WELCOME TO AUSTRALIAN USED HOMESCHOOL BOOKS!
GENERAL SCIENCE & SERIES
GENERAL SCIENCE
DK How Science Works (Judith Hann) $5 HB GC (Ex lib, well read but sound) Encourages a head start in learning about science. A visually enticing, large-format volume that aims to involve parents and children in the mutual exploration of scientific principles through hands-on experimentation. Hann begins by listing the requisite materials for investigation, the majority of which are household items. Each of the six sections-- matter; energy, force, and motion; light and sound; air and water; electricity and magnetism; and electronics and computers--combines a lively, understandable text with a number of activities and projects that illustrate the topic. Interspersed throughout are discovery sections that focus on individuals or events of scientific importance. The step-by-step instructions are very clear and include admonitions for adult supervision when advisable. The accompanying full-colour photographic layouts are lavish and detailed, but not cluttered. They depict multiethnic boys and girls of varying ages (and occasionally adults) and clarify the steps of the experimental process in an imaginative and appealing manner. Diagrams are well designed, colourful, and clearly captioned. For ages 8-14. http://www.amazon.ca/How-Science-Works-Judith-Hann/dp/0762102497
DK Snap Shot “Incredible Skeleton Secrets” (Angela Wilkes) $4 PB EC Does a snake have a skeleton? How do crabs and turtles get around without a backbone? Find the answers to these and many other questions in the beautiful book. Study the skeletons of many families - elephant, monkey, human beings, and many more with a fun combination of great photos and clear, easy text. 7-10 YO http://www.amazon.co.uk/Incredible-Skeleton-Secrets-Snap-Shot/dp/1564587274
DK Snap Shot “Up In The Air” (Mary Ling) $4 PB EC Fly into the air with high hopping insects, floating balloons and soaring jet planes! Fascinating big photographs draw younger children into each page where simple information is imparted. Recommended! 4-8 YO http://www.amazon.co.uk/Incredible-Skeleton-Secrets-Snap-Shot/dp/1564587274 (Same format cover)
Science Discovery “Criminal Investigation” (Ian McKenzie) $3 HB EC (Ex lib) Explains how various methods of identifying criminals and analyzing evidence have evolved over time. Lots of photos, diagrams and clear, easy-to-understand text. 9+ http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/2937331/used/The%20History%20of%20Criminal%20Investigation (Cover newer)
Usborne Introduction To Biology (Jane Chisholm) $4 PB EC An up-to-date introduction to a traditional subject. Colorful, informative pictures help motivate and entertain the reader making the book an excellent backup to schoolwork. Contains experiments, puzzles and games to reinforce and enliven biology and the study of living things. Usual bright and lively Usborne format. 11+ http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/709771/used/Biology
Macmillan Encyclopedia Of Science “Communication: Print, Images, Sounds And The Computer” (Rhys Lewis) $1 HB EC Explores the diverse communication methods available today, whilst the second half of the book takes a close look at computers and their uses. Contains a glossary, index and further reading section. Lots of photos and diagrams. 10+
SERIES
Usborne Mysteries & Marvels Series
Usborne Mysteries & Marvels Of Ocean Life (Rick Morris) $3 PB VGC This is a brilliant book of facts about nature for children. Every page is filled with colour illustrations (either cartoons or realistic images) and facts about the natural world that makes one marvel at the wonders of life on Earth. 8+ http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-marvels-ocean-life-Morris/dp/0590223283/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209688707&sr=1-8 (Cover slightly different)
Usborne Mysteries & Marvels Of The Animal World (Heather Amery) $3 PB VGC What is the world's tallest animal? Why do zebras have stripes? This book reveals little-known facts and explains many mysteries of nature. Lovely format and illustrations. 8+ http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-marvels-ocean-life-Morris/dp/0590223283/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209688707&sr=1-8 (Similar format cover)
Usborne Mysteries And Marvels Of Insect Life (Dr. Jennifer Owen) $3 PB VGC (Cover reinforced with tape) Brings to life many of the unusual and unexpected aspects of insect life, including how butterflies develop, how ant colonies work, and how animals defend themselves. Beautiful, realistic illustrations. 8+ http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-marvels-ocean-life-Morris/dp/0590223283/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209688707&sr=1-8 (Similar format cover)
Usborne Mysteries And Marvels Of Plant Life (Barbara Cork) $3 PB EC This book is a fascinating introduction to the amazing diversity of plant life, which ranges from giant Redwood Trees to tiny water plants no bigger than a full stop. This book will lead to an understanding of the many links plants have with animals and the environment around them but points out that there is still a great deal to be discovered about plants and the way they live. 8+ http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=5160256&matches=24&author=Cork%2C+Barbara&browse=1&cm_sp=works*listing*title (Cover different)
Usborne Science Activities
Usborne Science Activities is an innovative series which responds to the growing emphasis on scientific exploration for young children. The text and illustrations are simple and clear so children can enjoy using the books by themselves. Further notes give fuller scientific explanations for adults who wish to work with their children. $4 PB VGC+ 6-9 YO
