May 6, 2013
Are you ready for an exciting new mystery series? I can’t wait for you to try out my new EINSTEIN ANDERSON books! 12-year-old Adam "Einstein" Anderson loves science, as I do, and thinks it’s fun to know about the natural world and figure out mysterious puzzles. He and his best friend, Paloma Fuentes, have a great time outsmarting adults and using their wits to convince the school tough guy that brains can win out over brawn. Neither Einstein nor his friends are really geniuses - they just use the science they know to figure things out.
Since most of my books are nonfiction, lots of kids wonder how I happened to write Einstein Anderson: Science Geek. The story began back when I was a science teacher in a New York City Junior High School. I’m sure that many of you will recognize the scene:
It was mid-June. My ninth-graders had finished their state exams and we were really done with the science curriculum for the year. Outside the classroom windows we saw blooming flowers and sunny skies - summer vacation was nearly here and to top it off, my students were moving on to high school next fall. They liked science but saw no reason to study hard at this point - in fact, the kids were pretty much bouncing off the walls…
In a desperate effort to keep the class focused on science (actually, on anything!), I began telling them stories involving puzzles or mysteries. At the end of the story I’d ask students to figure out a solution to the problem. The one who figured it out became "Einstein for a Day." These mystery stories became incredibly popular with my classes. Kids were vying to become Einstein. I decided to write stories like these with an "Einstein" character and publish them.
In truth, the character of Einstein was based on me when I was a kid, and also a little bit on my sons, Robert and Michael, who loved science, too. In the times when I was in elementary school, pretty much every class had its science geek or nerd and I was the nerdy one who loved to quiz my classmates to see who could name the planets in order going out from the sun (in those days there were nine planets and I still miss Pluto!) or see who would fall for the old standard: "Which is heavier, a pound of feathers or a pound of rocks?" I also loved silly puns - in fact I still like to make my wife cringe!
Kids loved the Einstein books when they were first published years ago. So, when we started our digital publishing company, StarWalk Kids Media, I thought it was time to update Einstein, give him a smart phone and a laptop and some more diverse and tech-savvy friends, and bring the series to life once again so that you guys can try to become "Einstein for a Day."
I know that you guys love games and puzzles and everyone likes to solve mysteries, so every Einstein Anderson story comes with a hands-on science project or experiment that you can do at home or at school. The projects also contain lots of valuable science information and they are just plain fun. But read carefully - sometimes the clues are false! For example, in The Impossible Shrinking Machine the sun shines directly on the same house door both in the early morning and late afternoon. That’s impossible! (Do you know why?) And that’s the clue to the solution.
Please try a few experiments in your kitchen or classroom and let me know how it goes.
I have a special treat for all my readers. This graphic is called a "QR Code." Click on it or scan it, and you can download a copy of one chapter from the first Einstein Anderson book. Please try it out, and then click on comments below to tell me what you think!
Have fun with Einstein Anderson, Science Geek!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
May 2, 2013
Sandpaper kisses
On a cheek or a chin -
That is the way
For a day to begin!
Sandpaper kisses -
A cuddle, a purr
I have an alarm clock
That’s covered with fur.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
May 2, 2013
It’s obviously the small things that count when you are living on the International Space Station! The current ISS captain, Canada’s Commander Chris Hadfield, has been so much fun to have aboard. He loves to take photographs and he uses Twitter all the time. This morning he posted this photo of a floating onion and tweeted: @Cmdr_Hadfield: Space Onion - came up on the Progress resupply spaceship. We sliced it up and had it with everything - nice flavor!
If you love the magnificence of seeing Earth photographed from space (like I do), you should follow Chris Hadfield’s Twitter feed. He posts multiple photographs and writes about what he sees every day. His observations are a treasure.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
May 2, 2013
It is easy to see that there is a big Seymour Simon school visit week coming up - we have been getting so many comments from new readers on the Seymour Science blog. Students in Lower Gwynedd Elementary School in Ambler, Pennsylvania - this contest is for you!
