Outstanding Science Trade Books - 2009

I've been working on my list of best science books published in 2008 for a while now, but this year, NSTA beat me to it. Here is an excerpt from the introduction to their list.

Today’s classrooms have no real walls! Students explore the world on field trips, during virtual journeys on the world wide web, and through the books they read. These pathways help them fly to the ends of the universe to satisfy their scientific curiosity.

Again this year, the professionals of the NSTA/CBC Review Panel for Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 have been pleased to serve as travel guides, identifying the best in trade books for student explorations.

Here is the list of books. You can read the full annotated list at Outstanding Science Trade Books - 2009. You can also read expanded reviews at NSTA Recommends. Titles marked with asterisks are those that individual panel members responded to with particular enthusiasm.

Archaeology, Anthropology, and Paleontology

• Bodies From the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past, written by James M. Deem. (2009 Sibert Honor book)
  
• Sabertooth, written and illustrated by Patrick O’Brien

Biography

• **A Life in the Wild: George Schaller’s Struggle to Save the Last Great Beasts, written by Pamela S. Turner
  
• **Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910–13, written by Richard Farr
• Farmer George Plants a Nation, written by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Layne Johnson

Earth and Space Science

• Life on Earth—And Beyond: An Astrobiologist's Quest, written by Pamela S. Turner
• Moon Landing, written by Richard Platt and illustrated by David Hawcock
• Over the Rivers: An Aerial View of Geology, written by Michael Collier

Environment and Ecology

• **Animal Tracks and Signs: Track Over 400 Animals: From Big Cats to Backyard Birds, written by Jinny Johnson
• Animals on the Edge: Science Races to Save Species Threatened With Extinction, written by Sandra Pobst
• **Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, written and illustrated by Claire A. Nivola (2009 a Green Earth Book Award winner in the picture book category)
• **Wangari’s Trees of Peace: A True Story From Africa, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter (Read my review.)
  
• **When the Wolves Returned: Restoring Nature’s Balance in Yellowstone, written by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by Dan and Cassie Hartman
• The Wolves Are Back, written by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Wendell Minor

For further information about the books on Yellowstone's wolves and Wangari Mathaai, read this post.

Health Science

• All About Sleep From A to Zzzz, written by Elaine Scott and illustrated by John O’Brien
• Dr. Frankenstein’s Human Body Book, written by Richard Walker
• Food as Foe: Nutrition and Eating Disorders, written by Lesli J. Favor
• Outbreak: Science Seeks Safeguards for Global Health. Charles Piddock

Life Science

• A Platypus’ World, written and illustrated by Caroline Arnold
• African Critters, written and photographed by Robert B. Haas
• Eggs, written by Marilyn Singer and illustrated by Emma Stevenson (Read my review.)
  
• Elephants of Africa, written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons
• Fabulous Fishes, written and illustrated by Susan Stockdale (Read my review.)
  
• Face to Face With Cheetahs, written and illustrated with photographs by Chris Johns
• Face to Face With Elephants, written and illustrated by Beverly and Dereck Joubert
• Face to Face With Lions, written and illustrated by Beverly and Dereck Joubert
• Finding Home, written by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Alan Marks
• Genetics: From DNA to Designer Dogs, written by Kathleen Simpson
• How Many Ways Can You Catch a Fly? written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page and illustrated by Steve Jenkins
  
• **Looking for Miza, written by Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu with photographs by Peter Greste
• Monarch and Milkweed, written by Helen Frost and illustrated by Leonid Gore
• **Nic Bishop Frogs, written and photographed by Nic Bishop (Read my review.)
  
• Praying Mantises: Hungry Insect Heroes, written by Sandra Markle
• Predators, written by John Seidensticker and Susan Lumpkin
• Sharks, written by Beverly McMillan and John A. Musick
• Wings, written by Sneed B. Collard, III and illustrated by Robin Brickman
• Winter Trees, written by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Leslie Evans

Physical Science

• Car Science, written by Richard Hammond

Technology and Engineering

• Cool Stuff Exploded, written by Chris Woodford

A number of the books on this list were titles in the 2009 Cybils awards. Nic Bishop Frogs was the winner in the Cybils nonfiction picture book category. There are many great titles here. I hope you get a chance to check them out.