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The Brain: Our Nervous System
The human brain is behind everything you do. From taking your first step to creating the computer, this vital organ gives humans the ability to learn and adapt to an ever-changing world. Now award-winning science writer Seymour Simon has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution to bring you a new, updated edition of his acclaimed book about your amazing, versatile brain.
32 pages, Library Binding
First published August 1, 1997
5 people are currently reading
184 people want to read
About the author
Seymour Simon
321 books128 followersSeymour Simon, whom the NY Times called "the dean of [children's science:] writers," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association).
Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.
He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."
Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."
Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.
In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."
Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Liz Nealon.
You can follow Seymour on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as on his website, which offers free, downloadable Teacher Guides to his books for educators, parents and homeschoolers, as well as the popular Seymour Science Daily Blo
Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.
He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."
Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."
Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.
In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."
Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Liz Nealon.
You can follow Seymour on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as on his website, which offers free, downloadable Teacher Guides to his books for educators, parents and homeschoolers, as well as the popular Seymour Science Daily Blo
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 10, 2010
Seymour Simon continues to do a phenomenal job with giving children an excellent foundation with the inner workings of the body systems. This book does a magnificent job explaining the intricate fuctions of the brain and juxtaposing it with amazing visuals.
November 27, 2012
Nonfiction - geared towards children. A look at how the brain and nervous system work, complete with glossary at the end, and wonderful illustrations.
January 13, 2023
I thought the book 'The Brain: Our Nervous System' by Seymour Simon was written for lower-grade level students in grammar school since the book has a lot of pictures of the brain. While reading, I met several vocabulary words I was not familiar with.
I went back to the beginning after reading a half and I began to jot down the key points. I looked up all the unfamiliar words either in the English-English dictionary or the English-Korean dictionary. This time I understood everything I was reading.
I am glad I read the book and familiarized the names of the parts of the brain and its function. It is very scientifically written. But it is still a little difficult to guess the age group the book is written for.
The book is only 32 pages, but you will get all the essences of the brain. The images we see in the book were taken by 'various kinds of scanners, which change X-ray photos into computer code to make clear, colorful graphics.'
I learned that the nerves don't touch one another as a tiny gap(synapse) across nerves and synapse pass signals in the same direction. The cerebrum (thinking brain) is made up of then to fourteen billion neurons. That is many more neurons in numbers than the people in the world. The cerebrum and its cortex are divided into two halves and each hemisphere controls the muscles of the opposite side of the body. I also learned about the parts of the brain, their location, and their functions. The more you learn about your body, you are so fascinated by it. How about the brain, then? The author concludes the book by saying 'Your brain is really what makes you, you.'
It looks like a miracle that if we breathe and live without an accident every day.
I went back to the beginning after reading a half and I began to jot down the key points. I looked up all the unfamiliar words either in the English-English dictionary or the English-Korean dictionary. This time I understood everything I was reading.
I am glad I read the book and familiarized the names of the parts of the brain and its function. It is very scientifically written. But it is still a little difficult to guess the age group the book is written for.
The book is only 32 pages, but you will get all the essences of the brain. The images we see in the book were taken by 'various kinds of scanners, which change X-ray photos into computer code to make clear, colorful graphics.'
I learned that the nerves don't touch one another as a tiny gap(synapse) across nerves and synapse pass signals in the same direction. The cerebrum (thinking brain) is made up of then to fourteen billion neurons. That is many more neurons in numbers than the people in the world. The cerebrum and its cortex are divided into two halves and each hemisphere controls the muscles of the opposite side of the body. I also learned about the parts of the brain, their location, and their functions. The more you learn about your body, you are so fascinated by it. How about the brain, then? The author concludes the book by saying 'Your brain is really what makes you, you.'
It looks like a miracle that if we breathe and live without an accident every day.
November 21, 2018
Your brain is the control center for everything you do. A nerve is composed of a bundle of neurons; nerves are the body's wiring. Messages leap from one to another across a tiny gap called a synapse.
