Whose Knees Are These? by Jabari Asim illustrated by LeUyen Pham*

 An adorable board book that will cause the reader and child to interact!

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Grow Secrets of Our DNA by Nicola Davies illustrated by Emily Sutton

 Stunning illustrations!

Ms. Davies tackles a difficult subject and explains it well to a younger audience. I apprecieate the depiction of a traditional mom and dad. 

Points to discuss: "chimpanzees are our closest animal relative", calling the human fetus a "blob", and an illustration in a history museum of the human evolving from a chimpanzee.

-Borrowed from the library.

Nine Months by Miranda Paul illustrated by Jason Chin*

The reader experiences the development and growth of a baby girl from Day 17 until her birth.  Mr. Chin, the illustrator, reveals the baby's development as she grows in utero with detailed, accurate illustrations. 
This book extols the miracle of life!
Lots of great additional information at the end of the book.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.

More Parts by Tedd Arnold*

A boy is confused and horrified at the various expressions say that incorporate body parts.  He takes the idioms literally which creates a quite humorous book! 
I read these books aloud while the boys had their hair cut and their hair stylist enjoyed the humor immensely!!
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from the library.
--We also read Even More Parts by Tedd Arnold.
Strategy: figurative language (idioms)

Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas*

Strengthening Your Body to Strengthen Your Soul
Mr. Thomas' emphasizes throughout his book the importance of maintaining a fit body to better serve the Lord.  According to Apostle Paul we are all called to be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful for the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Our bodies are instruments for the Lord.  If we are overweight and out of shape, we cannot serve to the fullest capacity.
Being physical fit and tough will also help us be endure trials and  persecution.
pg. 45 "Protecting your health is the same thing as protecting the vehicle through which God wants to change the world."
pg. 49 Dr. Yphantides says "Being unhealthy is being selfish.  Being healthy is being loving."
 pg. 101 "Laziness is the great spiritual assassin of our time. . . an attitude that undercuts our sense of duty to God and our obligation to our neighbor, and an attitude that wastes our lives."
pg.106 "Laziness is like pride-we can't turn it on and off.  It becomes part of who we are."
-Borrowed from the library.
*Highly recommend.

Before I Was Born by Carolyn Nystrom illustrated by Sandra Speidel*

God's Design for Sex Book 2 Ages 5 to 8
This book goes into more detail about how God has created male and female and their differences. It also explains more about puberty and sexual intercourse.  Like Book 1, it celebrates the different genders and marriage.
*Highly recommend.
-Borrowed from a friend.
Part of a series (Book 3 -What's the Big Deal?  Why God Cares About Sex (ages eight to eleven); Book 4- Facing the Facts:  The Truth About Sex and You (ages eleven to fourteen)

The Story of Me by Stan and Brenna Jones illustrated by Joel Spector*

God's Design for Sex  Book 1 ages 3-5
This book celebrates how God created each gender and the institutions of marriage and family.
In a natural way the child listening to this book learns a bit about how babies are formed, how they born and the proper names for gender specific body parts.
*Highly recommend.
Part of a series.
-Borrowed from a friend.

Human Body Theater a Nonfiction Revue by Maris Wicks*

An engaging skeleton emcees a production displaying all the human body systems and their functions.  This comic-style book will engage even reluctant readers and learners.
Ms. Wicks packs in lots of information about each system in a fun, entertaining manner.
*Highly recommend for junior high and even for reluctant learners on the high school level.
Text features: headings, diagrams, cross sections, close ups, bold/colored font, labels, headings, glossary (very creative-uses sign language and braille with the regular alphabet), recommended reading section
Points to discuss/warning: The reproductive system is included.
*Borrowed from the library.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes illustrated by Annie Kubler*

Another sweet book with babies depicting the words to the song.
*Highly recommend.

Toes, Ears, and Nose! by Marion Dane Bauer illustrated by Karen Katz*

"A Lift-the-Flap Book"
An over-sized board book which will delight babies and toddlers as they lift the flap to see what body part is there. Some young children have a bit of a difficult time learning where their elbows and knees are. This book will help this process!
*Highly recommend.

