CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
To print a CCBC booklist, click on a list below and then use your browser’s “Print” command.
Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small
CCBC Review:
Playful illustrations accompany an extraordinarily clear narrative by a physicist that explains some basic concepts—atoms, molecules, elements, and molecular structure—before introducing nanomaterial. The child-friendly text builds on common knowledge most children already have to offer comparisons and examples they can understand. For example, “When carbon atoms are arranged in layers and stacked like playing cards, they make graphite. You probably have some graphite in your book bag—it’s used to make the lead in your pencils. Graphite is soft and smudgy, because the layers of carbon atoms slide over one another—which makes it easy to leave a mark on paper.” We then learn that when scientists take one layer of graphite away, they can create a new material called graphene, the strongest material known to humans. Graphene is used as an example of a nanomaterial, and it provides a good basis for the author’s explanation of nanoscience, along with some examples of nanomaterials used to build things already in existence (windows that wash themselves using sunlight) and things that may be developed in the near future (sieves with nanosize holes that might make seawater safe to drink). The book concludes with a brief description of the types of scientists who work as a team on nanoscience research (chemists, physicists, and engineers), some of the tools of their trade (different kinds of microscopes), and how nanoscientists use spectroscopy. ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subject:
Science and Scientists
On CCBC Booklist:
Literary Science 1: K-5 Mentor Texts
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2021
Pages: 29
ISBN: 9781536217667
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 620 Wade
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.