All about Sleep from A to Zzzz (Hardback) - Common

by Elaine Scott

Have you ever wondered what happens when you go to sleep? There?s a lot more to it than you might think. Part of the time, your body is paralyzed. Part of the time your brainwaves are exploding with activity. If something goes wrong in the sleep process, you might find yourself getting dressed or eating a meal without ever waking up?you might even think you?re being abducted by aliens. Awardwinning science writer Elaine Scott?s clear explanations of what we know about sleep and what?s still a mystery, graced by John O?Brien?s lighthearted line drawings, will give you a whole new understanding of that third of your life that you spend asleep.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Science

58 pages, Unknown Binding

First published October 16, 2008

Reviews

[Machaia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was actually sleepy by the time I finished this books. It had some good information, but it left many questions unanswered.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gives a good overview of how our understanding of sleep evolved. Appropriate for ages 10-14.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 11-year old son had been suffering from nightmares and was too afraid to sleep, so we went to the library in search of some books to help him out with both anxiety and with sleep issues. We happened upon this one, and it was wonderful.

The boy was so engaged by the clear, conversational writing, that he kept his nose in it most of the day. By the time he finished reading it, he was looking forward to going to sleep! The science on how the brain works, what the different brain waves are, and what might cause nightmares really helped him.

There's also a very useful list in the back of ideas to help you sleep better. My son made note of several of them, and has been much more conscious about getting better sleep at night.

I just finished reading it for myself. It's a nice, short read with plenty of interesting facts and anecdotes. If you have a middle-grades child who is at all interested in why we sleep and what happens while we're sleeping, I recommend this book.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder what happens to you when you go to sleep?

In All About Sleep, Elaine Scott answers all your questions about sleep in a very readable way. Topics include brain waves, dreams, circadian rhythms, and more. She includes fun facts throughout the text (for instance, did you know that Abraham Lincoln dreamed about assassination three days before he was killed? Or that Harriet Tubman had narcolepsy?).

I give this book high marks for being interesting and readable, but low marks for design. John O'Brien provides a few cartoony illustrations, but the bulk of the book is text and it's not very spiffy-looking. An index and bibliography are included.

Read more on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...

[carissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended age: grades 4 and up.
Have you ever wondered what happens when you go to sleep? There’s a lot more to it than you might think. Part of the time, your body is paralyzed. Part of the time your brainwaves are exploding with activity. If something goes wrong in the sleep process, you might find yourself getting dressed or eating a meal without ever waking up—you might even think you’re being abducted by aliens.

In interesting overview of sleep.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was way too detailed for a 4 yr old and almost took it back without even showing it to him. Surprisingly, he saw the title and wanted me to read it, and even after I did start it (and it is pretty scholarly) he would ask me to read more chapters of it later.

It is surprisingly detailed- I've learned quite a bit from it in fact- and nicely suited for a younger reader.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the title says, this book is about sleep. It touches on who did the first research on sleep, how thoughts about it have changed with research, dreams, sleep disorders, sleepwalking. A great book about sleep for kids ages 9-12.

[Christiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations look more like the Far Side than a book about sleep, but this book was SO interesting. I read it straight through, which is not a hallmark of Christiana reading, at least not with non-fiction books.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strong contender for next year's narrative NF read aloud, All About Sleep From A to Zzzz is a perfect dove tail into Nurture Shock. In one of the chapters in Nurture Shock, it explains how kids today are simply not getting enough sleep and how it adversely affects their personality and schooling.