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How Things Work

A book probably isn't the best place to learn how things work. Taking apart a toaster, changing spark plugs on a car engine, or building a crystal radio is going to give you a far better sense of the inner workings of technological systems than words and pictures on a page. Books can be a good place to start, though, especially if you don't have the resources to hand your kids as many old appliances as it would take for them to teach themselves electrical engineering.

How many kids have gone on to become mechanics whose fathers forbade them from entering the garage? Or carpenters, whose parents didn't want them getting wood chips in their hair and clothes? How often does a couch potato learn to fly airplanes in virtue of her laziness? While there are exceptions of course, kids who aren't allowed to investigate it will generally end up ruled by technology, unable to comprehend its "mysteries."

Mechanical devices—from cars and trucks to microwaves and waffle irons that double as lawn mowers—fascinate children....that is, until we attach all kinds of limitations to them and snuff out any genuine interest. Half the reason we have a population of inept adults is that, increasingly, children are prevented from learning how to actually do anything. The best remedy for this uniquely modern malady is for parents to allow and guide their children in all kinds of practical endeavors, from working on the family car to building a bookcase to figuring out why the toaster no longer toasts.

But what do you do when you (the parent) don't know how to do those things yourself? While you could just dive in, a better option might be to get a book and start at the beginning. Our section is regrettably limited, but we're always looking to expand it with helpful and appealing titles—if you know of any, don't hesitate to send titles or series our way. In the meantime, we encourage you to teach your kids what you know, have a friend teach them practical skills beyond your ability, and just let them have a good time learning on their own, whether it's taking apart a small motor or putting it back together again.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: Applied Science & Technology, Used Books & Materials
About Paper
by Anabel Dean, illustrated by Bob O'Malley
from Melmont Publishers
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
All About Engines and Power
All About Books #45
by Sam & Beryl Epstein
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in All About Books (Location: VIN-ALL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Engineering
by Simon Basher, Tom Jackson
Reprint from Kingfisher
for 2nd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$8.49 $4.80 (1 in stock)
Basher Science: Technology
Basher Science
by Simon Basher, Dan Green
Pap/Pstr from Kingfisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in Basher Science (Location: SCI-BASH)
$7.64 $5.03 (1 in stock)
Beacons of Light: Lighthouses
by Gail Gibbons
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Book of Comparisons
by Clive Gifford, illustrated by Paul Boston
from Kane Miller
for 2nd-5th grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Canals and Dams
Build It Yourself
by Donna Latham, illustrated by Andrew Christensen
from Nomad Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Cobblestone "The Panama Canal"
from Cobblestone Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gilded Age & Progressive Era (1877-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Cut and Make Space Shuttles
by David Kawami
from Dover Publications
for 4th-9th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
DK Eyewitness: Film
DK Eyewitness Series
by Richard Platt
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
History Reference for 4th-8th grade
in Theater, Drama & Film (Location: ELE-THEAT)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
DK Findout! Engineering
by Emily Hunt
from DK Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Finding Out About Things that Fly
Usborne Explainers
by A. Thomas, Karen A. Little
from Usborne
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
First Book of Machines
by Walter Buehr
from Living Library Press
for 4th-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
How and Why Wonder Book of Machines
by Dr. Jerome J. Notkin and Sidney Gulkin, illustrated by George J. Zaffo
from Wonder Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in How and Why Wonder Books (Location: VIN-H&W)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How Does it Work?
by Richard M. Koff
from Doubleday & Company
for 9th-12th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
How Super Cool Tech Works
2nd edition from DK Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson
from Riverhead Books
for 10th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
I Wonder How Paper is Made
by Neil Curtis and Peter Greenland
from Lerner Publishing Group
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Lighthouses of North America!
by Lisa Trumbauer, illustrated by Michael Kline
from Williamson Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$5.20 (2 in stock)
Look Inside Cross-Sections Bulldozers
by Moira Butterfield
