Water: Up, Down, and All Around

by Natalie M. Rosinsky

Up, Down, and All Around (PB)

Genres: Science, Childrens

Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

My touchstones have always been books. Like clear-eyed family members, different books have anticipated my needs and questions, mirrored my problems, and provided help or inspiration.

I grew up on an inner-city block made famous in Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. As a high school English teacher, I recognized many funny or painful experiences captured in the pages of Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase. Later, the mayhem—if not the murders—of Amanda Cross's mystery novels, with their university settings, seemed familiar as I completed graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and became a college professor. What Color is Your Parachute? guided my next career move—into the business world, where I worked as a corporate trainer and instructional designer.

For a quarter-century, I lived with my husband and son in Mankato, Minnesota, on the “Big Hill” of Maude Hart Lovelace's beloved Betsy-Tacy series for young readers. Those works and my encounters with Lovelace fans on their pilgrimage to our neighborhood took on new meaning as I began to write myself. Now, after a recent move to Bloomington, Minnesota, I am ready for another new chapter in my life! Which books shall I read...what new work may they inspire?

Since 1994, I have written over 100 nonfiction articles, activities and books for children and young adults. In 2000, my piece about puzzles in Cricket magazine, “No Cross Words Allowed,” won the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Merit Award for the year's best nonfiction article. In 2004, my article about forensic science in Odyssey magazine, “'Facing' Jack the Ripper: Forensics Then and Now,” was awarded a letter of merit in SCBWI's annual competition.

Sarah Winnemucca: Scout, Activist, and Teacher, my biography of that Northern Paiute leader, was honored by the Western Writers of American as a finalist in the 2007 Spur Award competition for juvenile nonfiction. Sarah Winnemucca also represented the state of Nevada at the 2006 National Book Festival in Washington, D. C. This biography was named one of 2006's best books for children by the Bank Street College of Education.

I have written science picture books and chapter books on holidays, money, hospitals, Native American tribes, California ranchos, the Vietnam War era, world religions, and science. My longer works for older readers include a book about the mystery of Jack the Ripper and biographies of popular author Amy Tan and scientific genius Sir Isaac Newton. I have also written the stories of the atomic bomb and pharmaceuticals and delved into the culture of comics. In 2011, Graphic Content! The Culture of Comic Books was named a "Book of Note" for young adults by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association.

I enjoy writing so much that I completed a series of books to help young people write their own stories and books. In 2008, this ongoing series won a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers. In 2009, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association named Write Your Own Graphic Novel a 2008 Young Adult Top 40 Nonfiction Title. My motto is “Plan ahead, but also live ‘write now’.”

Reviews

[Danielle Vetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Level- 3.2
Guided Reading Level- 3.3

This book describes the water cycle. It also gives information on what water is used for, how water benefits animals and humans, how water is cleaned, etc. In addition, this book offers various fun facts about water.

This book is informational due to the facts that it shares about water. Every piece of information in this book is true and helps readers learn about water.

Writing Trait:
Ideas- This book is clearly focused on water. Each page gives details about water, where it came from, where it goes, how it helps living things, how it is purified, etc. Through the sharing of facts about water, this book develops the main idea in an understandable and interesting way.

Classroom Integration/Mentor Text:
This text could be used as a mentor text in a second or third grade science classroom. This book maps out the water cycle and facts about water through pictures and text. Students can refer to this mentor text to find information about all aspects of water. For a science unit on the water cycle, students can use this book to help create a physical or visual representation of the water cycle. In addition, the back of the book contains three experiments that students can conduct in order to learn more about water.

[Sarah Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is colorful and teaches students about the water cycle. This is informational for students because water is an important necessity throughout everyday life. It is easy text for young children to learn about this important water cycle.

[Shakena Gwinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Water is a part of science, children should know where it comes from.I like how this book demonstrate the idea. Honestly before I read this book, I thought it came from the faucet. I realized, that not the case.

[Missmath144 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the water cycle and more. I usually talk the book more than read it to children, putting the ideas in my own words. We discuss how you can prove there is water vapor in the air (iced drink in a glass; frosty window, etc.) We talk about the 3 states of water: solid, liquid, gas. We discuss how the earth recycles water. It's a great introduction to this aspect of science for young children.

[Jennifer]

The book starts off with a table of contents. The first page poses a question: Where do raindrops come from? The text continues and provides answers to that question. The book is illustrated with a charming paper cutout technique. The end of the book provides experiment ideas, fun facts, and a glossary of terms.

[BooksWithMyCoffeeBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for 2nd grade! My students made interactive science books to do along with the content in this book, and they LOVED it!!!!

[Christine Turner]

Describes the water cycle and the importance of water, explaining evaporation and condensation, dew and frost, and the three states of water.

Note: This book works well for preschool storytime.