A Day Inside the Human Body by Claire Throp

"Fantasy Science Field Trips"-Read Me! Raintree
Readers pretend they are traveling in a magical shrinking rocket and explore the major organs of the body.
Text features: table of contents, headings, fact boxes,  labels, close ups, bold print, diagrams, cross sections, glossary, find out more, index

Take a Closer Look at Your Stomach by Jane P. Gardner*

Very informative.
Divided into four chapters:
1. what is the stomach
2.  what does the stomach do
3. stomach troubles
4. keeping your stomach health
Text features: bold font, table of contents, headings, diagrams, labels, glossary, learn more, index, photographs, picture captions, fact boxes
Part of a series
*highly recommend
A fun activity is included within the text.

Take a Closer Look at Your Brain by Jane P. Gardner*

I liked how this book showed the different parts of the brain and how they specifically help us function.  I also liked how it discussed brain tumors and their affects.  A chapter/section is dedicated to preventive health for your brain.
Text features:  table of contents, headings, picture captions, diagrams, labels, fact boxes, bold print/font, cross section/cut aways, photographs, glossary, "learn more-books and website", index
More titles in series: bladder, bones, ears, eyes, heart, lungs, muscles, nose, skin, stomach, teeth
Great series to read when studying the human body and its systems.
*Highly recommend.

Discovering My World-The Brain by Melvin and Gilda Berger

A very simple nonfiction book about the brain.
Text features: photographs, questions within text

Inside the Brain by Karin Halvorson, M.D.*

Different parts of the brain are discussed and their importance to our functioning.
Great activities follow almost each section of the brain to reinforce what that specific part does.
Text features: diagrams, photographs, activities, headings, labels, picture captions, cross section, table of contents, glossary
*highly recommend when studying the brain.
More in series:
Inside the . . .
Ears
Eyes,
Heart
Lungs
Stomach

The Magic School Bus Fights Germs by Kate Egan

Scholastic Reader Level 2
Wanda is sick.  The bus transforms into a cough drop and finds out how the body fights germs.
Part of a series.
Extra dialogue and fact reports may make reading a challenge for some readers.

You Wouldn't Want to Live in Pompeii! by John Malam illustrated by David Antram*

"A Volcanic Eruption You'd Rather Avoid"
Told from a Greek slave's point of view, the reader learns about the years and days before and during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius.   Two pages focus on Pompeii's discovery in 1748.
Humor sprinkled throughout via "Handy Hint" sections.
Text features:  contents, maps, side pictures/facts, labels, picture captions, headings, dates/times headings, glossary, index
*Highly recommend.
Strategies: connections (T-T), synthesizing, cause/effect, main idea/details
Text set: (pair with---)
1. Pompeii . . Buried Alive!  by Edith Kunhardt
http://www.amazon.com/Pompeii-Buried-Alive-Step-Reading/dp/0394888669
2. Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
http://www.amazon.com/Detectives-Togas-Henry-Winterfeld/dp/0152162801
3. Lauren Tarsish's new I Survived book-Destruction of Pompeii (coming Aug. 2014)
http://www.amazon.com/Survived-10-Destruction-Pompeii-AD/dp/0545459397

The Skeletal System by Caroline Arnold

Early Bird Body Systems
Great overview of bones/skeletal system.
Text features: table of contents, diagrams, "be a word detective", photos, picture captions, cross section/cutaways, pronunciation, learn more section, glossary, index

Eye How It Works by David Macaulay*

Another great addition to the My Readers series by Mr. Macaulay.
The main character is a girl during a soccer game.  As the soccer game progresses and she uses her vision, how the eye works is explained.
Humor and wonderful diagrams make this book appealing.
*Highly recommend.
Text structures:  diagrams, labels, cut-aways/cross sections, "words to know", learn more, and index.

20 Questions Why Do Feet Smell? by Gilda and Melvin Berger

20 questions about the human body are posed in this book.  Great layout- a full photo page with the simple question and then on the next page is the answer, again with a large photo of the subject manner.  The photos are expressive and some are funny.  Different ethnicity of children are represented too.  After the 20 questions, the authors include 20 additional questions about each subject manner.
It was a great book to share read with my six and half year old-he read aloud the question and then I read the answer.
Text structures- cross sections, arrows, bold font,  glossary, index