Penny's Reviews and Chat

MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY

Water Runs Through This Book

by Nancy Bo Flood

 

I apologize for the lateness of my Marvelous Middle Grade Monday blog post.  I wanted to do Nancy Bo Flood’s “Water Runs Through This Book,” justice. This book is a non-fiction middle grade book that is part science, part social studies, part poetry, and totally a call to action. The photos take you through water in all its forms and functions. Water is compared to our earth’s circulatory system as well as our bodies’ circulatory system. Water is essential to life; water is life. There’s so much to learn in this book and so much to enjoy with the amazing photographs by Jan Sonnenmair.

Whenever I found some fact that I already knew, it was affirming. When I found facts I hadn’t known, it was enlightening. This book should be on everyone’s list of how water is sacred, life giving, complex, beautiful, and ever changing. There is a lot of Native American influence in this book. 

After convincing us of the sacredness and importance of water, the book closes with a call to conserving and preserving this precious resource. We are reminded to use less, change our wasteful ways, and help those peoples less water-wealthy, who struggle daily to carry and find water to survive. I recently read "A Long Walk to Water," that is also recommended in this book to help us understand how important water is--having it and not having it.

This is a special non-fiction book that speaks to one’s emotions as well as one’s mind. The Table of Contents provides a ready reference point to begin our water study. At the end of the book are references of books, articles, videos, and websites for further study, with a glossary of words and terms.

I hope this book will be included in school and city libraries, and find its way into science as well as social studies classrooms. “Water Runs Through This Book” is highly recommended for ages 8-12, for city, school, and home libraries.

Information on Nancy Bo Flood is at www.nancyboflood.com

Information on photographer Jan Sonnenmair is at www.sonnenmair.com

Reviewed by

Penelope Anne Cole, Award Winning Author of

Magical Matthew, Magical Mea,

New:  Magical Mea Goes to School and Magical Max and Magical Mickey

For Halloween:  Ten Little Tricksters

Tags:  

Water Runs Through It, Nancy Bo Flood, Jan Sonnenmair, sacred, streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, creeks, brooks, wells, conservation, natural resources, watershed, life-saving, life-giving.