Books That Help Children Explore Different Careers
A Book Review Column
Linda D. Labbo
Reviews Section Editor
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA
Editor's Note: It's never too early for youngsters to begin exploring different careers. Books in this column invite children to try their hands at being a chef, a scientist, or an artist. The informational books reviewed are appropriate for children from 4 to 14 years old and include simple picture books with vibrant illustrations as well as novel-length books that offer helpful tools for identifying talents and interests.
The books reviewed are as follows:
Bridges: Amazing Structures to Design, Build & Test. Written by Carol A. Johmann and Elizabeth J. Rietch; illustrated by Michael Kline. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Kaleidoscope, 1999. ISBN 1-885593-30-9 (softcover). 96 pages. Recommended for ages 7 to 14.
Introductory remarks inform young readers that building bridges involves the skills of a scientist, an architect, an environmentalist, an innovator, and a historian. Additional comments invite children to investigate such things as the history of bridges and materials used in bridge building. Readers will find out how the Romans built bridges and be able to compare ancient and modern bridge-building methods and techniques. Directions are provided for experiments that can be conducted with pieces of paper and two books. Bridges offers a wonderful introduction to engineering and provides hands-on activities and ample opportunities to learn about various types of bridges.
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Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Science. Written by Diane Lindsey Reeves; illustrated by Nancy Bond. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3680-2 (hardcover). 165 pages. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Directions for how to use this book inform readers that it “isn't a book about interesting careers that other people have. It's a book about interesting careers that you can have. Of course, it won't do you a bit of good to just read this book. To get the whole shebang, you're going to have to jump in with both feet, roll up your sleeves, put on your thinking cap -- whatever it takes -- to help you do these three things: Discover what you do best and enjoy the most.... Explore ways to match your interests and abilities with career ideas.... Experiment with lots of different ideas until you find the ideal career....” To encourage readers to hone in on their interests, the book provides statement-completion and choice-preference activities. Sections on such science-related careers as archaeologist, astronomer, chemist, engineer, food scientist, horticulturist, landscape architect, and medical technologist, include a “Get Acquainted” portion that consists of a biographical sketch and photograph. Suggestions are also given for ways to explore resources on the Internet.
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Career Ideas for Kids Who Like Talking. Written by Diane Lindsey Reeves with Nancy Heubeck; illustrated by Nancy Bond. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3683-7 (hardcover). 154 pages. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
This book offers suggestions and encouragement to adults who wish to help talkative children delve into career possibilities. The careers described include air traffic controller, broadcaster, corporate trainer, flight attendant, hotel manager, news reporter, politician, publicist, retailer, and social worker.
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Comets, Asteroids and Meteorites. Written by Cynthia Pratt Nicolson; illustrated by Bill Slavin. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 1999. ISBN 1-55074-578-6 (hardcover). 40 pages. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
The table of contents provides an overview of subjects that are sure to interest potential astronauts and astronomers: space rocks, comets, asteroids, and meteorites. Each section focuses on straightforward questions such as “What are comets made of? What do comets look like? What keeps a comet in orbit? How long do comets last? and How do scientists predict comets?” Information is provided for how to track comets on the Internet. A final section explores the reasons for studying comets, asteroids, and meteorites; the book also includes a glossary and index. Colorful photographs and illustrations complement the easy-to-read text.
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Cyberspace: Virtual Reality and the World Wide Web. Written by David Jefferies. New York: Crabtree, 1999. ISBN 0-7787-0057-7 (softcover). 32 pages. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Children who are interested in finding out more about the Internet and exciting developments on the digital horizon will enjoy reading this book. What is cyberspace? What is behind the digital revolution? What plans are being laid for the future? What is the history of the Internet? What is virtual reality? How are motion picture special effects created? References, a glossary, and index are also provided, and a collage of vibrant images helps tell the story.
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Geology Rocks. Written by Cindy Blobaum; illustrated by Michael Kline. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Kaleidoscope, 1999. ISBN 1-885593-29-5 (softcover). 96 pages. Recommended for ages 7 to 14.
“Take a good look around you. From the can that holds your soda to the gas that makes your car go, from your iron-fortified breakfast cereal to the coins in your piggy bank, geology is all around you.” So begins this book's combination of text and illustrations that invites youngsters to explore geology as a career. Hands-on activities such as mining cookies for chocolate chips, an earth-scavenger hunt, and sand sculpting provide children with engaging, imaginative, geology-related experiences.
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Kids' Art Works! Written by Sandi Henri; illustrated by Norma Jean Martin-Jourdenais. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Kaleidoscope, 1999. ISBN 1-885593-35-X (softcover). 138 pages. Recommended for ages 7 to 14.
This book is an excellent resource for exploring various artistic media. Different activities involve patterns, print-making, sculpting, and textures. Adults who use this book with children will be pleased to note that a key for levels of challenge is given at the beginning of each activity. For example, Level 1 projects require very few tools or special skills; level 2 projects have a few more steps or require additional skills; and level 3 projects are complex and may require several steps. Quotes from artists (“The cut-out paper allows me to draw in color.” -- Henri Matisse) and brief biographical notes are scattered across the book.
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The Kids Can Press Jumbo Cookbook. Written by Judi Gillies and Jennifer Glossop. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 1999. ISBN 1-55074-621-9 (softcover). 256 pages. Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Kids who are interested in cooking will enjoy reading and following the recipes in this child-friendly cookbook. Included are ideas for breakfast food, soups and chilies, sandwiches, salads, pasta, meat dishes, breads, and desserts. There are also safety tips, explanations of cooking terms, descriptions of utensils, and information on menu planning. Future chefs can enlist the help of adults as they mix, stir, and bake. A second book in this series from Kids Can Press, The Jumbo Book of Gardening, invites children who love plants and growing things to hone their talents.
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Police Officers. Written by Paulette Bourgeois and Kim Lafave. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 1999. ISBN 1-55074-787-8 (softcover). Unpaged. Recommended for ages 4 to 8.
This story, told as a narrative, explores the ways that police officers serve the community. In a range of neighborhood scenariors, police officers, dispatchers, detectives, federal agents, plainclothes officers, and others solve various problems. Additional information is given about specialized equipment. Ideas for safety rules are also provided for young readers. This book is part of a series that includes Postal Workers (reviewed in an earlier column), Fire Fighters, and Garbage Collectors.
(The cover of Police Officers by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Kim LaFave is used by permission of Kids Can Press, Ltd., Toronto. Illustration © 1992 by Kim LaFave.)
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Weather FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Written by Valerie Wyatt; illustrated by Brian Share. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 2000. ISBN 1-55074-582-4 (hardcover). 40 pages. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Future meteorologists and television weather reporters will be thrilled to discover the ins and outs of the weather. This book follows a “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQs) format to provide basic information about hurricanes, global warming, weather forecasting, El Niño, acid rain, and more. Directions are given for weather experiments and activities. Comments about extreme weather are accompanied by a glossary of key terms.
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Reading Online, www.readingonline.org
Posted March 2000
© 1999-2000 International Reading Association, Inc. ISSN 1096-1232
This book is an excellent resource for exploring various artistic media. Different activities involve patterns, print-making, sculpting, and textures. Adults who use this book with children will be pleased to note that a key for levels of challenge is given at the beginning of each activity. For example, Level 1 projects require very few tools or special skills; level 2 projects have a few more steps or require additional skills; and level 3 projects are complex and may require several steps. Quotes from artists (“The cut-out paper allows me to draw in color.” -- Henri Matisse) and brief biographical notes are scattered across the book. 