Every publishing house has a Q&A series for young readers. The latest to hit bookstores is from Scholastic. Written by Melvin Berger (An Apple a Day, Life in the Rainforest) and Gilda Berger (Celebrate! Stories of the Jewish Holidays), these books are sure to be among the most frequently checked out books in any school or classroom library. Scholastic's Question and Answer Series is a distinguished addition to the genre. The authors' painstaking research and kidlike curiosity shines through. A variety of top-notch illustrators have created some of the best nature and science illustrations around.
The Berger's answers to those questions and dozens more can be found in How Do Flies Walk Upside Down? : Questions and Answers About Insects. Many of the answers will surprise young readers -- and lead to more questions that students might try to answer on their own. That's the great part about Q&A books, one question leads to another. A kid's natural curiosity is never satisfied!
Scholastic's Q&A series makes a great starting point for many science units! Why not begin your insect unit by gathering a couple dozen insects books from the library and playing "Twenty Questions"? Pose 20 questions and give your students a class period to rummage through the gathered books to find as many answers as they can. Watch the excitement build!
During the last 15 minutes of the period, gather the kids together to see what they've learned. After they share the results of their research, whip out How Do Flies Walk Upside Down? Read a handful of the questions posed in the book, and their answers. Then shut the book. Lesson Two of your insect unit might begin with a reading of the first chapter of the book, "Insect Ways."
The individuals selected to illustrate Scholastic's Q&A series are storytellers themselves! Jim Effler's illustrations accompany the insect questions and answers. Fun and factual, the illustrations detail how insects smell, how they defend themselves, where they lay their eggs, the process of metamorphosis, and many other interesting insect facts.
In addition, each book in the series includes a complete index, which makes it easy for kids to locate answers to specific questions.
The classroom extension activities that might be tied to these books are endless! Here are a couple starters:
Curious kids are sure to welcome the Scholastic Question and Answer Series, which includes these titles...
Currently available:
Soon to be published:
The books in the Scholastic Question and Answer Series are available in bookstores everywhere. If you are unable to locate a copy of a specific book, ask your bookseller to order it for you or call Scholastic Books at 1-800-SCHOLASTIC.
Article by Gary Hopkins
SCHOLASTIC QUESTION AND ANSWER SERIES TITLES
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