How to use this Page

Title: National Geographic Kids National Park Guides U.S.A Written by: Sarah Wassener Flynn and Julie Beer Published by: National Geographic Kids, 2016 Themes: national parks in the USA, sights, activities, trips, conservation Ages: 7- adult Opening: In the last hundred years, life in the Unites States has changed a lot, … Continue reading →

Add a Comment

Title: DIRTMEISTERS, Nitty Gritty Planet Earth Written by: Geologist Steve Tomecek Illustrated by: Fred Harper Published by: National Geographic Kids, 2015 Themes/Topics: geology, the Earth, rocks, earthquakes, fossils, evolution, experiments, scientists Suitable for ages: 8-14   Opening: Dirtmeister is a nickname I picked up a long time ago because … Continue reading →

Add a Comment

Title: A Friend For Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf who Braved Bullying Authors and photographers: Jim and Jamie Dutcher Publisher: The National Geographic Society, 2015 Ages: 5-8 Themes/topics: wolves, hierarchy, friendship, bullying Source: review copy from publisher. … Continue reading →

Add a Comment

If you aren’t familiar with the Nat Geo kids publications you should be. I came to them late as an adult, but as a kid I devoured their adult magazines anyway (mostly on the toilet, as one does.) National Geographic … Continue reading →

Add a Comment

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall Written by Anita Silvey Foreword by Jane Goodall National Geographic Kids    6/09/2015 978-1-4263-1518-3 96 pages     Age 8—12 ”At age 26, Jane Goodall was a headstrong young woman fulfilling her dream of living in an African wilderness. She spent her days exploring with the chimpanzees—animals she …

Add a Comment

Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth: All About Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, & Even DIRT!

Written by Steve Tomecek
Illustrated by Fred Harper
National Geographic Society      6/09/2015
978-1-4263-1903-7
128 pages      Age 8—12

“Geologist Steve Tomecek, aka The Dirtmeister, and his sidekick Digger unearth all kinds of amazing information in this comprehensive book about geology. Clear explanations of geologic processes will teach future geoscientists the fascinating topics while fun facts and simple experiments reinforce the concepts. So grab your shovel and get ready to play IN THE DIRT.” [back cover]

Review
Divided into ten relatively short, but in-depth, color-coded chapters, (such as “The Dynamics of Soil,” “How it (Earth) All Began,” and “Digging Old Dead Things”), Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth will teach kids a lot about geology and how it helps answer many questions. While very educational—teachers will love it—the kid-friendly book is equally entertaining. Kids are at the center of Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth. In fact, each chapter begins with a question put forth by a middle-grade-aged kid:

“Is that you down there, Dirtmeister?
I thought I recognized your dirtmobile.
My name is Richie and I have a quick
question . . . How did the Grand Canyon
get to be, you know, so grand?”
(Richie, in chapter 6, “What Goes Up Must Come Down”)

Other kids ask questions about such things as volcanoes, earthquakes, the shape of the continents, if can rocks make other rocks, and if dinosaurs are really extinct. The questions are interesting and the answers fascinating and fun. The Dirtmeister adds “cool” facts he calls “Dirtmeister’s Nuggets,” short biographies of important people, and simple experiments that let kids see geology at work. The illustrations are cartoonish and the images of Dirtmeister and his sidekick Digger are quite expressive. The art, especially the first spread of each chapter and its graphic novel layout, help draw in the reader and make the book feel personal, as if Dirtmeister is talking directly to the you. The remaining of the book is filled with photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and text that answers each question and then digs a bit deeper.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth from cover-to-cover. Being a National Geographic Kids publication I should have realized, even before turning to page 1, that I was in for a humorous, engaging, and educational read with incredible illustrations by Fred Harper. Geology, heck science of any kind, was never this easy to understand or could grab me from start to finish. I was amazed at geology’s reach. Topics included not just how to find Earth’s age, but how she came into existence.

The variety of subjects, tied into the Earth’s soil and its importance to humans, makes Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth ideal as an adjunct middle grade science text. I think elementary teachers could also find ways to utilize this book in their science classrooms. The entire book is kid-friendly and larger words are defined (in context). Home-schoolers should not miss a page of Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Earth. The author has correlated each chapter with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* and STEM** Science Standards, both for grades 3 to 8. These follow the final chapter. There is also an extensive Index.

From volcanoes spewing hot lava and earthquakes splitting open Mother Earth, plus experiments such as designing rocks, building sediments, and simulating the Big Chill, Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth is probably the dirtiest middle grade book ever written—parents and teachers will approve. Oh, yeah, so will kids!

*NGSS was developed by the National Research Council and are based on the Framework for K—12 Science Education.  Website:  http://nextgenscience.org/

**STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. Teachers can find relevant information on STEM at the National Education Association (NEA), PBS, and at Teach.com.

DIRTMEISTER’S NITTY GRITTY PLANET EARTH:  ALL ABOUT ROCKS, MINERALS, FOSSILS, EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANOES, & EVEN DIRT! Text copyright (C) 2015 by Steve Tomecek. Illustrations copyright (C) 2015 by Fred Harper. Photographs copyrights vary and are listed in the book. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.

You can buy Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth at Amazon—Book Depository—IndieBound Books—National Geography.

Learn more about Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth HERE.
Information for Teachers and Librarians HERE and HERE.
National Geographic + Common Core is HERE.
More for Kids from National Geographic Kids HERE. 

