Middle-Grade Review: The Greatest Stuff on Earth By Steve Tomecek

Starting with the building blocks of “stuff”, atoms and elements, this book lays out how variety of matter and energy comes to be. I know that our sixth grade science classes talk a little about different kinds of energy, so seeing a graphic about radiant, thermal, motion, etc. types of energy, along with explanations about the differences, will be a great support for young learners. The chapters on “Nature Stuff” cover things like dirt, air, and water, but also magnets and stars.

The list of “stuff” that is made by humans starts with food, which is always appealing to kids. How many people think about if they are eating seeds, roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruit when they look at their daily fruits and vegetables? Not only does this talk about nutrients, but also about the different ways that food can be cooked. There are also overviews of materials that make up different things like clothing and paper, and an interesting exploration of health concerns like disinfectants, pain killers, and replacement body parts.