Forces and motion are an intrinsic part of our daily lives. From learning about Newton to experimenting with forces to spotting forces in sport and amusement parks, these books highlight the role of forces and motion in our world. Recommendations include a delightful physics-inspired story for the youngest readers to an explanation of forces by Wile E. Coyote; you will definitely look at the Road Runner cartoons in a new light!
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Newton and Me
by Lynne Mayer (Author), Sherry Rogers (Illustrator)
Review: Children will enjoy learning about Newton’s law of motion with this delightful book. Winner of the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, this rhyming, picture book tells the story of a young boy and his dog Newton. Readers follow along as the pair discover that a ball rolls further on a hard, smooth surface than on a rough one, for example. Additional pages at the end of the book “For Creative Minds” include activities and further information about forces and Newton’s laws. In addition, a link is provided to access more online activities. A super, easy-to-understand introduction. This book is also available in Spanish.
Suggested Reading Age: 5 – 8 years. In my opinion, the design of the book is more appealing to the younger age of this bracket.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Get Outside: Go outside and experiment with rolling a ball and throwing it in the air, etc. Do the students notice the same behaviours as Newton and the boy did? Repeat with different objects. Does the same happen?
Balanced and Unbalanced Forces
by Jenna Winterberg (Author)
Review: Balanced and unbalanced forces are clearly explained in this book. Bold photographs, colourful graphics and child-friendly definitions help make this concept easier to understand for young (and older!) scientists. Invitingly presented, readers learn about contact forces, distant forces and combined forces whilst presented with real-world examples of these in action. A highly informative read.
Suggested Reading Age: 6 – 11 years old. I feel that older students would also benefit from the book’s contents when reviewing forces.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Try It Out: There are some nice ideas for experimenting with forces in the book, try these out at school/home. Compare your results with someone else. Did they find the same? If yes, why? (explain the science behind it) If not, why might this be? (Discuss the importance of fair testing).
Motion At The Amusement Park
by Tammy Enz
Review: Science is brought roaring to life in this bright, colourful book as students learn how rides at an amusement park function. Instantly appealing and relatable for many, Motion At the Amusement Park explains concepts such as inertia in an approachable way. Packed full of photographs together with a glossary, links to further reading and some “critical thinking questions”, this is a fun scientific ride!
Suggested Reading Age: 8 – 11 years
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Perseverance Required: Students create a model working amusement park employing the principles of force and motion they have learnt.
Make It Personal: Ask students to bring in photos of themselves at amusement parks or to find pictures of amusement park rides. Get them to explain the science behind the rides.
Making Connections: Look at the equipment in a local children’s playground (swings, slides, roundabout, etc.) Spot and explain the different forces at work.
Thud!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments with Forces and Motion
by Mark Andrew Weakland (Author), Christian Cornia (Illustrator)
Review: Prepare for much laughter with this terrific introduction to forces and motion. Readers will love learning about Newton’s laws along with Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, meep meep! The humorous cartoons effectively illustrate points made, helping children to better understand and remember concepts introduced. Friction, air pressure and opposing forces all receive the Wile E. Coyote treatment. A highly memorable introduction to these concepts.
Suggested Reading Age: 8 to 14-year-olds.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Let’s Watch: Watch an episode of Road Runner. Ask students to spot when forces and motion laws and concepts feature. Get them to explain which law they pertain to.
Fabulous Filmmakers: Make a stop-motion video incorporating forces and motion. Students can create plasticine characters to tell their story or use Lego figures.
Forces and Motion: Investigating A Car Crash
by Ian Graham (Author), James Stayte (Illustrator)
Review: This book will appeal to all those budding crime scene investigators out there. The car crash itself is told in cartoon form; nobody is injured. Having set the scene, the book details the steps involved in investigating a car accident. The reader is tasked with being the investigator. Chapters include collecting and analysing data as well as the verdict. Concepts such as momentum and friction are addressed within this context, highlighting how an understanding of physics helps investigators to piece together a picture of events. An interesting take on learning about forces and motion.
Suggested Reading Age: 11 – 16
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Let’s Investigate: Students write an accident scenario for others to solve; they should also provide the solution in a sealed envelope to go with this. In the solution, the students must provide the science and maths involved to justify their explanation of events and their verdict. They may also wish to create a model of the scene so that the investigators see it for themselves.
Happy Reading!
Do YOU know of any other forces and motions books to add to this list? Please leave a recommendation below to help further support our community.
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