Investigating Why Leaves Change Their Color (Science Detectives) [Library Binding]

Ellen Rene (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

With a chatty text, oversize font, and beautiful, full-page color photos, the open design of this small square book in the Science Detectives series will invite young readers to look at the astonishing science happening around them. The page headings are appealing (“Sun Catchers”; “Hidden Color”), leading into text that details the process of photosynthesis and chlorophyll’s role in trapping sunlight; the botany is quite technical and will encourage kids to talk about it in the classroom and at home. Sidebars raise additional questions with fairly complicated answers (Why do leaves shut down in the fall? What about evergreens?), and photos show trees as they change through the seasons, with an occasional diagram of an individual leaf and its parts. A long final glossary finishes off this fine account of one of nature’s most vibrant transformations, leading kids to an elementary understanding of how the sun and sky affect each and every leaf. Grades 3-5. --Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Library Binding: 24 pages
• Publisher: PowerKids Press (September 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1404244859
• ISBN-13: 978-1404244856
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,341,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This beginning science book is an excellent "technical" overview of how and why leaves change their color, May 10, 2009

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D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Investigating Why Leaves Change Their Color (Science Detectives) (Library Binding)

Many people love to travel to areas in the fall where the leaves change to a palette of gorgeous colors. The orange, red and yellow leaves just explode with color! Many people enjoy looking at them and taking pictures of the scenery. Evergreens don't change color, but deciduous trees do. This is not just a simple book, but actually uses some very specific terminology. Just in case you don't know, deciduous means "having leaves that fall off every year."

In this book, in addition to the beautiful photographs of trees and the diagram showing the parts of a leaf, will answer many "why" questions you might have. Did you know "plants build themselves from air?" It took quite a while for scientists to figure that one out. To give you a little idea of what you'll find in this book words in the all-telling glossary include anthocyanins, carbohydrates, carbon, carbon dioxide, carotenoids, chlorophyll, deciduous, minerals, oxygen, photosynthesis, pigments and the word reflects.

This is a beginning science book for ages 4-8. It has large print and some big words to match it. This is one title in the excellent Science Detectives series. This book can be a read-aloud and discuss book or can be used as a resource for an individualized school report. It is very well written book and no doubt deserves a place in any elementary science library. Have you ever made a wax paper leaf pressing? After reading this book you might want to see how many gorgeous leaves you can collect, identify and save in a notebook!