Hands-on science can be squishy fun

Monica: From early on, we learned to quell any squeamishness when it came to Hannah and her sisters' great love of hands-on science. The number of experiments ranged from collecting sea creatures in sand buckets to the youngest sister's third-grade exploding volcano experiment with Mentos and Diet Coke.

Hannah: Because hands-on science is so much more fun, I think science books click for many kids when the books have strong illustrations, pictures and diagrams, like the ones we've found for you this week.

Weather Books:

HURRICANES: Witness to Disaster. National Geographic. Ages 12 and up. 48 pages. $16.95.

Amazing photography serves as the backbone of this gritty nonfiction account of violent hurricanes. Much of Hurricane Katrina's devastating aftermath is chronicled, as is how a storm forms and grows into a powerhouse hurricane. Pictures such as a sheet of plywood shot through the center of a palm tree by the winds of Hurricane Andrew fill the pages with unbelievable images.

HURRICANE: A Novel. By Terry Trueman. HarperCollins. Ages 10 and up. 134 pages. $15.99.

This fictional story of Hurricane Mitch's devastation of La Rupa, a rural Honduran village, in 1998 is a gripping account of how devastating weather can be. Thirteen-year-old José is more concerned about playing soccer than with helping around his family's modest home.

José's brother and sister accompany their father on a delivery route when mighty Hurricane Mitch slams into their village, the ferocity of the storm surprising everyone. When the storm abates, only a fraction of La Rupa and its inhabitants remains.

José must shoulder new responsibilities for his family and his town as his worry about the safety of his father and siblings weighs upon him. This is an excellent story sure to appeal to many levels of mature elementary and middle-school readers of both genders.

For a deeper look into this very current topic of hurricanes and their effects, investigate OIL. DK Eyewitness Books. All ages. $15.99. This book allows the reader to "discover the story of petroleum, and the many ways it shapes the world we live in." A clip-art CD and poster accompany the book.

Body Books:

HOW MANY WAYS CAN YOU CATCH A FLY? By Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Houghton Mifflin. Ages 5-10. $16 (Release date: Oct. 6).

If you love the style of Eric Carle, then the illustrations in this book alone are captivating enough. However, the science behind questions that start with "How many ways can you ..." is an academic adventure.

From the chameleon's sticky tongue and the assassin bug's deadly method of catching flies to how a sea star eats clams, this book answers all sorts of scientific mysteries.

We loved Steve Jenkins and Robin Page's 2006 Move and were glad to see such clever results from their sixth book together.

THE WAY WE WORK: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body. By David Macaulay. Houghton Mifflin. Ages 10 and up. 336 pages. $35.

This unbelievably intricate book will be published Oct. 7. In this highly detailed encyclopedic volume of every part of our bodies, every system of the body is explained and illustrated in very kid-friendly lingo and art. Fascinating and well worth the price tag.

HUMAN BODY. By Linda Calabresi. Simon & Schuster. Ages 8-12. $16.99.

"Oooooh, I so did not want to learn about my digestive system," Hannah commented as we read this one. Through detailed, vivid diagrams, no system goes undiscovered in this colorful book about the body's cellular, skeletal and internal structures. Our favorite? "The Body in Action" page where a photograph of a swimmer is broken down into the muscles she is using to propel herself through the water.

Also investigate "One hundred trillion cells, more than 600 muscles, and over 200 bones" in SMITHSONIAN: THE HUMAN BODY. By Seymour Simon. HarperCollins. Ages 5-9. $19.99.

Space Books:

MISSION: SPACE. By Carole Stott. DK. Ages 10 and up. $21.99.

This circular-shaped book is just as cool as books can be. The dramatic pictures and illustrations heighten sensory reading pleasure in all 128 pages. The book comes with a very nice glossy star poster, planet stickers and circular fact cards for a "full-throttle tour of the universe." A great gift for future astronauts and nonfiction readers!

Don't miss:

WHEN IS A PLANET NOT A PLANET? The Story of Pluto. By Elaine Scott. Houghton Mifflin. Ages 10 and up. 42 pages. $17.

EXTREME PLANETS Q & A. By Mary Kay Carson. HarperCollins. Ages 5-9. $16.99.

■ Monica and Hannah Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com. View book reviews at the Journal in Education site at www.jie.journalnow.com.