Science With Batteries (Paul Shipton) A first science book aimed at helping young children learn about electricity safely. Basic scientific principles are explained with the aid of fun experiments and activities. All experiments use everyday household equipment. Simple text and illustrations enable children to use the books themselves. http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/5935081/used/Science%20with%20Batteries
Science With Light And Mirrors (Kate Woodward) This colourful book is packed with exciting scientific activities designed to help young children explore the intriguing properties of light. All the experiments and tricks are safe and easy to carry out using ordinary household equipment. Real examples show how people exploit the way light behaves for driving mirrors, periscopes, lenses and so on. http://www.alibris.co.uk/search/books/qwork/5935085/used/Science%20with%20Light%20&%20Mirrors
Science And Your Human Body (Rebecca Heddle) Ideal for children who like to learn through personal experience, this book explains basic scientific principles with the aid of fun experiments and activities. The simple text and illustrations enable children to use the book themselves. The simple but safe experiments use everyday household equipment. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Your-Body-Activities/dp/0746014252
Science In The Kitchen (Rebecca Heddle) This colourful book is packed with exciting scientific activities, from blowing bubbles to making soft drinks and invisible ink. The experiments are safe and easy to carry out, using ordinary household equipment. They are all carefully designed to help young children explore the fascinating world of the kitchen. http://www.amazon.com/Science-Kitchen-Usborne-Activities/dp/0746009747
Amazing Journeys Series (Carole Telford)
These colourful books have engaging, informative texts and a pleasing format, but they are not without flaws. As the authors guide adventurers along the Great Barrier Reef or the length of the Mississippi-Missouri rivers, children learn how these ecosystems function and about the plants and animals that inhabit them. The maps give clear, well-ordered overviews of the trips and coordinate page numbers with each section of them. Plentiful, full-colour photographs enhance the well-organized information. $3 each HB BRAND NEW
Down A River Takes the reader on a journey along the mighty Missouri-Mississippi River, describing physical features, animal and plant life, how people use the river, and the importance of conservation. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Down-a-River/Carole-Telford/e/9781575721538/
Inside A Coral Reef Describes the physical characteristics and ecosystem of a coral reef and how such a habitat may be conserved. http://www.amazon.co.jp/Inside-Coral-Reef-Amazing-Journeys/dp/1403487979 (Cover art different)
David Suzuki’s Activities For Kids Series (David Suzuki) $3 each, PB VGC+
Looking At The Body Do you know...a baby has a lot more bones than an adult? You' re shorter at bedtime than in the morning? It takes about 23 seconds for blood to circulate through your entire body? The smallest bone in your body is inside your ear? These are just a few of the amazing facts that introduce you to the fascinating world of the body. With David Suzuki as your guide, you' ll investigate what the different parts of the body are, how they are formed, and how they work. Wouldn' t you like to...make a stethoscope and listen to your heartbeat? Measure how big a breath you can take? Turn your feet into works of art? Try six impossible tricks? Filled with exciting projects and activities and extremely well illustrated, this is a great way for kids and their parents to participate in the science adventure. http://www.alibris.com/booksearch?qwork=4029143&matches=33&author=Suzuki%2C+David+T&browse=1&cm_sp=works*listing*title
Looking At Weather Do you know…what makes the Northern lights light up? What makes the wind blow? Why the earth keeps using the same rain-water—over and over again? What it’s like inside a cloud? These are just a few of the many amazing facts you’ll find and exciting discoveries you’ll make when you read Looking at Weather. With David Suzuki as your guide, you’ll find out what makes weather, where clouds, rain, snow, and lightning come from, and how weather affects our everyday lives. Wouldn’t you like to…make a cloud in your kitchen? Forecast the weather by making your own barometer? Do some amazing air tricks? Track down microclimates in your own house? Filled with exciting projects and activities and extremely well illustrated, a great way for kids and their parents to participate in the science adventure. http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Weather-David-Suzukis/dp/0471540471 (Cover different)
Usborne Pocket Science Series $1 each, PB VGC+ (All Internet-Linked) 7+
What’s Under The Ground? (Susan Mayes) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whats-Underground-Usborne-Pocket-Science/dp/0746043287/ref=pd_sim_b_img_8
What Makes You Sick? (Mike Unwin) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Rubbish-Usborne-Pocket-Science/dp/0746042485 (Similar format)
What Makes It Rain? (Susan Mayes) Introduces young children to fundamental aspects of nature, science and technology. Inspired by questions children ask about the world around them. Simple text and bright, detailed illustrations answer questions in clear, step-by-step stages. http://www.alibris.com/search/books/qwork/7181138/used/What%20Makes%20It%20Rain%3F (Cover different)
How Does A Bird Fly? (Kate Woodward) http://search.barnesandnoble.com/How-Does-a-Bird-Fly/Kate-Woodward/e/9780746006948/?itm=5 (Cover art newer)
