Dull science is rampant. The worse I can think of are the text books we used in primary and secondary schools (in Malaysia), 30 years ago. So bad, that I cannot remember how the secondary school ones look like. The only primary school science book I can remember is a page with a search for hidden animals. That was way back in Standard 1.
Despite that, I became a scientist. I met many very interesting science teachers who made up for those dire books and kindled my interest in the subject. The best part was having an aunt, who was a science teacher, who always took the opportunity to show the relevance of science in everyday life. Most unforgettable, was the time she bought cow eyes so we could cut them up at home and examine the lenses.
Enter Miss Frizzle and the Magic School Bus - a series of books by Scholastic about scientific topics written in the most entertaining fashion yet packed with nuggets of information. According to the Official Scholastic website for The Magic School Bus the series is almost 25 years old. But I have never seen them until a couple months ago at the Taipei Public Library. The author is Joanna Cole who was an elementary school teacher, librarian and a children's book editor. The books are illustrated by Bruce Degen.
Miss Frizzle is a teacher who is very passionate about her subject. She is portrayed as a wacky woman, very single minded in her quest to impart knowledge and provide experiences for her class of students. She is often the butt of the children's jokes which I find can be quite rude. This I attribute to my Asian perspective of respect and reverence of capable people in a teaching capacity. Or perhaps, I am now too distant from the age where it was hilarious to poke fun at teachers. But I tend to skip those parts when reading to my children. I substitute every nickname for Frizzie/ the Frizz with Miss Frizzle and I erase every mockery of her. Yes, I am a stick in the mud.
The first book we picked up at the end of last year,was "The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip". Miss Frizzle takes the students to a power plant. The children learn how electricity, how it is generated and distributed to homes. They travel through various electrical appliances.
With all The Magic School Bus classic books, the scientific information is presented in a simple and easy to understand format. There is an element of imagination but the science remains factual. I really like the many layers of information. While the main story progresses, there are side notes in the form of the students' reports which provide additional detail or explanation. Real scientific terms are introduced and explained. The things explored are familiar and relevant. Sometimes, Ae follows the main story. Most times, she ignores the books but if she finds one on a shelve in the library, she brings it to her brother. Ew follows the main story and goes for the extra notes. Sometimes, he requests that I skip those parts, so I do.
If you are uncomfortable with the imaginary aspects of the story like a bus that changes forms, time travel, students small enough to float through electrical wires, the last two pages handles the brickbats. The author admits certain things are not possible or provides explanation. Some additional clarification is provided for anyone who may want to look up some of the information.
The illustrations are fantastic - attractive, colourful and greatly help children understand the concepts. There are detailed diagrams to explain how things work e.g. turbines. Jokes are often inserted as speech bubbles. I mentioned that Miss Frizzle is ribbed but there are clever play on words and wit. I love the creative designs of Miss Frizzles dresses, complete with matching shoes and earrings. It complements the theme explored in each book and provides previews of what is in store. Again, the diagrams are fun but factual. I wish Bruce Degen illustrated some of the text books I read.
Being very interested in electrical appliances, Ew got a lot out of that book. He probably didn't grasp the part about atoms losing an electron and how the movement of electrons creates electricity but I think he acquired the basic understanding of electricity. He can name the electrical appliances in the house (vs. non electrical). He can explain the end effect of electricity for an electrical appliance to work e.g. generate heat or light, cause movement. During the Fukushima incident, there were pictures of the nuclear reactors in the newspapers. I explained those to him and he seemed to grasp the concept because he had seen pictures of turbines in The Magic School Bus book.
The next book we borrowed was "The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body". The students travel through the digestive system and learn about oxygenation of blood and organs. This was the book that travelled with us back to Malaysia and entertained the children for 2 weeks. Again, Ew could identify with a lot of the stuff covered because he had asked me about poo in Mamypoko once and I had drawn him a diagram of the digestive track from the mouth to the anus. The book didn't go in the same direction but it built on some knowledge that he already had and added more about blood cells, the brain and muscles. He probably can't tell you about muscle fibres, I can't either. During a trip to the hospital, he stopped in front of the Neurology Clinic, pointed to a diagram and said "Mummy, look ! That is the brain." I was impressed.
It was a nice coincidence that I happen to find the VCD for the TV tie in for the same at Tesco. It is called "The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten" but the story is similar to the book. I am not a big fan of TV, so I prefer the books. The kids watched it twice and haven't asked for it since. (For this I am indeed grateful. Amen.)
.
Then we read "The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses". It was information overload for my kids as the Magic School Bus went through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue. Ew wasn't interested. Maybe it would be more suitable for an older child who has explored those concepts before. I liked it for the explanation of how each sense works. The story was creative but Miss Frizzle wasn't driving the bus. And the vice-principle whatever his name, doesn't drive it as well. Who say men make better drivers ?
During a library visit, we came across two Magic School Bus books in a different format. The books are smaller, thinner and much simpler. Those were the Science Readers designed for children early readers to read on their own. Despite the simplicity, the science remains true. What impressed me was these books are not about simple, mundane (sorry) subjects that most readers tend to be. No "Fox does the trot" or repetitive "More spaghetti I say". No, the two books we borrowed were "The Magic School Bus Gets Crabby" and "The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs". The Crabby one is about tide pools and the organisms within. The latter introduces the link between birds and dinosaurs. The students of Miss Frizzle's class go back in time and learn about the feathered dinosaurs of Liaoning Plain in China. I improved my dino-vocabulary with words like Jinzhousaurus, Confuciousornis.
Ae loved those simple Magic School Bus readers. She carried them to the dinner table many times to read while she ate. I think she had found in them books like those her brother was reading but more at her level.