from DK Publishing
for 1st-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Mechanical Engineering and Simple Machines
Engineering in Action
by Robert Snedden
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-5th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
New Way Things Work
by David Macaulay & Neil Ardley
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 4th-10th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
Ocean Engineering and Designing for the Deep Sea
Engineering in Action
by Rebecca Sjonger
from Crabtree Publishing
for 3rd-5th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Panama Canal
by Elizabeth Mann
from Mikaya Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Gilded Age & Progressive Era (1877-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
See How It's Made
from DK Children
for 3rd-7th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$7.60 (2 in stock)
Shape: The Purpose of Forms
Science At Work
by Eric Laithwaite
from Franklin Watts
for 3rd-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Shine-A-Light: On the Construction Site
by Carron Brown, illustrated by Bee Johnson
from Kane Miller
for Preschool-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$5.20 (1 in stock)
Ships and Boats
by Chris Oxlade
from Shooting Star Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Ships, Boats & Submarines (Location: HISV-SHIP)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Small Things Considered
by Henry Petroski
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 10th-Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Space Shuttle Operator's Manual
by Kerry Joels
from Ballantine Books
for 7th-12th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Stories Behind Everyday Things
from Reader's Digest
for Adult
in Science Reference (Location: SCIREF)
$4.80 (1 in stock)
Story of Buildings
by Patrick Dillon, illustrated by Stephen Biesty
from Candlewick Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$9.60 (1 in stock)
Story of the Erie Canal
by R. Conrad Stein
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 4th-6th Grade
in Western Expansion (1800-1898) (Location: HISA-19WES)
$1.60 (2 in stock)
Story of the Panama Canal
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Story of the Panama Canal
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Barbara Gaines Winkelman
from Children's Press
Non-Fiction for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Super Structures
DK Inside Guides
by Philip Wilkinson
from DK Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in Architecture and Sculpture (Location: ELE-ARC)
$7.60 (1 in stock)
Transformed: How Everyday Things are Made
by Bill and Jim Slavin, illustrated by Bill Slavin
from Kids Can Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
Usborne Look Inside Construction Sites
by Rob Lloyd Jones, illustrated by Stefano Tognetti
from Usborne
for Preschool-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Look Inside: How Computers Work
Usborne Look Inside
by Alex Frith and Rosie Dickins, illustrated by Colin King
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.80 (1 in stock)
Usborne Look Inside: How Things Work
Usborne Look Inside
by Alex Frith and Rosie Dickins, illustrated by Colin King
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne See Inside Bridges, Towers & Tunnels
by Struan Reid, illustrated by Annie Carbo
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne See Inside Famous Palaces
by Megan Cullis, illustrated by Barry Ablett
from Usborne
for 1st-3rd grade
in International Landmarks & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANINT)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Visual Dictionary of Everyday Things
DK Visual Dictionaries
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Watch it Made in the U.S.A.
by Bruce Brumberg, Karen Axelrod
3rd from Avalon Travel Publishing
for 7th-Adult
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$6.40 (1 in stock)
We Read About Taking Pictures
Webster Junior Science Series
by Harold E. Tannenbaum, Nathan Stillman, illustrated by Robert Cassell
from Webster Publishing Co.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
We Read About Television and How It Works
Webster Junior Science Series
by Harold E. Tannenbaum, Nathan Stillman, illustrated by James Cummings
from Webster Publishing Co.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Science & Math (Location: VIN-SCI)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
What is a Wall, After All?
Read and Wonder
by Judy Allen, illustrated by Alan Baron
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
What Is the Panama Canal? (What Was...?)
What Was?
by Janet Pascal
1st edition from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Gilded Age & Progressive Era (1877-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$5.09 $3.20 (2 in stock)
What's Inside? Great Inventions
What's Inside?
from DK Publishing
for 1st-3rd grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Writing it Down
by Vicki Cobb, Illustrated by Marylin Hafner
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 1st-3rd grade
in How Things Work (Location: SCIREF-HOW)
$5.60 (1 in stock)
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