Nonfiction Friday: Heating Up and Cooling Down

This is a wonderful time of year for books about weather and weather investigations. We recently checked out Darlene Stille’s “Temperature: Heating Up and Cooling Down,” part of the Amazing Science series. This book is a simply written, yet fascinating overview of temperature, which is perfect for the preschool set.

I love it when a children’s book teaches me new things (or perhaps just reminds me of things I knew long ago but forgot.) For example, did you know that heat only moves in one direction like a conveyor belt? Heat always moves from hotter things to cooler things. Your warm juice box gets cold when placed in ice because the heat moves from the juice box to the ice. This seems counterintuitive; I always thought the ice was forcing cold into the warm juice.

Back matter includes “hot facts,” a glossary, and sources for additional information. The book also features an activity for making your own thermometer using common household items like a plastic water bottle, rubbing alcohol, food coloring and a drinking straw. I can’t wait to try this one.