Blood and Guts

This book meets National Standards for 5-8 Human Body Standards. It is great for ALL students at the middle level because it is kid friendly, readable, and has great simple lab activities that add to learning.

I am a teacher and have enjoyed and used this book with my fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes for a number of years now. I like the way that the book is organized by systems and body parts. Information is presented clearly. The writing is in an informal, yet appropriate, style. There are a number of experiments and demonstrations for students to try. As has been pointed out, some of them are difficult and others require materials that may be difficult to find. However, most are appropriate, and many leave kids with that "Wow, I didn't think that would happen"-type of reaction. It should be pointed out that the book uses cartoon illustrations. They are generally fine but should be supplemented with models, more accurate drawings, posters, or photos. I think that this book does the best job of introducing how our bodies work and will use it for years to come.

Blood and Guts is a nifty little book designed to teach kids about the workings of the human body while having fun doing it. Making learning fun is what the Brown Paper School project is all about; a group of California teachers, writers, and artists came together periodically to put together an impressive number of educational books for children, working on the principle "Accept no substitutes for fun." Linda Allison wrote and illustrated this particular book herself, and it does indeed live up to its subtitle A Working Guide to Your Own Insides. The primary beneficiaries of the book are older children, but in a strong sense she seemed to be writing for both children and their parents; a number of the experiments she includes in these pages really need the supervision and help of an adult, and this makes for a wonderful way for parents to take an active role in their child's education and intellectual development.The book is organized very well, as the author devotes a chapter to each of the following topics: skin, bones, teeth, muscles, heart, lungs, cells, digestion, kidneys, eyes, ears, balance, brain and nervous system, and reproduction. She provides a basic but quite informative narrative for each subject at hand, includes a number of helpful illustrations, and lays out a number of experiments by which kids can see and learn about the individual subjects themselves. Many of these experiments are very simple and can be performed quickly and easily, while others call for a few supplies that necessitate adult involvement - some of these can be dangerous, such as several different kinds of acid. The book also suggests the acquisition and minor dissection of things like hearts and kidneys, but that probably goes a little farther than most parents will want to go. Obviously, unless your last name is Frankenstein, you don't need to do everything in this book, but most of the experiments are quick, easy, and fun. The chapter on reproduction does not go very deeply into the subject, but the basic differences between males and females are touched upon in word and simplistic illustration. Since the book is aimed at the 9-12 age group, parents will want to take this into consideration. Overall, though, the book succeeds quite well in making learning a fun activity for the child as well as the entire family.

"You are many things. You are millions of blood vessels, billions of cells, hundreds of muscles, thousands of hairs, quarts of blood...You are blood and guts and a whole lot more." An ambitious undertaking for a single volume! Yet Blood and Guts does a fabulous job of explaining the human body in terms that children can understand. And the illustrations and experiments are simple but easily understood. Chapters cover Skin, Bones, Teeth, Muscles, Heart, Lungs, Cells, Digestion, Kidneys, Eyes, Ears, Balance, Brain and Reproduction. Children will be delighted with the experiments including dissecting an animal's heart, shifty eyes, liquidation (bladder capacity), starch and spit test, calisthenics for your face, casting teeth and the great thumbless survival test. No science background is required. In fact, it may be best to combine learning with your children in this fascinating book. Recommended for all ages, home or school... From The Science Spiders Newsletter.

This book is loaded with uncomplicated science experiments that require ordinary household items. It is filled with interesting facts (like "what is really on the back of your hand, if you think you know it so well?!") Teachers and those who home school their children will find this a very useful resource that puts information in "kid language" without dumbing down the information.