X is for eXplore…

I’ve come to the letter X in the a – z blog challenge and (perhaps I’m cheating with a lower case e) I’m eXcited about the word eXplore. Is there another word that causes you to want to head out to see what you can find?

Here are three books that will urge you on…

Explore! The Most Dangerous Journeys of All Time
written by Deborah Kespert
Thames & Hudson 2013
ages 8-12

In Explorer! you will read about a number of explorers and their amazing journeys and discoveries. The book is divided into categories such as desert, sky, space, and ocean. It includes stories of 20 explorers, some well known to children as well as those who are lesser known but no lesser fascinating. The timeline begins with Marco Polo and goes on to current day explorations. Each section explains the challenges, motivation, and dangers faced by each explorer, including Amelia Earhart and her passion for flying, Gertrude Bell who traveled through the Arabian desert on a camel, and Roald Amundsen and Captain Scott’s race to the reach the South Pole.

The book is illustrated with actual photographs and diagrams as well as maps. There are lists of supplies that explorers carried and information about the dangers like scurvy and frostbite that they faced. This book is good for armchair travelers and those who are planning future explorations.

Explore Earth’s Five Oceans
Written by Bobbie Kalman
Explore the Continents Series
Crabtree Publishing 2010
nonfiction picture book
grades 2-3

Explore Earth’s Five Oceans is a wonderful introduction to ocean study. The book includes maps, photographs, and satellite views of the world’s oceans. Each ocean zone is describes along with the animals living in each. The writing is clear and provides a good introduction to oceanography.

Explore…Water! 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments
Explore Your World Series
Written by Anita Yasuda
Illustrated by Brian Stone
Nomad Press
nonfiction 96 pages
kindergarten – grade 4

Explore…Water! has it all! In seven sections, the book explains water, the water cycle, water pollution, and water resources. There are hands on activities, fun illustrations, amazing facts, and jokes which will teach children about water in an entertaining and fun way. I can’t wait to make music by filling glasses with different levels of water.
New vocabulary is set in sidebars and the text is easily accessible by young readers who will come away with facts which will make them wise water users. It includes a great index. This is a good resource for classroom and home use.

Where would you like to go exploring?