way, to encourage the reader to find out more each time. Throughout the book there are chances for the reader to get hands-on with the illusions, with step-by-step experiments, or tips on how to draw your own “moving” optic art on paper or on the computer.
This Book Is A Planetarium by Kelli Anderson is a book, a planetarium and much more besides! It can turn your phone into a speaker, become a musical instrument, help you decode secret messages, and create geometric designs. Defying every expectation of what a book can be, this pop-up extravaganza transforms into six fully functional tools. Kelli Anderson contributes enlightening text alongside each pop-up, explaining the scientific principles at play in her constructions and creating an interactive experience that’s as educational as it is extraordinary. Inspiring awe that lasts long after the initial pop, This Book Is a Planetarium leaves readers of all ages with a renewed appreciation for the way things work―and for the enduring magic of books.
