Elements make up our entire universe. Learning about the periodic table is a fundamental part of chemistry. For many students, this can be challenging and, at times, a little dry. The books below serve to redress this balance, providing a fun and engaging look at the all-important periodic table from first introductions to more detailed explorations for older students.
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Usborne Lift-the-flap Periodic Table
by Alice James
Review: Highly engaging, this Usborne book is a great introduction to the chemical elements. Full of fascinating facts and tidbits, lifting the flap to discover the next piece of information becomes rather addictive! The book begins by explaining what the periodic table is and how it works, before diving in to introduce all 118 elements. Fun visuals help readers to remember facts. For example, mercury is shown wearing a hat as in the past it was used to make felt for hats. With 125 flaps to lift and colour-coded pages, this book is both highly informative and a real treat for younger and older readers alike.
Suggested Reading Age: 7+
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Be An Element: Students learn about one of the elements. They share their learning with others in character as the element.
The Animated Periodic Table
by John Farndon (author), Shiho Pate (illustrator)
Review: A colourful, fun introduction to the periodic table, this book really makes its readers want to read on. Each block of elements is attributed a colour, making it easy to distinguish between the different types and identify them in the book. Appealing, hand-drawn, cartoon elements feature throughout, explaining properties of an element or how they interact with others. The text is written in a friendly, clear manner, helping to demystify the periodic table and enabling readers to easily understand the chemistry involved. This book is a delight and is highly recommended as an approachable and enjoyable introduction to the periodic table.
Suggested Reading Age: 8 – 12
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Cartoon Capers: Students design their own versions of the elements to help remind them about key pieces of information.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Elements: The Powers, Uses and Histories of Every Atom in the Universe
by Lisa Congdon
Review: Starting with a large, fold-out table of the elements, this book is a visual delight. Hand-drawn illustrations of the elements “in real life” help readers to fully appreciate that elements make up the world around us. Chapters focussing on what elements are, atoms, compounds and Dmitri Mendeleev, lead into an exploration of each element. Information presented includes the discovery of the element and any special properties that it has, as well as interesting facts. Perfect to dip into when exploring chemistry or as an enjoyable way to revise, this book holds a wide appeal.
Suggested Reading Age: 10 – 15 years. As mentioned above, in my opinion, this would also make a nice revision tool for older students.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: 3D Periodic Table: Gather everyday items that represent each element. Organize these and display them as a 3D periodic table.
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements (Young Readers Edition)
by Sam Kean
Review: This young readers’ version of The Disappearing Spoon is an engaging, and at times, almost unbelievable read! Packed full of stories and anecdotes, it tells the tale of the often colourful history behind the elements. Incorporating a look at the elements in art, war and politics, for example, this book positions the elements, their impacts and history in all areas of life and society. An insightful read for scientists and history lovers alike.
Suggested Reading Age: 10 years and up. I think this would be best suited for children from about 12 years/13 years old upwards.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Dive Deeper: Students find out more about one of the anecdotes/stories presented in the book.
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe
by Theodore Gray
Review: Stunning photographs depict each of the elements in their purest form in this engaging book. The elements are presented in order of their position on the periodic table and are accompanied by interesting facts and history. Each page has an “elemental” sidebar. This records the element’s atomic weight, density, atomic radius and crystal structure as well as the electron filling order, atomic emission spectrum and state of matter. A terrific revision tool and perfect to dip into, this visually appealing book is a treat for students and science lovers alike. A version for younger readers (8 – 12 years old) is also available.
Suggested Reading Age: Older teens upwards
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Elements Around Me: Inspired by the book, ask students to photograph the elements they see around them and categorize these. Challenge them to see how many of the elements they can spot and represent pictorially; the children’s version of the book could provide some inspiration for this.
Happy Reading!
Do YOU know of any other books about the periodic table to add to this list? Please leave a recommendation below to help further support our community.