Secular Charlotte Mason

Life Science/Biology

Life Science Spines

Life Science Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Biology: The Facts You Need to Know-at a Glance by Corrine Stockley. Usborne. 1986. I would never pay a lot for these dictionaries but they do come in handy upon occasion. My co-op class used this one when they were asked to draw various charts and such. A decent match for visual learners although it is in the usual Usborne style.

Life Science Whole Books

Plants on the Trail with Lewis & Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Clarion Books. 2003. This is an interesting book that would go well with either a unit on plant identification or a history unit on Lewis & Clark. It helped me identify various plants when my family was following the Lewis & Clark Trail.

Outside & Inside Birds by Sandra Markle. Aladdin Paperbacks. 1994. A great book for anyone interested in the inner workings of birds. Not for the faint of heart as it shows actual photos of bird digestive and reproductive systems. Great book for grammar stage kids who think they might like to be vets or ornithologists one day.

The Evolution Book by Sara Stein. Workman Publishing. 1986. Advertised as, "The story of 4,000 million years of life on Earth revealed thorugh observations, projects, and investigations for children 10-14.". A decent book for the science geeks in your lives. Possibly too much material for nonsciency kids.

Life Science Living Books

The Tree of Life: A Book Depivting the Life of Charles Darwin; Naturalist, Geologist & Thinker by Peter Sis. Walker Books. 2003. Written in a rather unique style this book is obviously meant to be shared as a family and to be looked at over and over as each time I go through it I see something new. Best for grammar and logic stages.

Charles Darwin & the Theory of Natural Selection by Renee Skeleton. Barron's. 1987. Not great literature but my kids have enjoyed the biographies, including this one, found in the Solutions: Profiles of Young People series. Good for logic stage students who would be reading it independently. I'd look for something with richer language for a family read aloud.

Life Story: The Story of Life On Our Earth from It's Beginning Up To Now by Virginia Lee Burton. Houghton Mifflin. 1962. While this book is no longer PC or 100% accurate I like to use this book to begin any study on evolution as it nicely tells and shows how the earth has changed over time. It shows the relationship between the past and the present better than most books. Could use with either grammar or logic stage.

Life Science Activity Books

How Nature Works: 100 Ways Parents & Kids Can Share the Secrets of Nature by David Burnie. Reader's Digest. 1991. My kids love the labs in this series and I love that there are actual explanations to go with the labs. My engineer hubby likes that these labs require real lab equipment and doesn't rely on household items alone. Gives more of a traditional lab experience than many of the other lab/activity books out there. Part of the How___Works series.

How the Body Works: 100 Ways Parents & Kids Can Share the Miracle of the Human Body by Steve Parker. Reader's Digest. 1999. Part of the How___Works series.

The Beast in You!: Activities & Questions to Explore Evolution by Marc McCutcheon. Williamson Publishing. 1999. A basic introduction to evolution for grammar stage. Not comprehensive but a good place to begin.

Darwin & Evolution for Kids: His Life & Ideas with 21 Activities by Kristan Lawson. Chicago Review Press. 2003. A perfect match for my 12 yo. A good choice for those kids who balk at reading multiple books to get the info. Books in this series (there are several history books available) are great because they provide decent background information along with hands-on activities. Best for logic stage.