A Pandemic Is Worldwide (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science 2)

by Sarah L Thomson (Author) Taia Morley (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2^nd − 3^rd Grade

Series: Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science 2

Read and find out the science behind a pandemic and how to stay safe in this illustrated, informative nonfiction picture book.

Everybody gets sick now and then—maybe with a runny nose or a sore throat. But sometimes, a lot of people get sick at once. If a disease spreads all over the world, that’s a pandemic.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of kids across the world and has caused fear and confusion as people in charge have given conflicting orders. Read to discover the answers to some of your biggest questions, including:

What is a pandemic? How are they created and spread? Has anything like this ever happened before? What is a coronavirus? What can we do to stay safe and healthy?

While pandemics are rare, several have happened throughout the world’s history, such as the bubonic plague and smallpox, and our scientists have observed and learned some important lessons, such as the importance of vaccines.

This Level 2 Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out shares important facts about past and current pandemics, taking readers from the origin of the word “quarantine” and through history’s many pandemics, to milestones such as the first vaccine that helped end smallpox.

This book also comes with a handwashing diagram, a glossary, and a timeline of past pandemics and their impact on the world.

This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:

hands-on and visual
acclaimed and trusted
great for classrooms

Top 10 reasons to love LRFOs:

Entertain and educate at the same time
Have appealing, child-centered topics
Developmentally appropriate for emerging readers
Focused; answering questions instead of using survey approach
Employ engaging picture book quality illustrations
Use simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skills
Feature hands-on activities to engage young scientists
Meet national science education standards
Written/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the field
Over 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interests

Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Common Sense Media Review

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$17.99

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ALA/Booklist

This Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science early reader is a straightforward guide to infectious diseases. Accessible text defines words that kids have likely been hearing (pandemic, virus, quarantine, vaccine, COVID-19) and uses vocabulary and examples that children should relate to.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2--In simple terms and with lots of explanatory illustrations, this addition to the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out" series offers an objective view of a pandemic that is easy to understand. Beginning with an explanation of how an illness can become an outbreak, epidemic, and pandemic, Thomson then presents a brief history of pandemics, and how they were eliminated with quarantines and eventually through the invention of vaccines. She characterizes Europeans who brought diseases, such as smallpox, which killed so many Indigenous people in the Western Hemisphere, as invaders. The work describes the current pandemic, illustrates how the coronavirus is spread by saliva and phlegm, and explains how it can make some people sicker than others. Stating that a pandemic is caused by a bacteria or a virus, the book describes ways in which readers can actively inhibit the spread of the disease through handwashing, covering injuries, and staying away from sick people; it emphasizes the importance of isolation with a very helpful chart, and even includes directions for proper handwashing technique. Other additions include a glossary and time line of pandemics with numbers of deaths from each. VERDICT This slender volume may alleviate fears and help readers understand how illness spreads, while its underlying message is that those who wear masks, wash their hands, and stay home can help to end pandemics.--MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY

Publishers Weekly

This installment of the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series explains pandemics, viruses, and vaccines in clear, patient terms. Opening by differentiating between outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics, and touching on past pandemics (including the bubonic plague and smallpox), Thomson then focuses on Covid-19: how it propagates, common symptoms, and how to stop the spread ("Simple choices like staying home as much as you can and wearing a mask when you go out can help slow the spread of a disease like COVID-19"). Helpful inset boxes offer etymology and additional context: "Corona means 'crown.' If you look at a coronavirus under a microscope, it looks a bit like it's wearing a spiky crown." Morley provides textural illustrations, rendered in watercolor and digitally, showing a cast of varying ages and skin tones. Though the treatment of Covid-19 as over strikes an odd note, this is a comprehensive, age-appropriate primer for curious, concerned young readers. Back matter features a glossary, a handwashing diagram, and a timeline of past pandemics. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Review quotes

The illustrations of earnest doctors administering vaccines to willing children will rub anti-vaxxers the wrong way, but the wholesome overarching message of "we're all in this together" will play well to the intended audience. — Kirkus Reviews

In simple terms and with lots of explanatory illustrations, this addition to the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out" series offers an objective view of a pandemic that is easy to understand. — School Library Journal (starred review)

Sarah L Thomson

Sarah L. Thomson is a former children's book editor and an experienced author. She has published original fiction and nonfiction work in a variety of categories, from high fantasy series to nonfiction picture books and also has experience writing for a variety of licensed properties. She lives in Maine with her family. Visit her at sarahlthomson.com.

Vin Vogel is an award-winning Brazilian author-illustrator and the creator of A Home for Leo and the Yeti picture book series. He has illustrated over fifty books for young readers. After living in New York City, he returned to his hometown of Rio, where he lives with two cats and a dog. They are surrounded by many plants, piles of picture books, and some single fin surfboards. Visit him at vinvogel.com.

Classification

Non-fiction

ISBN-13

9780063086265

Lexile Measure

Guided Reading Level

Publisher

HarperCollins

Publication date

February 22, 2022

Series

Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science 2

BISAC categories

Library of Congress categories

History
Epidemics
Prevention
Communicable diseases
COVID-19 (Disease)
COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-
Coronavirus infections

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