Two lucky winners are going to receive personally autographed copies of Seymour Simon’s new book, EXTREME OCEANS. Here is what you have to do to enter:
1. Write a comment on this blog post and tell Seymour three fascinating facts about sharks.
2. Tell us your name (first name only), your grade, and your teacher’s name. This will let us contact you if you are the winner.
3. Be sure to post your entry by midnight, Friday, May 17, because the contest ends then.
Two winners will be chosen randomly from all the correct entries. Older students may enter individually, and we will pick one winner. Students in grades K-2 may enter as a class and work with their teacher to enter the contest; there will be one classroom winner.Students who are not in the
Students who do not attend Lower Gwynedd Elementary may also enter this contest. The rules are the same as above, but for #2 please include your first name, your grade, your teacher’s name, the name of your school, and the city where your school is located. If we have at least 20 entries from other schools, we will randomly choose a third prize winner from the non-Pennsylvania entries.
What if you don’t know any cool facts about sharks? You can start right here on the Seymour Science blog. Look at all the entries under the label "Sharks." We guarantee you that you will find some fascinating information in these stories! It is also ok if you use other sources for your information, such as books in your library, or a reliable Internet source like an encyclopedia, National Geographic Kids, or the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week website.
So, get to work and send us your entries today! Seymour will see you soon, and then you can all talk about sharks and Extreme Oceans together!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
May 1, 2013
Today we’d like you to read this poem by Bobbi Katz and tell us what she is writing about. What are sandpaper kisses? How does the person in the poem wake up every morning? Is it a pleasant wake up, or an annoying one?
Click on the yellow "Comments" button below and tell us what you think Ms. Katz had in mind when she wrote this poem, and how you figured it out.
Sandpaper kisses
On a cheek or a chin -
That is the way
For a day to begin!
Sandpaper kisses -
A cuddle, a purr
I have an alarm clock
That’s covered with fur.
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 30, 2013
As April 2013 comes to a close, so does our month-long celebration of Earth Day on this blog. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts about what we all can do to help care for and protect our home planet.
In honor of Earth Day, today’s "Cool Photo of the Week" is of the Northern Lights over Iceland. Can you imagine a more magnificent sight than this?
Photo: Iurie Belegurschi
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 29, 2013
Here’s the recipe for one last tasty, simple vegetarian meal as we celebrate the final "Meatless Monday" of Earth Day 2013.
It’s called Curry Roasted Butternut Squash and Chick Peas, and it’s delicious! Click here to download the recipe so that you can print it out.
And in case you’ve forgotten why Meatless Mondays can make a difference for our environment, you can re-read our infamous "Burping Cows" post!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
April 25, 2013
One of my favorite animals is being celebrated today! Here’s a link to enjoy a fun penguin video from National Geographic Kids.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 25, 2013
Look at the amazing rooftop garden atop the Omni Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, where I’m attending the annual Texas Library Association meeting. This is the view outside my window!
The hotel’s chef supervises this garden, where they grow a wide variety of peppers (a critical ingredient in southwestern food) and herbs to be used in preparing food for the hotel restaurant.
There are more than 20,000 square feet of landscaped rooftops on the hotel, which filter rainwater and conserve energy by helping to reduce the effect of the Texas summer heat.
They have also installed motion-sensor lighting which shuts off during quiet hours and use all hybrid vehicles for shuttling guests. I am so pleased to be staying in such an environmentally conscious hotel.
Texas Librarians - please come say hi at the StarWalk Kids booth #2236. I want to show you our beautiful streaming eBook collection of great kids’ literature for your libraries!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
April 24, 2013
For our final April Writing Wednesday in April of 2013, we’re going to ask you to write six words that describe this magnificent photograph of Earth.
The electric lights outlining the continents show you that we’re seeing our own Western Hemisphere. What do you think about when you see this photograph? What words come to mind when you think about the millions of tiny lights visible from space when darkness falls? What does seeing our Earth at night inspire you to write?
Click the yellow “Comments” button below and give us your six best, most descriptive words to describe our home planet as April, the Earth Day month, comes to a close.
Photo: NASA Earth Observatory Image by Robert Simmon
Posted by: Seymour Simon