Science Experiments With Magnets (Helen Edom) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Rubbish-Usborne-Pocket-Science/dp/0746042485 (Similar format)
Do-It-Yourself Science Series (Melvin Berger)
Children learn best by doing. This series of books encourages children to learn about their physical world. With simple experiments, these books are specially created for young budding scientists. Lovely illustrations. $3 PB EC 5-9 YO
All About Water The experiments in this book will help you learn all about water and its different forms. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/All-about-Water/Melvin-Berger/e/9780590467612
All About Light Without light the world would be dark. We could not see. Plants could not grow. Everything would be cold. http://www.amazon.com/All-About-Light-Yourself-Science/dp/0590480766
All About Magnifying Glasses What is a magnifying glass and how does it work? Have fun examining your fingerprints and clothes. http://www.amazon.com/About-Magnifying-Glasses-Yourself-Science/dp/0590455109
All About Seeds Identifies various kinds of seeds, what they need to grow, how they scatter, and the role seeds play in feeding the world. Includes eight simple experiments. http://www.amazon.com/All-About-Seeds-Yourself-Science/dp/0590449095
DK Eyewitness Guides $6 each, HB EC (Some ex lib) 8+
Energy (Jack Challoner) Without energy, there would be nothing. There would be no Sun, no wind, no rivers, and no life at all. Energy is everywhere, and energy changing from one form to another, is behind everything that happens. Surveys various sources of energy and the ways in which they have been harnessed. http://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Energy-Jack-Challoner/dp/0789455765/ref=pd_sim_b_img_5
Time & Space (Mary & John Gribbin) Learn all about time travel, wormholes, and all the ways that the universe is thought to be constructed. Stand-ins from real life (like orange peels, broken glasses, and trains) help you figure out what Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, and other physicists mean when they refer to black holes, space-time distortion, and other strange cosmic things. Starting with ancient ideas about space and time, and ending with the imaginary construction of a wormhole through time, Time & Space takes you on a colorfully illustrated trip through history, with great photos of the tools people have used to measure time and distance in many cultures. http://www.amazon.com/Eyewitness-Time-Space-John-Gribbin/dp/0789455781/ref=pd_sim_b_img_5
Whale (Vassili Papastavrou) $4 (One page torn out but repaired. Book sound) Here is a spectacular and informative guide to whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees. Superb color photographs of dolphins, killer whales, walruses, and more offer a unique "eyewitness" view of these mysterious sea creatures - what they look like, how they behave, and their battle for survival. See the whiskers of a walrus, inside the mouth of a killer whale, dolphins at play, male elephant seals fighting, the way a blowhole works, a carved sperm whale's tooth, and a 19th-century blubber pot. Learn how deep a sperm whale can dive, how whales use bubbles to catch fish, why sea lions bark like dogs, what baleen is used for, and why killer whales come up on the beach. Discover how humpback whales communicate, why whales leap, the world's biggest baby, why the future of whales, seals, and dolphins is threatened, why whales migrate thousands of miles, and much, much more! http://www.ciao.co.uk/DK_Eyewitness_Guides_Whale_Vassili_Papastavrou__6718495
Rescue (Claire Watts) This guide to the thrilling world of emergency rescue service is chock-full of compelling photos of real incidents, rescue techniques, protective clothing, vehicles, and supplies. Informative text instructs readers how to survive until help arrives and allows them a peek at the lives of firefighters, mountain rescue teams, lifeguards, wartime rescuers, and natural and environmental disaster workers. From historical events (the Chernobyl meltdown, the Oklahoma City bombing, the sinking of the Titanic) to futuristic technologies in the works (mine-detector robots, battery-operated personal beacon devices for people at sea, radar flashlights that allow police to "see" through walls in a hostage situation), rescue situations and solutions never fail to fascinate. http://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Eyewitness-Guides-Claire-Watts/dp/0751313645
Kingfisher Fun With Simple Science Series (Barbara Taylor)
Containing experiments using everyday household objects. Each book explores an area set out in the National Curriculum Science programme and encourages young children to discover for themselves the simple scientific ideas behind the experiments. 8+ $3 each, PB VGC+ http://www.amazon.com/Floating-Sinking-Fun-Simple-Science/dp/0862725267 (All the same format)
Growing Plants Simple experiments and activities introduce the concepts of how plants grow and what affects their growth.
Floating And Sinking Simple experiments and fun things to do using everyday household objects to explore the scientific principles of floating and sinking. Illustrated with colour photographs, drawings and diagrams.
Sound And Music Suggests activities demonstrating how variations in the creation of sound can create musical tones for the human ear and why musical instruments produce sound.
Air And Flight Uses simple experiments to demonstrate the properties of air and the principles of flight in animals or through machines.
Batteries And Magnets Uses simple experiments to demonstrate some basic principles of magnetism and electricity.