The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head [Hardcover]

HP Newquist (Author), Keith Kasnot (Illustrator), Eric Brace (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

The anatomy, functions, surgery, care and feeding, historical discovery, and imminent improvements of this complex and powerful organ in an "oh-wow!" package. High interest with just a touch of yuck.

Understanding the brain is one of the biggest challenges facing scientists. We still don't know how the brain creates thoughts! Newquist peels back the layers of the brain to explain what it's made of, how it works, and how to make your brain work for you. From eyeballs to neurons, vivid illustrations show pieces of its complex structure.
The historical chapter details how Egyptians scooped out the brains of mummies, and how phrenology developed. Brain surgery and brain abnormalities are explained, as is the function of sleep and dreams. An informal and intriguing look inside your head.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up–This detailed and informative book offers in-depth descriptions of brain processes coupled with engaging content. Intriguing illustrations and diagrams and clear, full-color photos enliven the text. Historical information pairs nicely with modern scientific knowledge and practice to provide a complete picture of the brain. The hardcore science is balanced with anecdotes that will capture student interest, such as how tightrope walkers rewire the fear centers of their brains and how lobotomies came to be popular. This is an excellent resource for reports as it is much more detailed than an encyclopedia entry or book chapter in a general physiology reference. It includes a short but effective index and a one-page list of Web resources. A handsome addition.–Cass Kvenild, University of Wyoming, Laramie
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. With an appealing, colorful design and a flashy cover, this in-depth introduction to the human brain and its remarkable powers will attract browsers, but strong readers are its best audience. Newquist begins with the brain in history, from the ancient Egyptians (who thought the brain was so worthless they scooped it out of corpses before mummifying them) up to Wilder Penfield's work in the 1950s, which proved that the brain was the source of human memory. The book goes on to discuss, in impressive detail, the structure and inner workings of the organ--glia, neurotransmitters, hypothalamuses, etc. Pencil drawings and color illustrations (many of them deliciously icky) help to lighten the weight of the vocabulary. The clever, kid-friendly anecdotes amid the anatomy lessons also enhance accessibility: the one about a man whose personality changed after a steel rod shot through his brain, and the real cause of brain freeze. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Reference (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439458951
• ISBN-13: 978-0439458955
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > How Things Work
  • #28 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Anatomy & Physiology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a super book that will engage all readers, March 15, 2005

By 

G. R. Parker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head (Hardcover)

I know how tough it is to write good books for kids, but this one has really impressed us. (I say 'us' as my 10-year-old daughter and I are reading this together.) As soon as you open it, you know you are in for a treat.

The content is thoroughly engaging to all ages -- it has the right 'attitude' to keep even science-haters hooked, but the author's depth of knowledge about the brain enables him to keep even the geekiest brain-lover involved. The layout and artwork are superb, and my daughter loves the sidebars, which could be a book on their own (on such varied topics as "brain freeze", squids, lobotomies, and zits).

This book could serve for teachers as a wonderful textbook, while at the same time would be a great present for a curious kid. With so many boring science texts out there, let's celebrate the ones that are done well. It's hard to imagine how to improve this one. Well done!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bright, fun book inviting leisure browsing as much as reference consultation, February 12, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head (Hardcover)

The study of the brain has a long history, from early Egyptian probes to modern-day research into how the brain works. The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head explores all facets of the brain's systems, with bright color photos surveying parts of the brain and how they interact and operate physically and psychologically. Students in grades 6-9 studying anatomy will find it a bright, fun book inviting leisure browsing as much as reference consultation.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Really is Great, November 14, 2009

By 

Spudman (Pasadena, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Great Brain Book: An Inside Look At The Inside Of Your Head (Hardcover)

I won't ruin the book for you by telling you how it ends, but I can say that the more I got into The Great Brain book the more I enjoyed it. A science book of this length is a bit daunting for me, let alone for a 12-year-old. This book, however, with a mix of clarity, pertinent background, and fabulous graphics engages the reader and holds his or her interest. As a former middle school teacher, I can't imagine too many students would read this book cover to cover for willing enrichment, but those with an interest in science will find this book quite satisfying. I see this book more as a classroom resource or reference for most youngsters.

As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am glad I stuck with it and finished the entire book. I like that the author not only gives us the anatomical facts but also includes interesting tidbits in the history of man's quest to understand the brain. My favorite chapters were the ones on memory and sleep. In other books the explanations of the stages of sleep put me to sleep. Newquist left me with an understanding and appreciation of the interaction between sleep and our brain.

If you're an adult looking for information about the human brain, don't be put off by the age designation of this book. It's of iterest to anyone from middle school on up. In my case, way up.