Light Recommended Reading

 

The following list of recommended books provides a wide range of reading and research resources for this unit. Collect as many as you can for your classroom science library, or provide the list to your school or local librarian.

 

Fiction Books: Stories About Light
 

Stellaluna

By Janell Cannon. (1993, Harcourt)

In this engaging story, a young fruit bat falls into a bird’s nest and is raised like a bird until reunited with her mother. A sweetly told story with one scientific misconception about how little Stellaluna sees. If children understand light and vision, they should be able to spot this inaccuracy.

 

Nonfiction Books: General Light Information
 

Bouncing and Bending Light

By Barbara Taylor. (1990, Franklin Watts)

This activity book offers experiments that demonstrate the reflection and refraction of light by mirrors, lenses, and other materials.

Day Light, Night Light: Where Light Comes From

By Franklyn M. Branley; illustrated by Stacey Schuett. (1998, HarperTrophy)

This book, from the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out series, explores natural and man-made sources of light and how we see objects from reflected light.

Experiments with Light: A True Book

By Salvatore Tocci. (2001, Scholastic Library Publishing)

This source contains activities with good explanations on reflecting light, refracting light, how the eye works, and lenses.

Exploring Light

By Ed Catherall. (1989, Steck-Vaughn)

This book, for more advanced readers, contains excellent information about light in conjunction with activities for children to apply their understanding. The book is very well presented and illustrated.

Eyewitness Light

By David Burnie. (1999, DK Publishing Inc.)

From the Eyewitness series, this serves as an excellent resource book for children to use in the Science Center. Although the text may not be age appropriate for some children, the detailed pictures will be engaging to all. Includes a table of contents, glossary, and index.

Hand Shadows and More Hand Shadows

By Henry Bursill. (1997, Dover Publications, Inc.)

Place this book in your Science Center. Includes over 34 different hand shadows for the children to create.

Hands on Science, Over 40 Fantastic Experiments, Sound and Light

By Jack Challoner, illustrated by David Le Jars. (2001, Kingfisher)

Half of this resource is focused on the topic of light. Contains three to five activities on each of nine topics about light. A good activity book for the unit.

Light

By Terry Jennings; illustrated by Peter Smith & Catherine Ward. (1996, Steck-Vaughn)

This resource book for independent readers explores light, mirrors, periscopes, lenses, and cameras. Includes activities for the children to try in school or at home. Includes a table of contents, glossary, and index.

Light (Science Activities) 

By Graham Peacock. (1993, Wayland Publishers)

This resource book for independent readers explores how we see, mirrors, and color.

Light and Color

By Peter D. Riley. (1999, Franklin Watts, Inc.)

This resource book for independent readers delves into many fascinating aspects of light including how light travels, interacts with materials, and makes shadows, as well as how the eyes of humans and other animals work. Includes a table of contents, glossary, and index.

Light, Sound & Electricity: The Usborne Internet-Linked Library of Science

By Kirsteen Rogers, Phillip Clarke, Alastair Smith and Corinne Henderson; illustrated by Verinder Bhachu. (2001, Usborne Publishing, Ltd.)

Although only a third of the book focuses on light, this book is an excellent resource that contains clear explanations and graphics of light phenomena. Includes activities to try at home as well as suggested links to web sites about light. Also includes a table of contents, list of inventors, glossary, and index.

The Little Giant Book of Optical Illusions

By Keith Kay. (1997, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.)

• This book has children examine drawings that fool the eye into believing a flat surface is three-dimensional, that coils roll from left to right across the page, and that white spaces flash at you, plus more.

Microscopes and Magnifying Lenses

By Janice VanCleaves. (1993, John Wiley and Sons)

Use this book as an extension when the children study transparent objects that bend light. Contains activities with water lenses, hand magnifiers, and how to use two lenses to make a compound microscope.

 

Nonfiction Books: Biography and Social Studies
 

Celebrations of Light

By Nancy Luenn, illustrated by Mark Bender. (1998, Simon & Schuster Children’s)

An excellent social studies resource, this book explores the ways in which cultures from around the world celebrate light, including Bon Matsuri in Japan, Luciadagen in Sweden, and Christmas in the United States.

The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor: The Wizard of Menlo Park

By Margaret Davidson. (1992, Scholastic Paperbacks)

This independent readers book chronicles the life of Thomas Edison, from his first job selling newspapers to his inventions of the phonograph and light bulb. With lots of text and some black-and-white pictures, the book provides an interesting account of his life, his impact on the field of science, and his lasting impact on today’s society.

Thomas A. Edison: Young Inventor (Childhood of Famous Americans Series)

By Sue Guthridge; illustrated by Wallace Wook. (1986, Aladdin Library)

This independent readers book explores Thomas Edison’s childhood and important things about his adult life including his invention of the light bulb and phonograph.