Meet the author, Steve Tomecek, at his website:  http://www.dirtmeister.com/
Meet the illustrator, Fred Harper, at his website:  http://www.fredharper.com/
Find more books at the National Geographic Kids website:  http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

ALSO BY STEVE TOMECEK
Dirt (Jump Into Science®)
Moon (Jump Into Science®)
Sun (Jump Into Science®)
Rocks and Minerals (Jump Into Science®)
Stars (Jump Into Science®)
Rocks and Minerals (National Geographic Kids Everything)

Copyright © 2015 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

Full Disclosure: Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth: All About Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Even DIRT! by Steve Tomecek & Fred Harper, and received from National Geographic Society, is in exchange NOT for a positive review, but for an HONEST review. The opinions expressed are my own and no one else’s. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Filed under: 6 Stars TOP BOOK, Books for Boys, Children's Books, Favorites, Library Donated Books, Middle Grade, NonFiction, Top 10 of 2015 Tagged: Big Bang, Digger, dirt, Dirtmeister’s Nitty Gritty Planet Earth, earth, Fred Harper, geology, National Geographic Kids, National Geographic Society, Steve Tomecek, The Big Chill, The Dirtmeister

Add a Comment

Celebrate President's Day by making a log cabin out of a paper bag and some strips of paper!  Like this:

1. Cut 3 to 4 inches off the top of a lunch bag.
2. Fold the bottom in half so that the long sides of the bottom match and staple the long sides together to create a roof.
3. There is a crease that runs along the bag where the bottom of the bag was folded flat against the bag.  This is the edge of the roof.
4.  Cut strips of brown paper 1/2 inch wide and as long as the front of the bag.
5. Glue the strips to the front and back of the bag from the cut end to the edge of the roof.
6. Open the bag up and place open end down.
7.  Take a piece of black or dark brown construction paper, about six inches long and as wide as the front of the bag.  Fold this paper in half from top to bottom and rest on the bottom of the bag.
8.  The chimney is a scrap of red construction paper glued to the roof.

Options:
You can glue strips to the sides of the bag; cut open windows and doors; or just glue on shapes to show doors and windows.


 So, what president is famous for living in a log cabin?  Abe Lincoln, of course.  One of my favorite books- for young readers - about Abraham Lincoln is Kay Winters' Abe Lincoln, the Boy Who Loved Books.

Enjoy your day off from school (or your child's day off from school).  Read about a president.  Or visit National Geographic Kids for Fun Facts about the Presidents. 

Add a Comment

Trendy retailer Express (may have figured out how to monetize its Facebook presence — by adding a “shop” tab. The full Express line is available on the site, and the purchase process is fully contained within the Facebook frame. Oh,... Read the rest of this post

Add a Comment

Today we bring you another installment of Youth Media Movers and Shakers. We've culled through industry publications looking for the recent executive placements we think you should know about. If you have executive news that you want us to highlight... Read the rest of this post

Add a Comment

By now we've all seen the studies on "green teens," trend pieces on eco-friendly campuses and stats revealing tweens who volunteer more than Mom and Dad. It's official: this generation of youth has helped raised our collective environmental... Read the rest of this post

Add a Comment

VH1's 'The Great Debate' (takes pop culture rivalries to the digital streets with "live, interactive out-of-home screens". Also 'Love Pop Trash' a new "edgy" teen webisode series debuts on web network KoldCast TV. Sounds intriguing, but how teens... Read the rest of this post

Add a Comment

Building on Mtn Dew (how the brand gained a following by investing in subcultures like action sports, indie music and video games. And what was missing at the Licensing Show - also note the mention of Tony Hawk's new line of teen multivitamins.... Read the rest of this post

Add a Comment

NOTE TO SELF: APRIL IS "NATIONAL HUMOR MONTH"


It seems fitting that National Humor Month takes place in April, a month that arrives with the warmer Spring weather.

National Humor Month was founded in 1976 by best-selling humorist Larry Wilde, Director of The Carmel Institute of Humor. It is designed to heighten public awareness on how the joy and therapeutic value of laughter can improve health, boost morale, increase communication skills and enrich the quality of one's life.

It's virtually impossible to feel sad while laughing so it stands to reason that laughter is good for one's health. A study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, presented at the American Heart Association's 73rd Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, researchers found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.

In the study, researchers compared the humor responses of 300 people. Half of the participants had either suffered a heart attack or had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. The other 150 were healthy, age-matched participants who did not have heart disease.

Participants in the study were asked to complete two questionnaires. One questionnaire had a series of multiple-choice answers to find out how much or how little the participant laughs in certain situations. The second questionnaire used 50 true or false answers to measure anger and hostility.

For example, the questions included the following:

From the multiple-choice section:

If you arrived at a party and found that someone else was wearing a piece of clothing identical to yours, would you (a) not find it particularly amusing (b) be amused but not show it outwardly (c) smile (d) laugh or (e) laugh heartily.
If you were eating in a restaurant with some friends and the waiter accidentally spilled a drink on you, would you (a) not find it particularly amusing (b) be amused but not show it outwardly (c) smile (d) laugh or (e) laugh heartily.

From the true or false section:
I often wonder what hidden reasons another person may have for doing something nice for me. True or False.
I am likely not to talk to people until they speak to me. True or False

People with heart disease were less likely to recognize humor or use it to get out of uncomfortable situations. They generally laughed less, even in positive situations and they displayed more anger and hostility.

(Source:) http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/laughter.htm

There's a great article on the value of laughter geared for children here, that explains the whole process:

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2424

Finally, if you're a pet owner, then you just might have noted that your pet smiles, which could indicate a sense of humor present. In fact, research has been done that confirms this. There's a great article on National Geographic Kids that examines the subject:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/0604/

To your health! Laugh - it's good for you! Meanwhile, if you have some good family-fare jokes to share...post them here.

Add a Comment