Explore Life Cycles
Author Question-and-Answer: Kathleen Reilly
Q: How did you become interested in writing about life cycles?
My family is always out hiking, camping, fishing, and exploring nature. When you go to the same place throughout the year and see the changes in the plants and animals, you can't help but become curious about the life cycles they go through. It's amazing to think about life being created, changing over time, and adapting to the world around it.
Q: Why do you think it's important for kids to learn more about this topic?
Although kids have a much broader view of the world than we did—they can reach out to someone in Asia using Skype, or find a new BFF in Russia after bonding over a YouTube video, or hop online and see their community with Google Earth—it's still important to focus on the basic things in life. The things that make our life (and the lives of every living thing around us) possible. Slowing down and appreciating nature and life is a humbling experience and puts all the rest of the great big world into perspective.
Q: What do you hope young readers will take away from this book?
I hope readers will be amazed at how incredible the life cycles around us really are. If they can marvel at a tadpole losing its legs or a strawberry plant sending out runners, it'll fire up their curiosity about a lot of other things in life.
Q: What is your favorite activity in this book?
It was really fun working on the activities in this book! It's hard to chose just one that I like over the rest. Although it's such a simple concept, I really liked using the mobius strip to convey the idea of life cycles renewing over and over. It puts the "sad" parts of life, like death, into perspective and helps you see it's a natural life stage.
Q: What surprised you most when you were writing this book?
It was amazing to me to really think about how differently organisms travel through their life stages. Whether they're developing inside eggs, tucked in a cocoon, pushing out from a seed, or growing in a pouch on their momma's body, everything is just perfectly planned for that individual. And some of the facts jumped out at me as a surprise—I didn't know human babies didn't have knee caps when they're born, for example!
Q: What do you think makes your book special?
The projects in the book give kids a chance to do more than look at pretty pictures and listen to the words. They give kids the opportunity to really understand the concepts by watching that plant grow toward the light, or dissolve away that egg shell to touch and see the membrane that protects growing chicks. This book brings amazing life concepts within kids' reach.
Contributor: Nomad Press
For more information about Kathleen M. Reilly please visit her site.
Reviews
Energy: Why We Need Power and How We Get It
Kathleen M. Reilly
Bursting with basic facts, fun trivia, informative sidebars and lots of hands-on projects, this introduction to the basics of energy is certain to engage budding scientists. Read the introduction to learn the basics and then skip to the chapters that pique your interest. Learn all about coal: how it was created, the different types, where it is found, how it is mined and a fun recipe for "coal candy." Or check out biomass: it comes from plants mostly but also animal waste. Each chapter has "Words to Know" (straightforward, easy-to-understand definitions of essential vocabulary), many sidebars with interesting bits of additional information (Legend has it that an ancient Greek scientist used the power of the sun in a battle with the Romans. He set their ships on fire by reflecting sunlight into a fine point onto their ships and created such heat that the ships caught on fire), the advantages and disadvantages of each energy source and instructions for many "make your own" projects. From the "Build It Yourself" series, this title is a great choice for kids (and their parents) as well as an excellent resource for elementary science teachers. Recommended. 2009, Nomad Press, $15.95. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Anita Barnes Lowen (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934670347
Explore Life Cycles!
