I Want to Be a Scientist

by Laura Driscoll, Catalina Echeverri (Illustrator)

Overview

"An informative and accessible child's-eye view of STEM careers" —Kirkus Reviews

This Level One I Can Read and Guided Reading Level K is perfect for learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.

For anyone looking for books about community helpers for kids, the I Can Read My Community books are a great choice. The books are bright and upbeat and feature characters who are diverse in terms of gender, race, age, and body type. Kids ages 3–7 will enjoy finding out more about the people who do so much to help all of our communities.

Meet these scientists:

• • Marine biologist
  • Hydrologist
  • Microbiologist
  • Geologist
  • Seismologist
  • Climate scientist
  • Meteorologist
  • Zoologist
  • Astronomer
  • Epidemiologist
  • Physicist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062989659
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/20/2024
Series:	I Can Read Book 1 Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Laura Driscoll is the author of many beginning reader books, including I Want to Be a Doctor, I Want to Be a Pilot, and other books in this series. She lives in central Connecticut with her husband and two kids.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Catalina Echeverri now lives in London with her family. Catalina is never without her sketchbook. She particularly enjoys working on projects that make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Editorial Reviews

Driscoll distills complicated ideas about science professions into simple sentences for understanding and readability. A good choice as part of a series that can help establish a core collection of early reader titles. — School Library Journal

An appealing choice from the My Community subset of the I Can Read series.  — Booklist

Jaunty, stylized illustrations support the story’s upbeat tone. From patients and visitors to staff, character portrayal is diverse in terms of race, age, and body type. An informative beginning-reader story from the I Can Read! series. — Booklist

The illustrations are expressive, colorful and seem to flow through the different parts of the hospital... VERDICT: A solid addition prescribed for all beginning reader and community helper collections. — School Library Journal

Aspiring young scientists, take heed! . . . An informative and accessible child’s-eye view of STEM careers.  — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

12/01/2023

K-Gr 2—This early reader opens with a young person who uses crutches accompanying their mom on a research trip to the North Pole. The main character invites readers along on this trip and explains different practices of research scientists. "Like all scientists, they watch, listen, and collect facts. They test ideas to see if they are right. Some scientists try to find the cause of a problem. Some of them try to solve problems. All scientists want to learn more about our world." Digital illustrations look like watercolors, showcasing the artist's style with shadow, texture, and depth. The characters are racially diverse and there is inclusion of disability but not much variation of body type. Driscoll distills complicated ideas about science professions into simple sentences for understanding and readability. The "I Can Read My Community" series explores professions such as engineer, firefighter, and veterinarian. VERDICT A good choice as part of a series that can help establish a core collection of early reader titles.—Ellen Williams

School Library Journal

2024-01-20
Aspiring young scientists, take heed!

Traveling on a ship to the North Pole would seem an adventure in itself, but the young, unnamed narrator, whose mother heads up a team of marine biologists, also gets to meet eight other scientists involved in other specialties. On almost every page of this early reader, we encounter someone engaged in different fieldwork: a hydrologist, a microbiologist, a geologist, a seismologist, a climate scientist, a meteorologist, a zoologist, and an astronomer. As the narrator thinks about careers in science, more specialty roles—botanist, epidemiologist, and physicist—are added to the list. The work of these scientists is clearly and simply explained. (Appended is a short list with descriptions of 10 specialties.) The unfussy illustrations are washed in glowing colors, with many shades of blue; when snow forms the background, the scientists’ bright jackets pop. The ship itself is a fire-engine red. Beginners might need help reading or pronouncing some of the researchers’ special fields, but overall this is an engaging introduction to a wide and important area of work. The scientists include men and women and are racially diverse. The narrator and Mom are light-skinned; the child uses crutches.

An informative and accessible child’s-eye view of STEM careers. (Early reader/nonfiction. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews