Cece Loves Science and Adventure

Cece Loves Science

by Kimberly Derting, Shelli R. Johannes, Vashti Harrison (Illustrator)

Cece loves science and adventure!

In this STEM-themed picture book, the second in a series, Cece and her Adventure Girls troop use science, technology, engineering, and math to solve problems and earn their camping pin.

Illustrated by New York Times–bestseller Vashti Harrison, the Cece Loves Science books are perfect for fans of Ada Twist, Scientist and anyone who enjoys asking questions and figuring out how things work. “A good introduction to observation, data, and trying again,” said Kirkus Reviews of the first book in the series.

Cece loves being an Adventure Girl almost as much as she loves science, which is why she can’t wait for her troop’s camping trip. Nature is full of science for Cece to explore!

Along with her friends, her mom, and her dog, Einstein, Cece learns how to pitch a tent, set up a campsite, and document landmarks on the trail. Then thunder booms in the distance! Working together, the girls use meteorology and math to determine the location of the storm; engineering to build a shelter; and technology and math to calculate the length of the trek back to the campsite. After all that teamwork, Cece’s mom gives them an Adventure Girl surprise!

Illustrated by Vashti Harrison, author and illustrator of the New York Times–bestselling Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History, Cece Loves Science and Adventure is just right for curious kids and anyone who loves to explore the great outdoors. Includes a glossary.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Stem, Adventure, Childrens, Nature, Mathematics

40 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2019

About the author

Kimberly Derting once wanted to be a “foxy lady trucker” but changed her mind when she took 7th-grade journalism and discovered writing. She hasn’t looked back since.

She’s the author of award-winning young adult novels, including The Body Finder series, The Pledge trilogy, and The Taking trilogy. She’s also co-written many popular picture books, including the Loves Science series, the Farm Friends series, and Penny: The Engineering Tail of The Fourth Little Pig. Her first solo picture book is Baby Steps: A Picture Book For New Siblings.

Her young adult books have been translated into over 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. Her picture books have received starred reviews, been Amazon book-of-the-month picks, and were featured in Good Housekeeping.

These days, Kimberly lives in the Pacific Northwest, where she watches WAY too much Netflix, orders 20-pound boxes of Nerds gumballs from Amazon, and loves to complain about the rain even though she lives in Seattle, where it rains ALL of the time! You can find her online at www.kimberlyderting.com


Note: I'm the worst about checking my Goodreads email...I apologize if I don't get back to you! If you need to reach me, try emailing me at kim(at)kimberlyderting(dot)com

Reviews

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“ I love science and adventure as much as Cece. I give Cece loves science and adventure a million stars. Hold on, I give it a trillion stars. I love love love love how Cece and her friends had teamwork. I love how she planned for her trip with a checklist. I love how she has a dog. And how she brings everything to make s’mores. I love her curly hair and that her mom is her leader. I love camping too. And how she drew a map and figured out about the storm by counting. I love that she is smart. I love the deer footprints! And patches, I love the patches they earned.” - V, age 6

[SheReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for YA Books Central

Books about girls who love science are always winners!

Cece and her friends are trying to win their adventure badges so they pack everything they can and head out on a camping trip with their mom. Once there, they do the typical things like setting up tents and going on nature hikes, but problems occur at every step and Cece figures out how to solve them. Nothing is easy on this trip, but this little girl uses her love for science to make it perfect.
Cece is adorable. Any kid reading this will want to be on the adventure with her. I love the science tidbits sprinkled throughout and then the science facts in the back of the book.
It's beautifully illustrated, making the camping grounds jump off the page. There really isn't a thing about this book not to like.

Final Verdict: A super well-done story about a girl and her love for science that will have any kid enthralled with the adventure.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun way to show how science and problem solving is in our lives every day. Sometimes it's hard for students to see how things we are learning in school are applicable to the life they have right now or their lives in the future. Also, the idea that some of the things we are learning are processes that can be used with any type of information, like the process of problem-solving. This book shows how that process is used across different situations with creativity and perseverance. Certainly, a book our STEM teacher needs for her room.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't pick flowers!

[DIVISHA MITHAL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sanaya Talks Books:
I like these books because they teach us a lot about science and science is my favorite subject. They help you to use your mind. I learnt about forces, mix and measure, STEM and creating things. I also like that they teach us experiments too. They also use science to come out of problems.

Mommy Likes:
Want to introduce the little kiddos to some STEM concepts? Or help the older kids with practical applications of the concepts learnt by them? 'Loves Science' books are perfect to meet the need for both these categories of kids.

The first book in the series is Cece loves Science. Cece is an inquisitive child who loves everything science and is curious about the How? Why? When? and What If? The second book is Cece loves Science and Adventure and is a wonderful book which incorporated many STEM concepts in its storyline. In a similar vein, the next book in the series is Libby Loves Science. Libby is interested in mixing, measuring and experimenting with things. This book in a way introduces the kids to the basic concepts of Chemistry. There is another book in the series titled Vivi loves Science which is due to release in July 2021. Having read the synopsis, it feels this book will concentrate on another important arm of science, Biology.

Both Cece and Libby also come in 'I can Read - level 3 books' with simpler concepts and shorter sentences.

The major learnings from the books revolve around concepts of science. However the books are also have great learnings about organization skills and preparedness, team-work, thinking on the spot (Cece loves Science and Adventure). In Libby Loves Science we learn that it is ok to make mistakes and that it may lead to discoveries. It also teaches to accept failures and find our own reasons to celebrate.

Verdict:
These books are a great way to introduce STEM concepts and the various arms of Science to the kids. It's a definite recommendation from us with a disclaimer to treat them as books teaching something and not just plain stories.

For a more detailed review you can check my blog at www.inbetweenbookmarks.wordpress.com
or you can follow me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/inbetweenbookmarks

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

As beautifully summarized by our trusty Goodreads Blurber, Cece and her Adventure Girls troop use science, technology, engineering, and math to solve problems and earn their camping pin.

Their enthusiasm is palpable, right from the first double page spread with its introduction to Cece.

The "Adventure Girls Camping Pin Worksheet" is beautifully constructed. I enjoy how Cece uses science to determine if a storm is coming:

Cece knew science could solve almost any problem.
She told her friends about a trick Ms. Curie had taught
her. "If we see lightning, we count the seconds until we
hear thunder. Every five seconds equals one mile."

Ingenuity and clear-minded thinking are on display throughout this story. And I just beamed to see the completed "STEM Pin Worksheet" at the end.

FIVE STARS of admiration, respect, and gratitude for this book. Magnificent teaching behind the scenes, with terrific storytelling front and center!

[Ellee Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright date: 2019
Star rating: 4
Award: N/A
Genre: Fiction
Summary w/ themes: This book is the second one in the Cece Loves Science series, and in this book her and some of her scout members go camping to earn some badges. They go on a hike, and while they are away they have to set up a shelter because a storm is coming, and when it is over they use their resources to get back to their original camping site. This book has themes of camping, outdoors, and science.
Use for future classroom: If my students like the first Cece book, this would be a fun one to read and to maybe even have my students pretend like they are camping for a day just like Cece.
Thoughts of book: I liked this book more than the first one. I enjoyed how her and her friends were able to use their skills to get back to camp, and I liked that Cece's mom got to come with the girls as their leader.

[LindaJ^ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book grade-schoolers, probably best for those in 2nd to 5th grade. It is the second in a series (the first is Cece Loves Science). CeCe and her friends go on a camping trip so they can earn their camping pin as Adventure Girls and end up earning their STEM pin as well. The illustrations are great; the text is more minimalist but carries the story along quite nicely. This will be a gift for a young friend whose name is CeeCee.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and has a lot of great elements:
1)A team of girls using friendship and teamwork to solve problems
2)The inclusion of STEM everywhere
3)Cute illustrations
4)A glossary of terms at the end to promoted continued learning

Personally, I felt this story went on a little too long for a read-aloud book, but it would make a great addition to a lesson plan about nature science since it was able to pack so much into one story.