A message called a response is fired off by a nerve cell by a stimulus, such as touch, sound, light, taste, temperature and smell. Nerve cells that respond to these stimuli are called sensory neurons.
The bones that protect your brain are called a cranium. The human brain weighs about three pounds when grown and is about the size of a large grapefruit. Your brain has three main sections: the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain stem. How is your memory? If you can remember what you had for breakfast this morning, that's called a short-term memory. Long-term memory is remembering things that happened to you months or years ago.
Your brain is like a computer, in fact, it is more effective and can do more jobs than the most powerful computer made. Brains are what make us who we are.
This book is much more complicated than this; I've just listed the most important points. It is a very thorough book, and I would recommend its reading!
A message called a response is fired off by a nerve cell by a stimulus, such as touch, sound, light, taste, temperature and smell. Nerve cells that respond to these stimuli are called sensory neurons.
The bones that protect your brain are called a cranium. The human brain weighs about three pounds when grown and is about the size of a large grapefruit. Your brain has three main sections: the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the brain stem. How is your memory? If you can remember what you had for breakfast this morning, that's called a short-term memory. Long-term memory is remembering things that happened to you months or years ago.
Your brain is like a computer, in fact, it is more effective and can do more jobs than the most powerful computer made. Brains are what make us who we are.
This book is much more complicated than this; I've just listed the most important points. It is a very thorough book, and I would recommend its reading!
October 18, 2018
Summary - Each second millions of signals are passing through your brain. These can carry messages to different parts of your body, that allow for movement. If you touch something hot not only does your hand feel it, but your brain also knows. Read the book and find out how your brain knows before your hand.
Response - The information in this book is astonishing. It goes into great detail of the brain. This includes how it works, how it receives messages, and how it responds. Each page contains a detailed and labeled picture. The pictures are real and not drawings, so some seem graphic.
Classroom -
(vocabulary not suited for younger children) 4th grade and up
Nerves
CellsShrot/long-term memory
How amazing the brain is
Summary of 3 things learned (something you didn't know before)
Response - The information in this book is astonishing. It goes into great detail of the brain. This includes how it works, how it receives messages, and how it responds. Each page contains a detailed and labeled picture. The pictures are real and not drawings, so some seem graphic.
Classroom -
(vocabulary not suited for younger children) 4th grade and up
Nerves
CellsShrot/long-term memory
How amazing the brain is
Summary of 3 things learned (something you didn't know before)
September 13, 2018
The brain is an intriguing part of the body. This picture book takes kids on a journey through the brain and nervous system, showing them how each part works together to perform everyday tasks. I enjoyed the pictures and how detailed they were to accurately describe the function, but I felt like there were too many words on one page. I feel like too many words will cause students to quickly lose interest and pay little attention to what they are reading. I would use this in a science class for third or fourth grade level readers to teach them about the brain. I think the kids could still learn a lot from it and they would be in awe of how much work the brain does when we simply raise our arms.
September 23, 2019
The Brain is a an informational book about the brain and nervous system. Simon writes a lot of information in a simple and easy to understand way with plenty of metaphors, examples, and detailed descriptions of all the science vocabulary. The text is a bit older, so it may not contain new discoveries about the nervous system since 1997.
March 15, 2020
I'm gonna be totally honest here, I was really tired while I was reading this book and don't really remember much. When this happens it always begs the question, was it worth reading if I don't retain anything? Hmmm...deeper thoughts for another time.
It was short and easy to read. I don't know if any of the kids in my class will care about the brain enough to read this, but we'll see.
It was short and easy to read. I don't know if any of the kids in my class will care about the brain enough to read this, but we'll see.
November 29, 2017
I liked reading about the brain. It was great to relearn about parts of the brain. Now that I think about it, it takes me back to my school days as a child. I always read Seymour Simon's non-fiction science books in school.
November 29, 2017
An informational book about brains. Everything one needs to know about the brain is in this book. The book provides amazing photos of the brain that goes along with the information. Very detailed and interesting pictures.
