Earthquakes

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Franklyn Mansfield Branley, Richard Rosenblum (Illustrator)

Discusses the frequency of earthquakes, why they happen, their geography, and what a person should do if caught in the middle of one

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Geology, Earth Sciences

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains the various tectonic and volcanic movements that can cause earthquakes, how we measure earthquakes, the kind of damage that earthquakes can cause (including why flooding and fires are common after earthquakes), some historic big earthquakes, and how to be safe during an earthquake.

I really like the little experiments included in the text that are easy to do and help kids understand how waves travel through the earth. This covers 2 different kinds of faults and the rubbing they can cause of the mantle, as well as how volcanoes can cause earthquakes. There's one page on tsunamis and how earthquakes can cause those. This is very informative, and I can see kids who are fascinated by natural disasters being enthralled. I can also see this setting off overly anxious kids worrying about an earthquake in their area, so know the kid you hand this to or read it to. For those who live in earthquake-prone areas, it does do a good job going over how to be safe in a variety of areas so it could be used to talk to kids about what to do in case of an earthquake. Also a good pick for units on natural disasters and those studying the Earth's layers.

[Terry]

We have read a number of the Let's Read and Find Out books, and this is definitely the best so far. See what our reviewer likes in the full review.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've owned and had Earthquakes ~ Let's-Read-&-Find-Out Science Book Series as pare of my classroom library for years. It has wonderful pictures, simple text for school age children to learn about earthquakes.

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for young readers who want to know more about earthquakes and how they happen. It goes into the causes without using difficult vocabulary. The illustrations are clear and informative.

[Phoenix Baertlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my little brother who liked it

[Janna]

The concepts about earthquakes are well demonstrated with pictures and diagrams with arrows. The language is easy for children to understand and be able to read by themselves. It explains concepts that the reader might not already know such as the Richter scale and how big and small earthquakes are rated on the Richter scale. One thing I noticed about the map on the third page of the story is that it is limiting the audience for the book by not including all the countries, especially Australia because it is an English speaking country and readers may be turned away by this. The expository writing in this book includes facts, history, and effects of earthquakes. For being apart of the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science books series I was disappointed there was not a suggested activity included. I also thought more information about what to do during and after an earthquake could have been included.

[alana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only just realized there is a reillustrated version of this book, and I'd love to see it! The images in our copy is a bit dated, though I don't think the kids mind.

The book introduces plate tectonics and seismic activity, presents the facts of some major historical earthquakes (though none past the 80s, if I recall correctly), and some safety tips for if an earthquake happens. I wish further tips had been included such as how to stock your house in case of an earthquake, whether or not to leave your building, shutting off gas, etc. The book ends with a "stay calm and trust the adults around you" note, but I wish there were more kid-friendly explanation of what adults will be doing to help at those times. It would also be nice to see how communities rebuild in the aftermath of major earthquakes.

Overall, a good book to have in the 1st grade classroom!

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has cartoon pictures that go along with the earthquake scenes, which I think is less alarming for children to read. It also makes things more generic like it could take place in their hometown. There are also diagrams or motion symbols that help explain the words better. It also is neat how at the end they tell kids what they should do in case an earthquake does occur. Some of the facts are outdated, so would be nice for a more updated facts about earthquakes and to see if the technology has changed since in the almost 20 years since the book was copyrighted.

[Deanna Sutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not flashy, but teaches simply about tectonic plates and the earth's movements. Also includes some basic info about some of the more major earthquakes from history.

[Cws]

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[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after a recent earthquake rattled everyone's nerves here. The information is presented nicely and perfect for kids but not juvenile.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for preschoolers or kindergartners interested in learning more about earthquakes. It contains in-depth science information, but is presented in a fairly straightforward simple way.

[Melissa Housholder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Descriptive book about how and why earthquakes happen, and explains what they are. Great descriptions, labels and illustrations. Wonderfully informational.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for younger kids. The book is informational, but still done as a picture book.