All summer, I’ll be sharing books for kids of all ages on topics that will interest them or offer them something new to learn about. Most of the time, these will be nonfiction books, but sometimes we can learn from fictional stories too. I believe reading over the summer is so important, and keeping kids interested in reading by finding books that are relevant and full of topics that they are interested in is very important. Kids should be reading at least 20 minutes every day, and I hope that these books offer you ideas to keep your kids reading and learning all summer.
Look for these posts every Friday. They will always have Summer Read-to-Learn in the title and the tags. There will be books from some of my favorite publishers as well as books on all kinds of topics kids love to read and learn about. Be sure to stop by each week to see what book I’m sharing as part of my Summer Read-to-Learn series.
To see all the books in the Summer Read-to-Learn series, click HERE.
THIS BOOK BUBBLES OVER
From the Ocean to Mars and Everywhere in Between
By: Nora Nickum
Illustrated by: Robert Meganck
Published: March 11, 2025
Publisher: Peachtree
Non-Fiction
Have you ever wondered how bubble wrap is made? What makes bubble gum different from regular chewing gum? What do you need to add to soap bubbles to make them last longer? Find out the answers to these questions and more in THIS BOOK BUBBLES OVER.
Each page explains a type of bubble, the shape of a bubble, or what bubbles can do to help people or animals. You’ll even find some knowledge about the word “bubble” and the various ways it is used in the English language to mean different things.
Try making whipped cream or bread with your child and look for the bubbles. Need to boil water for pasta? Show your child how the water boils and bubbles. Where else can you find bubbles in your everyday adventures?
I was especially interested to learn how doctors are using bubbles to deliver medicine to a specific spot in the body. Medicine bubbles are injected into a vein, and then, through ultrasound technology and magnets, the bubbles can be transferred to the exact spot where the ultrasound can be turned up to pop the bubbles, releasing the medicine right where the tumor or other infection might be.
Short, factual paragraphs combined with interesting illustrations will hold kids’ attention and keep them curious and wanting to learn more about bubbles. Read this book with your child and then give them a bubble bath or take them outside and blow some bubbles!
Nora Nickum leads conservation policy work for the Seattle Aquarium and writes articles and books for children about STEM and nature topics, including Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest and This Book Is Full of Holes: From Underground to Outer Space and Everywhere In Between, which was also illustrated by Robert Meganck. Nora lives with her family on an island in Washington state, where she enjoys spotting the tiny bubbly hideouts that spittlebugs make on plant stems. Check out her website, HERE.
Robert Meganck is the illustrator of several award-winning nonfiction middle grade and picture books and a professor emeritus of communication arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned a BFA from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He has received more than three hundred regional, national, and international awards for his illustration and graphic design work. He’s old enough to remember when a piece of bubble gum cost one penny. It was large enough to share with a friend and came with a mini comic page. Check out his website, HERE.
To purchase a copy of THIS BOOK BUBBLES OVER, click HERE.
Bubbles are a great activity for outdoor summer fun! Get these HERE.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, Children's books, Nora Nickum, Robert Meganck, STEM, Summer Read-to-Learn, non-fiction, science