CurriConnects Book List - Citizen Science
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Citizen Science
This engaging collection features books that illuminate the powerful world of citizen science, where everyday observers contribute to meaningful research. The books explore community-based environmental monitoring, biodiversity projects, and participatory scientific inquiry.
Picture Books
Finding a Dove for Gramps - Lisa J. Amstutz, (978-0807512791), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 520
Gramps has moved south and is not at the annual bird count. His grandson is determined to spot Gramps's favorite bird - a dove.
Moonlight Crab Count - Dr. Neeti Bathala, (978-1628559316), Non-fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 780
In this narrative nonfiction text, Leena and her mom spend an evening at the seaside counting the horseshoe crabs who come to lay eggs
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles - Philippe Cousteau, (978-1452112411), Fiction
Interest level: 4-6, Lexile: 590
Viv starts at a new school in South Carolina. She learns that a sea turtle nest is about to hatch and the baby turtles are in danger because of light pollution. Viv and her classmates campaign to educate the homeowners and save the turtles.
Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story - Anna Forrester, (978-1628558944), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 600
Joy and her family participate in an annual bat count. They count the bats at their family's barn and send the numbers to scientists to help track the bat population.
Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery - Meeg Pincus, (978-1534110403), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 1460
The world learned about monarch migration in 1976. This book explores this realization and asks who solved the mystery--citizen scientists or a classroom of students.
Bioblitz!: Counting Critters - Susan Edwards Richmond, (978-1682633113), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3
Gabriel and his friend compete for the top prize on Biodiversity Day by identifying the most species in their local park.
Bird Count - Susan Edwards Richmond, (978-1682632048), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 550
A young girl and her family participate in the Christmas Bird Count. The girl is excited when the team leader asks her to record the tally for the year.
The Mystery of the Monarchs: How Kids, Teachers, and Butterfly Fans Helped Fred and Norah Urquhart Track the Great Monarch Migration - Barb Rosenstock, (978-1984829566), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 710
Fred Urquhart became an entomologist and began tagging monarch butterflies. He and his wife quickly realized they needed help and created a "butterfly family" from Canada to Mexico to determine where the monarchs would go each year.
Ruby's Birds - Mya Thompson, (978-1943645336), Fiction
Interest level: PreK-3, Lexile: 540
Ruby has her "spark moment," realizing how much she loves birds. With the help of a friend, she learns about all the birds in her neighborhood.
Middle Grade Books
The Walking Fish - Kopel Burk, (978-0990782933), Fiction
Interest level: 4-6, Lexile: 730
Alexis finds an unusual fish. When she shares her find with a famous scientist, she tries to claim the discovery for himself.
Citizen Scientists: Be Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard - Loree Griffin Burns, (978-0805095173), Non-fiction
Interest level: 4-6
This book explains citizen science and gives ideas on how to participate.
Turn the Tide - Elaine Dimopoulos, (978-0358538158), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7
Mimi and her family move from their life in Massachusetts to a new one in Florida. She is shocked at the pollution on the beaches, and Mimi is inspired to keep the beaches clean.
Bug Camp: Where Every Day's an Adventure - Tim Forrest, (978-1633221161), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 930
Learn about various insects through facts, experiments, data collection, and citizen science opportunities.
The Secret Language of Birds - Lynne Kelly, (978-1524770273), Fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 720
Nina spends the summer at her Aunt Audrey's summer camp. She befriends the girls in the Oddballs cabin and, during the girls' midnight escapades, encounters an endangered crane. They work together to learn more about the birds.
Get Into Citizen Science - Vic Kovacs, (978-0778736363), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7, Lexile: 990
This book teaches readers how to use their skills and talents to participate in citizen science.
Bat Citizens: Defending the Ninjas of the Night - Rob Laidlaw, (978-1772781083), Non-fiction
Interest level: 4-7, Lexile: 1170
Learn about bat populations worldwide and discover the conservation efforts to save these crucial members of ecosystems.
Bees on the Roof - Robbie Shell, (978-1943431243), Fiction
Interest level: 4-7, Lexile: 910
Sam and three friends decide to raise bees on a hotel roof in New York City for their science fair project. Throughout the project, Sam and his friends learn to navigate numerous challenges.
Young Adult Books (ages 12-18; Grades 7 and up)
The Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference - Darlene Cavalier, (978-1604698473), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Learn about citizen science - what it is and how to get involved.
The Rightful Place of Science: Citizen Science - Darlene Cavalier, (978-0692694831), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
This book looks back at the history of citizen science and looks forward to the future. It also includes project examples.
Citizen Science: How Ordinary People are Changing the Face of Discovery - Caren Cooper, (978-1468308679), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
This book is a collection of stories from citizen scientists involved in various opportunities.
Citizen Scientist: Searching for Heroes and Hope in an Age of Extinction - Mary Ellen Hannibal, (978-1615192434), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Author Mary Ellen Hannibal decides to become a citizen scientist and documents her journey.
Citizen Science: Innovation in Open Science, Society, and Policy - Susanne Hecker, (?978-1787352353), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Taking a global lens, Hecker looks at citizen science and how it intersects with the broader society and environmental policy.
Handbook of Citizen Science - Christopher Lepczyk, (978-0520284791), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
This book is a reference guide for getting involved with citizen science projects at any level.
Diary of a Citizen Scientist: Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World - Sharman Apt Russell, (978-1504083003), Non-fiction
Interest level: YA
Nature writer, Sharman Apt Russell, shares her participation in a citizen science project surrounding the western red-bellied tiger beetle.
A 52-Hertz Whale - Bill Sommer, (978-1467779173), Fiction
Interest level: YA
James, a high school boy, is concerned that the whale he tracks has been separated from its pod. He contacts Darren, a young man who has volunteered in his classroom. The two exchange emails and build a connection through a series of bizarre exchanges.