Food From the Sun: How Plants Live and Grow

Author:  Harriet Brown

Genre:  Nonfiction, Chapter Book

This book is about the process in which plants go through to grow fully.  The book talks about each specific part of the plant and what it does.  It goes through what photosynthesis is and how it helps plants grow.  Each plant had its own specific way of growing and the book does a good job of noting that and having great pictures to support it.  The book also talks about how important soil is to plants and how it contributes to a plant’s growth.  This book has chapters in it that talk about each aspect of a plant’s life.  This book reminds me of a mini textbook because of the chapters it has and a glossary in the back and the content. 

I would tie this book in with science in my classroom when studying living organisms.   After reading aloud, I would use one of the experiments in the book with flowers.  I will get some white flowers for the class and have a couple flowers for 3 or 4 groups in the class.  I would have them put the flower in a cup of water with blue or various food coloring in it.  When the white pedals turn the color of the water, this will show that the water is moving up the stem.  After doing this experiment, I would have my student reflect in an academic notebook and talk about why the flower pedals changed colors and at least one other fact they learned from the book about plants that they didn’t know before.  Each student would share what they learned new.