I was delighted to be asked to take part in this blog tour and the title of the book definitely attracted my attention. The question is absolutely “what is STUFF”? The word is a term that just about every person uses and it is not easily defined by the individual. However, in this book, the author tries to give us a very broad definition of those areas that can be seen as stuff by many of us.
The author of this book is an American scientist and author, who has written 30+ books and works with those in education to help children understand science; he is therefore well qualified to speak about this subject. The book is aimed at KS2 children and although it deals with some quite complex themes, it is clearly explained and the text is not overwhelming.
The book is divided into three parts; The basics, nature stuff and stuff humans make and use. Section one looks at concepts such as Matter and Energy, then we move on to section two and things such as geology, climate, biology and astronomy. In section three, which is by far the longest, we find a huge range of stuff that mankind needs and has developed over the millennia. It includes, food, shelter, clothing, power, paper, health and communication. This really is a wide-ranging look at how mankind has become the dominant species in the world, but also how we now need so much stuff we need to maintain our lifestyles and place at the top of the tree.
One of the things I really like about this book is the extras that you would expect from an information book and which really add to the experience for the young reader. The contents pages are clear, well laid out and well signposted. We also have an excellent glossary and subject index, as well as a list of photo credits. The author also explains his research methodology and then provides more than two pages of links to online resources. Whilst these are all well known and respected, it was a shame that less than 10 appeared to be for British Institutions; the main sources being American. However this book still provides a huge amount of support information and acts as a great starting point for further investigations. I am sure that it will encourage the young, and not so young, reader to look more closely at the range of stuff that surrounds us and enables us to survive as human beings.
Details
Title The Greatest Stuff on Earth
Author Steve Tomacek
Illustrator John Devolle
Publisher What on Earth Books
ISBN 9781804661413
Most of us assume that we have a right to self-determination and the idea that we are restricted by a fate that is given to us at birth, is something that we might have real problems with. This is the idea behind the adventures of the feisty Ember Shadows. In the first book she is looking forward to receiving her fate card, which will decide if she can follow her dream of being an inventor; however, things do not happen as she hopes. Firstly, there is no fate written on her card and then her younger sister receives her card, saying that she only has a short while to live. This leads to a fantastic adventure as Ember tries to change the way that the fates work.
safety in the old system and they have problems coping with having choice. Someone is taking this fear to an extreme and they are gathering the strands of fate and cutting them, so that the owners are killed. Ember and her brilliant sidekick Hans (yes, he is a hand from a clock, brought to life by magic) decide that they need to try and stop any further disasters taking place. They meet a wide variety of characters on the way, from giant spiders to mon-keys (who manage the weather patterns), but there is always the lurking menace of the line cutter. The author manages to throw a lot of red herrings in our path and especially in Ember’s way, so that she is often caught out in her thinking about the culprit. The denouement sees an unexpected villain and an upsetting discovery about someone she had thought was a friend.