To continue our monthly series of book lists for youth, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following titles.
June, 2008 -- Creepy Crawler Facts
Butterflies by Kim Taylor. Color photos with brief captions follow eight weeks of a butterfly's growth from egg, to black caterpillar, to striped caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly with wet wings, and finally to flight. See How They Grow series. Grades P-2. Large Print book LP 9894.
Fast Is Not A Lady Bug by Miriam Schlein. A simple, amusing text introduces the idea that speed is relative. Grades P-2. Braille book BR 4657.
Mighty Spiders! by Fay Robinson. This easy reader provides a simple introduction to many different kinds of spiders. Grades P-2. Cassette book CBA 7323.
Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Jennifer Dussling. This reader uses large photographs and basic double-spaced text to reveal interesting facts about insects like the praying mantis, hunting wasp, wood ants, and the assassin bug. It also introduces several defense mechanisms. Grades K-3. Large Print book LP 23524.
Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer. Explains how earthworms eat, crawl, burrow, and reproduce. Describes their importance to plant health. Includes activities. Grades K-3. Cassette book RC 59466.
In a Backyard by Jen Green. Introduces creatures that live in backyards and gardens throughout North America. Covers some non-bug neighbors, as well as creatures like butterflies ants, and worms. Grades 2-4. Cassette book RC 56397.
The Spider by Sabrina Crewe. Intermediate text and close-up photographs and drawings reveal interesting information about spiders. Spiderlings, webs, food, mating, and the body parts of a spider are topics covered. Grades 2-4. Large Print book LP 23626.
Bugs are Insects by Anne Rockwell. Introduces some common backyard creatures like the ladybug. Discusses the basic characteristics of bugs and insects. Grades 3-6. Large Print text in Print/Braille book BR 14007.
Bugs Before Time: Prehistoric Insects and Their Relatives by Cathy Camper. Interesting facts about ancient insects (before the time of dinosaurs), some of which--cockroaches, centipedes, and dragonflies--still inhabit our world. Discusses their physical traits, way of life, and natural environment. For grades 3-6. Cassette book RC 56567.
How Bees Make Honey by Michael Chinery. Explains the honeybee's physical characteristics that enable it to gather pollen and nectar. Describes how honeybees communicate directions, produce honey, and nurture their grubs. Grades 3-6. Braille book BR 11766.
Insects by Michael George. Using full page color photographs and intermediate double-spaced text, the author introduces twelve different insects. Among them are the mosquito, firefly, termite, stinkbug, flea, cicada, and cockroach. Grades 3-6. Large Print book LP 14383.
Micro Monsters: Life Under the Microscope by Christopher Maynard. Uses drawings, standard and magnified photographs, and intermediate text to reveal the rather disturbing world of small creatures that use humans and their pets as habitat or food source. Lice, mites, tapeworms, mosquitos, and fleas describe their lives. Added facts are in smaller print. Grades 3-6. Large Print book LP 23731.
The Bug Scientists by Donna M. Jackson. Combines biographical information about three etymologists with facts about the insects they study. Featured are monarch butterflies, ants, and the blow flies so important in forensics. Another topic is the handlers who provide insects for movie making. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 60167.
Do Bees Sneeze? And Other Questions Kids Ask About Insects by James K. Wangberg. How many kinds of insects are there? What do cockroaches eat? Which insects are dangerous? Do some people really eat bugs? These are only a few of the 206 questions about insects answered by an entomologist. Includes projects. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 46624.
Exploding Ants: Amazing Facts About How Animals Adapt by Joanne Settel. In order to survive, animals sometimes do things that might seem gross to humans. The author reveals fascinating facts about caterpillars, ants, birds, frogs, and other creatures. Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 12642.
How Insects Communicate by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. How small insects create loud sounds; how insects "hear" through their legs; how fireflies communicate using light, and many more interesting facts. Grades 4-7. Cassette book RC 12067.
Killer Insects by Dave Causey. A survey of common and uncommon insects that have caused human deaths including rat fleas, killer bees, wasps, tsetse flies, army ants, and the kissing or assassin bug. Explains how diseases are spread and how science works to find solutions. Grades 4-7. Braille book BR 4909.
The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery. Extensive information about tarantulas and about Sam Marshall, a scientist who observes them in the wild and performs experiments in his laboratory. Sasquatch Award Nominee. Grades 5-8. Braille book BRW 1187. Cassette book RC 59029.
Pack, Band, and Colony: The World of Social Animals by Judith Kohl. Describes the astonishing communication system of termites. The text also discusses the social behavior of wolves and lemurs, and the methods scientists use to study animal behavior. Grade 6 and older readers. Cassette book RC 20477.
To order these books and others like these, use the link to the "On-line Catalog (OPAC)" at www.wtbbl.org. Order these books or use keyword search or subject search to find more like these. You can limit your search by reading level and/or material format.
Link to previous Recommended Reads.