We are currently have "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" (classic book) and "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth"(classic book). The former is a more popular choice in our household. We borrowed "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth" first and read it a few times. Then my reservation of "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" came through. After we picked up the "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" from the library, the "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth" was left forgotten at the bottom of the book basket.
In summary,
1) great series of book about science except for the rude jokes about the teacher
2) suitable for children of various ages - pre-school to primary. This adult loves it too!
3) different levels of information present in a manner that allows one the choice to skim or delve
4) wide range of topics - start with those that interest your child to get the most out of it. As they start to like Miss Frizzle and the bus, introduce new topics.
5) different formats - from simple readers, classic books, chapter books, cartoons
To quote Miss Frizzle, "Fasten your seat belts and take a field trip on the Magic School Bus".
The first book we picked up at the end of last year,was "The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field Trip". Miss Frizzle takes the students to a power plant. The children learn how electricity, how it is generated and distributed to homes. They travel through various electrical appliances.
With all The Magic School Bus classic books, the scientific information is presented in a simple and easy to understand format. There is an element of imagination but the science remains factual. I really like the many layers of information. While the main story progresses, there are side notes in the form of the students' reports which provide additional detail or explanation. Real scientific terms are introduced and explained. The things explored are familiar and relevant. Sometimes, Ae follows the main story. Most times, she ignores the books but if she finds one on a shelve in the library, she brings it to her brother. Ew follows the main story and goes for the extra notes. Sometimes, he requests that I skip those parts, so I do.
If you are uncomfortable with the imaginary aspects of the story like a bus that changes forms, time travel, students small enough to float through electrical wires, the last two pages handles the brickbats. The author admits certain things are not possible or provides explanation. Some additional clarification is provided for anyone who may want to look up some of the information.
The illustrations are fantastic - attractive, colourful and greatly help children understand the concepts. There are detailed diagrams to explain how things work e.g. turbines. Jokes are often inserted as speech bubbles. I mentioned that Miss Frizzle is ribbed but there are clever play on words and wit. I love the creative designs of Miss Frizzles dresses, complete with matching shoes and earrings. It complements the theme explored in each book and provides previews of what is in store. Again, the diagrams are fun but factual. I wish Bruce Degen illustrated some of the text books I read.
Being very interested in electrical appliances, Ew got a lot out of that book. He probably didn't grasp the part about atoms losing an electron and how the movement of electrons creates electricity but I think he acquired the basic understanding of electricity. He can name the electrical appliances in the house (vs. non electrical). He can explain the end effect of electricity for an electrical appliance to work e.g. generate heat or light, cause movement. During the Fukushima incident, there were pictures of the nuclear reactors in the newspapers. I explained those to him and he seemed to grasp the concept because he had seen pictures of turbines in The Magic School Bus book.
The next book we borrowed was "The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body". The students travel through the digestive system and learn about oxygenation of blood and organs. This was the book that travelled with us back to Malaysia and entertained the children for 2 weeks. Again, Ew could identify with a lot of the stuff covered because he had asked me about poo in Mamypoko once and I had drawn him a diagram of the digestive track from the mouth to the anus. The book didn't go in the same direction but it built on some knowledge that he already had and added more about blood cells, the brain and muscles. He probably can't tell you about muscle fibres, I can't either. During a trip to the hospital, he stopped in front of the Neurology Clinic, pointed to a diagram and said "Mummy, look ! That is the brain." I was impressed.
It was a nice coincidence that I happen to find the VCD for the TV tie in for the same at Tesco. It is called "The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten" but the story is similar to the book. I am not a big fan of TV, so I prefer the books. The kids watched it twice and haven't asked for it since. (For this I am indeed grateful. Amen.)
.
Then we read "The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses". It was information overload for my kids as the Magic School Bus went through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue. Ew wasn't interested. Maybe it would be more suitable for an older child who has explored those concepts before. I liked it for the explanation of how each sense works. The story was creative but Miss Frizzle wasn't driving the bus. And the vice-principle whatever his name, doesn't drive it as well. Who say men make better drivers ?
During a library visit, we came across two Magic School Bus books in a different format. The books are smaller, thinner and much simpler. Those were the Science Readers designed for children early readers to read on their own. Despite the simplicity, the science remains true. What impressed me was these books are not about simple, mundane (sorry) subjects that most readers tend to be. No "Fox does the trot" or repetitive "More spaghetti I say". No, the two books we borrowed were "The Magic School Bus Gets Crabby" and "The Magic School Bus Flies with the Dinosaurs". The Crabby one is about tide pools and the organisms within. The latter introduces the link between birds and dinosaurs. The students of Miss Frizzle's class go back in time and learn about the feathered dinosaurs of Liaoning Plain in China. I improved my dino-vocabulary with words like Jinzhousaurus, Confuciousornis.
Ae loved those simple Magic School Bus readers. She carried them to the dinner table many times to read while she ate. I think she had found in them books like those her brother was reading but more at her level.
We are currently have "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" (classic book) and "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth"(classic book). The former is a more popular choice in our household. We borrowed "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth" first and read it a few times. Then my reservation of "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" came through. After we picked up the "The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs" from the library, the "The Magic School Bus Inside the Earth" was left forgotten at the bottom of the book basket.
In summary,
1) great series of book about science except for the rude jokes about the teacher
2) suitable for children of various ages - pre-school to primary. This adult loves it too!
3) different levels of information present in a manner that allows one the choice to skim or delve
4) wide range of topics - start with those that interest your child to get the most out of it. As they start to like Miss Frizzle and the bus, introduce new topics.
5) different formats - from simple readers, classic books, chapter books, cartoons
To quote Miss Frizzle, "Fasten your seat belts and take a field trip on the Magic School Bus".
