The brain is one of the most fascinating organs of the body. Here are some books that will help you understand and appreciate our brain just that little bit more.
Your Amazing Brain: The Epic Illustrated Guide
by Jessica Sinarski and Luiz Fernando Da Silva
Written in kid-friendly comic-book format, and using a wide range of characters, this book not only tells the reader how the brain works, but also how to make it work for you.
by Jacqueline B. Toner and Claire A.B. Freeland
Why do we sleep? What are feelings? How do we make decisions? This book introduces children to the science of the mind. With hands-on experiments and illustrations, it is a perfect first step into the fascinating science of psychology.
Big Brain Book: How It Works and All Its Quirks
Your Brain: Understanding Your Body’s Control Center
by Jeff Szpirglas
Want to know more about the structures and functions of the brain? This is the book for you. Learn about the different parts of the brain and how they work. Hands-on investigations will help readers understand how the brain works processing information.
Brain Games
by Jennifer Swanson
In this interactive book, a companion to the National Geographic show, children learn all about the most powerful and complex supercomputer every built – our brain. The fun facts, challenges, and colorful illustrations are great for inquisitive minds.
Cutting-Edge Brain Science
by Buffy Silverman
The most recent trends in brain science come from science fiction. How? Researchers use artificial intelligence and neuron mapping to understand our brain’s machinery. It is after all, the most complex computer we know of! Explore how what you eat affects your brain, and what robotic arms might have to do with our minds with this interesting book.
Brain & Behavior (The Human Machine)
by Linda Bozzo
Discover more about the brain and how it affects behavior. Learn how and why scientists study the brain; the most complex organ in our body.
Detecting Brain Disorders
by Rachel Kehoe
Doctors have wonderful tools and technology to help them find and diagnose problems with the brain. This book will amaze you with all the fascinating information. It includes a glossary, quiz questions and other resources to help readers dig deep into the world of the brain.
Written by a neurodiverse author, this book challenges stereotypes about neurodiversity, and shows how neurodivergent brains work differently, and how every brain is unique.
This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias
By Tanya Lloyd Kyi; Illustrated by Drew Shannon
The science behind stereotypes – how our brains form stereotypes, and how recognizing them can help us be less biased. It addresses discrimination, racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia. An essential book!’
Different Kinds of Minds: A Guide to Your Brain
by Temple Grandin, adapted by Ann D. Koffsky
What you like and what you are good at can give you clues to how your brain works. Do you like puzzles? Writing stories? Acting in plays? All of these activities, and more, give us information about how the brain works. Discover all kinds of minds, and how different types of thinkers can help solve real-world problems.
Shruthi Rao is an author. Her home on the web is https://shruthi-rao.com
Susan Summers is a wildlife enthusiast and an author. Contact her at: https://susan-inez-summers.weebly.com/
Andi Diehn: I love all your examples of scientists collaborating – does this happen often in the science world?
Heather Montgomery’s interest in nature led to a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Environmental Education. For years she developed curriculum and directed the 
My good friend, Professor Lisa Granata, who has 30 years’ experience teaching all ages, has used bugs as models in her art classes. She said the young students were enthused much more than the adults. She kindly shared her lesson directions, which she has used for both kids and adults.
1. Gather art supplies- pencil, eraser, pencil sharpener, heavy drawing paper or watercolor paper, extra fine sharpie, watercolors set (Jack Richeson 38010 Yarka Student Semi Moist Watercolor), a cup for water, paper towels, watercolor brushes (detail brush # 0 and a round tip brush size 12), masking tape and a magnifying insect box. (MagniPros Pack of 3 Magnifier Box Bug Viewer Magnifies up to 5X(500%) with Crystal Clear Image)
2. Go to the windowsill in your home and look for insects. Find the bugs with the most interesting shapes, patterns, or colors.
3. Carefully place insects into the box to study. Carefully observe the lines, shapes, colors, and patterns.
4. Tape all four sides of the edges of your paper to your table. This will keep your paper flat and leave a border.
5. Take your pencil and eraser and sketch one large insect on your paper or you might choose 3 different insects from your windowsill collection. Think about your composition. Draw large and fill the page.
6. Back up and check your proportions. Are the shapes correct? If not, make small adjustments. (This is part of the creative process).
7. Trace all pencil lines with your extra fine sharpie.
8. Fill your cup with water, take out a paper towel, open your watercolor set and wet your brushes.
9. Lightly dip your wet brush into the semi wet watercolors to add color to the insects. Carefully examine the insect’s details under the magnifying glass.
10. Have fun painting!
11. Peel off your tape the next day after the paper is dry.
Several models of loups are available at low cost just for that purpose. In my part of the country, we have an abundance of stink bugs and lady bugs that get inside during the winter and die before we spot them. If your windows are so airtight, you can probably find other sources. According to the American Museum of Natural History:
In terms of numbers of species, insects certainly represent the largest percentage of the world’s organisms. There are more than 1 million species of insects that have been documented and studied by scientists.
The ways the bug drawings can be used in classroom or educational settings are nearly as numerous as bugs themselves. An insect journal is definitely at the top of the list, but there is much more – posters, story illustrations, animation, reports, fine arts.
You can order loups here. Pack of 3 Magnifier Box Bug Viewer Magnifies up to 5X(500%) 