Kathleen M. Reilly
Illustrated by Brian Stone
There is no distance between Ms Reilly's text and the kids she is addressing. She pulls them in with questions at the beginning of each chapter, questions that they can relate to: "Can you remember when you were younger? You were smaller, sure. And you probably couldn't do many things that you can do now. Maybe you couldn't ride a two-wheeler yet, or write a thank-you note card, or climb the monkey bars at the playground." She holds their attention by comparing the familiar to less familiar lives of plants and animals that the readers may not know about yet. Finally, she offers engaging activities that solidify the ideas presented. In addition to an overview of life cycles, her topics include: the systems of classification; how babies (including seedlings) enter the world; how all of these organisms grow to maturity; and threats to life cycles. Early science books do not get too much better than this. This book will be welcomed by teachers as students study life cycles in their classroom as well as by parents who may have fun with the activities, including Insect Life Cycle Snack Mix, a Mealworm Nursery, and tree measuring, done from the ground. Illustrations provide humor, and fun facts are offered throughout the book. Backmatter includes a glossary, lists of resources, and an index. 2011, Nomad Press, Ages 6 to 10, $12.95. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934670804
Food: 25 Amazing Projects Investigate the History and Science of What We Eat
Kathleen M. Reilly
One of 20 books in the "Build It Yourself" series, this edition discusses the history and culture of food in an interesting workbook-like format. Following a brief introduction, the thirteen chapters include lively, but brief discussions about the origins of food consumption; farming, past and present, food and cultures; how different foods traveled around the world; food packaging; food safety, traditions and celebrations; food across time; nutrition; herbivore carnivores and omnivores; backyard eating; strange edibles and the future of food. Each chapter includes at least one hands--on activity with a list of supplies and directions, a glossary of "words to know," a boxed "Did You Know" section as well as the discussions in an appealing format. Occasional black and white drawings add interest. A combined glossary, list of further resources and an index are included at the end of the book. It's a thorough introduction into the world of food for beginners. With obesity in young people on the rise, they need all the information possible to make wise food choices. This book is perfect to get them thinking about the subject. This series is created using recyclable materials. 2010, Nomad Press, $15.95. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934670590
The Human Body
Kathleen M. Reilly
Illustrated by Shawn Braley
There are sure a lot of things going on in our bodies. The brain is the lead organ in the nervous system, like the heart is in the circulatory system. And even though we do not notice it, we have an amazing set of systems that work together to keep our bodies going. We go through our day sleeping, eating, walking, and talking without thinking too much about it. That is because these things are done mechanically by the body. So how does it all work, this wondrous machine called the human body? It starts with blood. Miles of it run through the body. Without this river of life, our cells could not function at all. The path the blood takes is called the circulatory system. At the center is the heart. The heart is not really shaped like the box of chocolates seen on Valentine's Day. It is actually shaped more like a fist. Its job is to pump blood through the body from head to toe. Every day we breathe in and out. That is because the respiratory system is doing its job. It brings air into the lungs so cells can get oxygen. The nose, windpipe, and bronchial tubes all pitch in to help. Our lungs breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. So even though the air coming out of the nose feels the same as when it came in, it is really quite different. Everything put into the body gets processed. When food is chewed, it starts the digestive process. After the food reaches the stomach, the body gets to wok breaking it down. Then the food moves to the small intestines where much of the liquid and nutrients will be absorbed by the body. From there it will move on to the large intestines where the stuff the body cannot use for anything passes through and is expelled. Any movement the body makes is controlled by muscles. Even the heart. Muscles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are voluntary--you choose to make them move (raise the hand)--and others are involuntary, like the heart or stomach digesting food. The bones of the human skeleton make blood cells and protect the major organs from damage. Bones have another part inside, soft tissue called bone marrow. And inside are the stem cells. Bones rang in size and shape and are very strong. If a bone breaks, the doctor will line up the parts and set it with a cast until it heals. I found this book to be very interesting. Not only because it was easy to read and understand, but because it has twenty-five projects for the reader to experiment with so they can see how various parts of the body work. Also, as a bonus, the book offers several homemade skin care products, such as a simple face scrub made from table sugar. 2008, Nomad Press, $15.95. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Beverly Melasi (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934670248
Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself
Planet Earth: 25 Environmental Projects You Can Build Yourself
The planet Earth is a complicated place. It consists of many different systems, including those involving air, water and life. It is also very fragile. Things like excess pollution, littered garbage and habitat loss can have huge impacts on it. Planet Earth, by Kathleen Reilly, teaches about these systems and factors involved in the sustainability of Earth. It aims its lessons at young readers and teaches with examples that are pertinent to them. The book is divided into subjects such as "Life on Earth," "Our Star, the Sun" and "Global Warming." Each subject chapter begins with a brief but thorough lesson on the topic, including key words and fun facts, and ends with several hands-on experiments having to do with the topic. These experiments are the highlight of the book. They are simple enough for children to conduct on their own, although adult supervision would be advisable for many of them, and use usual household materials. These experiments are innovative ways to teach some difficult topics. 2008, Nomad Press, $14.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Rachel Hill (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934670057
Updated 9/26/11
To stay up to date on new books by this author, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here.
If you're interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.