Nurturing Life
Suggested Books
A selection of books about gardening for children
A Kid’s Guide to How Flowers Grow (Digging in the Dirt Series)
Patricia Ayers, Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2000, ISBN: 0823954625
This series provides children with basic information for planting and maintaining a flower garden. For children ages 9–12.
A Kid’s Guide to Making a Terrarium
Stephanie Bearce, Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2010, ISBN: 1584158131
Learn to build your own tropical plant gardens using minimal space and supplies (utilizing terrariums). For children ages 9–12.
Succulents
June Loves, Chelsea House Publishers, 2005, ISBN: 0791082660
Discover the usefulness of succulents and cacti, complete with gardening tips for various types. For children ages 4–8.
101 Kid–Friendly Plants
Cindy Krezel, Ball Publishing, 2007, ISBN: 978–1–883052–54–6
A comprehensive guide to using nontoxic flowers, vegetables, trees, and houseplants, includes seventeen gardening projects. For children ages 6 and up.
Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea
Alice Waters, Chronicle Books, LLC, 2008, ISBN: 0811862801
An organic gardening and cooking program becomes a universal idea for edible education at an urban middle school. For children ages 6–9.
A selection of books about Mars, astrobiology, and extremophiles
Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space
Gloria Skurzynski, National Geographic Children’s Books, 2004, ISBN 079226567X
Scientists look for life beyond Earth using telescopes, space missions, planet explorations, and studies of extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme environments on Earth.
For children ages 10 and up.
Astrobiologist (Weird Careers in Science)
Mary Firestone, Chelsea House Publishing, 2006, ISBN 0791089711
See how scientists from many different fields are all working to determine if there may be life beyond Earth. For children ages 10 and up.
Astrobiology (Cool Science)
Bortz Fred, Lerner Publications, 2007, ISBN: 0822567717
This book discusses the meaning of astrobiology and its beginnings. It’s great for children ages 12 and up.
How To Live on Mars
Clive Gifford. Franklin Watts. 2000. ISBN: 053116201X
Explore questions such as: What would it be like to live on Mars? How long will it take to get there? What might we learn? For children ages 9–12.
Life in Outer Space
Kim McDonald, Raintree, 2001, ISBN: 0–7398–2223–3
Topics covered include: what is astrobiology, life’s raw materials, extreme biology and searching for ET. Great book for children ages 7–12.
Mars and the Search for Life
Elaine Scott, Clarion Books, 2008, ISBN 0618766952
Mars is a desolate, hostile world, with unbearably cold temperatures, no atmosphere to speak of, and violent dust storms – could there ever have been life there, in some form? For children ages 9 and up.
Microscopic Life (Kingfisher Knowledge)
Walker Richard, Doherty Peter, Kingfisher, 2004, ISBN: 0753457784
The author opens the doors to the microscopic world. Discover the life that is all around us – and we aren’t even aware of it! This book is appropriate for children ages 9–12.
Note: Please see the module Resources List for more book suggestions.
