Reviewed by Judy Kraus
Science Teacher
Asking questions and discovering the how and why things work are often the starting points of any scientific inquiry. For children, many initial questions are often centered on the human body. Why do we eat? What organs help me breath? Why don’t I have to tell my heart to beat, yet I tell my feet to move? This Lerner series presents information for intermediate readers to answer these questions and many others about systems of the body.
In Your Skeletal System, bones are shown supporting and protecting the body. Bones enable you to run, sit, and stand up straight. They give the body structure and protect internal organs. They are connected by ligaments and attached to muscles by tendons that extend or contract to allow movement. What organs are part of the skeletal system? The skull (cranium), spine (composed of vertebrae), ribs, arms and fingertips (phalanges), as well as leg bones, are just a few of the many bones in the human body. The various bone shapes are explored and matched to their function. The parts of the bone, from cartilage and the periosteum, to the spongy bone, red and yellow marrow are diagrammed. Moving joints are differentiated, allowing for a full range of activities. X–rays of the hands and feet provide the reader with a point of reference as the phalanges inside the human body are conceptualized.
Each book in the series focuses on one system as well as its interaction with other systems to keep the entire organism functioning. Photographs and diagrams appear as pages are turned to complement and pull the reader into the text. Questions are posed creating an interactive text that will delight!
Review posted on 5/7/2012
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