April Giveaway: Energy-25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It

A new month, a new giveaway!  This month, our book to be given away relates to one of my favorite April holidays--Earth Day.  And I am particularly excited because the book that you may get--IF you are the lucky winner--is a book written by a friend of mine who is in our local homeschool group!

Our special Earth Day giveaway book is entitled Energy:  25 Projects Investigate Why We Need Power and How We Get It, by Kathleen M. Reilly.

In this book, students nine years old and up learn about both nonrenewable fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas, etc.) and renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind power) through hands-on projects that encourage active learning about the science behind ecology.  Projects include such kid-friendly activities as creating music out of wind, experiencing the difficulty in cleaning up after an oil spill, cooking cupcakes that relate to geothermal energy, and making your own coal candy.  The book won a Silver Medal in the 2009 Moonbeam Children's Book Award, and inspired Dan Kammen, Professor of Energy at the University of California at Berkeley and Founding Director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory to say:

This book is great fun, with energy education and visualization projects that will inspire middle-school to high school students and adults alike.

My friend Kate is an award-winning author who has written for such popular magazines as Family Fun, National Geographic Kids, Parents, Family Circle, and the like.  She has a great knack for explaining scientific topics in clear terms, along with demonstrating abstract concepts through experiential learning.  On top of all of that, she is homeschooling two wonderful sons who are around the middle school age range.

So, obviously, you want to win this book.  How do you enter?  Enter by posting a comment below.  I would love it if you would add a favorite Earth Day-related book--some book that celebrates Nature or that talks about ways we can help save the planet.  I will also give anyone who posts this contest on their blog, Facebook page, or Twitter feed five additional entries; just send me an email with the information or a webpage link.  (Last month's winner was selected from her five extra entries for passing on the information, so it does work!)  The winner will be chosen by Random.com on Saturday, April 23 (the day after Earth Day).

So add your comments, spread the word through your social network, and check back on April 23 to see if you've won.

Also like last month, we will be having a webinar to discuss educational issues related to this book.  Look for an upcoming post to find out more about that.