The Trees of North America Science Nature Guides

Trees of North America Science Nature Guides 

Author: Alan Mitchell 

Illustrator: David More 

Grade Level: 4-8

Genre: Non-Fiction 

Awards: none

Summary: This book goes in-depth describing the many different types of trees in North America.  The descriptions of the trees are easy to read and understand with the help of the illustrations.  Along with illustrations of the trees, their bark, and their leaves, this book compares the heights of the trees to that of buildings.  Also included in this book are some interesting science experiments for students to try on their own (planting their own tree, measuring the height of a tree, etc.).  

Evaluation: This book was full of interesting information about trees.  I could easily see students finding this book interesting.  It was neat to see how this book about trees kept me, the reader, engaged throughout.  This is a book I would be proud to have on my shelf.

The readability is between fourth and eighth grade.  The material in the book is appropriate for all ages.  However, the vocabulary in this book is more advanced.  Some younger readers may have difficulty understating certain terms.

You could use this book in your classroom by having students write a specific type of tree in their writing rather than just saying "tree."  By providing a specific type of tree to their story, they will strengthen the picture-pushing details in their story.  You can use this book to show how doing research on seemingly insignificant things in their stories can help make a huge impact to their writing.