[Erin *BookDragon_Library* · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with a completely minority cast. I'm not sure if Cece is Latina or Black but her 2 friends are Black and Asian. I love that this book shows them using STEM skills throughout and frames it like an adventure in the woods, a real situation kids can relate to. The best part is the back of the book that has a STEM PIN Worksheet that shows exactly what they did that counted as Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in order to get their "badge."

[Danielle Gibbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like these Cece books. They are a bit heavier than our other picture books but very educational. I originally bought them for our then 6 year old. My 4 year old chose it tonight and as he has attention difficulties I thought it would be too wordy for him. He sat stone still through the whole book, he was hooked! Harrison's art work is lovely as always and there is plenty going on in the pictures, lots of nice details.

[Shatila Banks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I have incorporated science into my weekly instructions, this book was perfect for students to understand what STEM means and was able to see it in a book. Cece used all parts of science at the campsite. Cece also showed leadership skills as she was trying to earned her badge and led her group through the campsite.

[Denise Lauron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of a recommendation.

I found this book a little too advanced for the intended reader. It's great that kids learn these things, but I think that expectations are too high for the kids to understand yet. Maybe upon multiple reads.

I recommend this book for older children.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

STEM focused.
Cece and the Adventure Girls go camping to earn more pins. She uses her science knowledge to help on the trip - keep them safe during a thunderstorm, find their way back to camp, etc.
At times, the science felt forced but elementary readers will relate to the characters and plot.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very cute story is about Cece who is an Adventure girl. The Adventure girls go on a camping trip and accidentally get lost but then using their camera, figure out a way to get back to camp. This is an adorable lesson in problem solving.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture book with a lot of emphasis on STEM, and a good representation of POC. Overall I wished that I could have given the book more stars, but it was just a book I liked.

Kids were okay about it too.

Next!

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cece and her friends use science to figure out how to return to camp when a storm develops on a camping trip. This book offers great role models for working together and using logic and science to solve problems.

[Kelley Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that is shows applications for scientific concepts used in school. I loved that it showed engineering, technology, and mathematics. It felt a little contrived in places, but I think that it would be a popular addition to your collection

[Kaavya Jaganath · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a girl called Cece. She was an adventure girl. She had 2 friends who were adventure girls too. I liked this book because Cece uses STEM - technology and math to solve problems like making chocolate sandwiches, to figure out when the storm was coming and to build the tent.

[Veronika Bitting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl and her friends went on a camping trip to earn their adventure pins. They used science, technology, engineering, and math on their trip and got a stem badge. This shows that it is important to use what you know and it will help you.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A troop of girls go camping and use science and math and technology and engineering to set up camp and find their way back after a hike and a storm. Good beginning to STEM activities and showing how they use each to earn their badges.

[AMY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book that shows how using science in daily life can make things so much more interesting and understandable. Cece and friends are on a scout trio and use many scientific methods and information to navigate their outdoor environment. Recommended for Grades 2-4.

[Jaelyn Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy that this book is based off a child that loves science. I feel as though it is hard to find books that talk about subjects like science and social studies, but this book does a great job expressing the joy that can come from science.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but the science and technology she used was pretty basic. And the counting seconds between lightning and thunder to calculate the distance was much more mathy than the part that actually was math.

[Kenzie Dye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! The inclusivity is great because it features a black girl in stem and I think that is very important. There are informational aspects and I thought the illustrations were very appealing.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the intent, but the story is a little too text-heavy for a read aloud and the science felt forced at times.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Cece, she is one of my favorite characters. I love her new adventure and grade 2-4 readers will like her adventures too!

[CCPL Buzz]

DD

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl power and science and camping! Very nice.

[Syntha Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice problem solving story