November 27, 2022
Genre: informational non fiction
Age group: 4th-6th
The book isnt as entertaining to me as much as somebody else, because I’m not interested as much with the brain. But the large imagery in the book may help a brain enthusiast Observe the information and learn easier.
Age group: 4th-6th
The book isnt as entertaining to me as much as somebody else, because I’m not interested as much with the brain. But the large imagery in the book may help a brain enthusiast Observe the information and learn easier.
February 12, 2019
Excellent! Clear, concise, interesting, informative. Colorful illustrations including highly-magnified, computer-colored SEMs.
Read
May 2, 2021Grades k-4
Level 900L
This book takes a look at the most important organs, the brain.
Level 900L
This book takes a look at the most important organs, the brain.
Read
February 28, 2017The Brain: Our Nervous System is all about the brain, as the title suggests. This book brings attention to the functions the brain does, even those everyday ones you may not have considered. It breaks down and describes the very details of the brain and how it controls other parts of the body. Then fun facts like how big the brain is and how much it weighs.
This book was very informational in a good way. The words were simple and the facts were broken down, I would recommend to those interested in science. It wouldn't be my first pick as a joy read, but it was a good book.
This would be very good for a science lesson about the brain or as a source on a science project if a student is doing one over a brain study. It held a lot of basic information that would be important and needed to know in both these cases. The pictures give good visuals to the facts being described so you can see and hear what you are talking about (appealing to the visual and listening learners).
This book was very informational in a good way. The words were simple and the facts were broken down, I would recommend to those interested in science. It wouldn't be my first pick as a joy read, but it was a good book.
This would be very good for a science lesson about the brain or as a source on a science project if a student is doing one over a brain study. It held a lot of basic information that would be important and needed to know in both these cases. The pictures give good visuals to the facts being described so you can see and hear what you are talking about (appealing to the visual and listening learners).
Read
February 28, 2017This book explains each part of the brain in the human body. It talks about the cerebrum, spinal cord, skull, dendrites, our reflexes and senses, etc. It describes the knowledge of each part scientifically, but to where it's not too hard for students to not be able to understand.
This book, in my opinion, describes in great detail the processes of the brain so that students can understand, but at a high enough level that it still pushes them to grow and learn. The pictures in the book are life-like, which some people might find gross, but I think it's important to teach students how things actually look.
This book would be a great addition to a classroom for probably 4-6th graders. It would be a great addition to a science teacher's classroom because they could use the book as an introduction for their lesson of the human body. The book is a little lengthy, but the teacher could easily break up the the different parts of the brain and read and explain a few pages at a time.
This book, in my opinion, describes in great detail the processes of the brain so that students can understand, but at a high enough level that it still pushes them to grow and learn. The pictures in the book are life-like, which some people might find gross, but I think it's important to teach students how things actually look.
This book would be a great addition to a classroom for probably 4-6th graders. It would be a great addition to a science teacher's classroom because they could use the book as an introduction for their lesson of the human body. The book is a little lengthy, but the teacher could easily break up the the different parts of the brain and read and explain a few pages at a time.
November 12, 2021
Informational Nonfiction
5th-8th
Honestly I loved this book. I am a big science nerd and loved reading it. I wish I had this one. I was taking psychology or even biology in highschool. Though the book is teaching information it honestly kept me engaged and I believe it would keep the students engaged. I believe this is because of the pictures that come along with it. The pictures are so relevant and true to what it is supposed to be. For me looking at the pictures was a big part in understanding the text. All in all I loved how in depth this book was with information but still it was able to keep me wanting to read more and more about our Nervous System.
5th-8th
Honestly I loved this book. I am a big science nerd and loved reading it. I wish I had this one. I was taking psychology or even biology in highschool. Though the book is teaching information it honestly kept me engaged and I believe it would keep the students engaged. I believe this is because of the pictures that come along with it. The pictures are so relevant and true to what it is supposed to be. For me looking at the pictures was a big part in understanding the text. All in all I loved how in depth this book was with information but still it was able to keep me wanting to read more and more about our Nervous System.
July 28, 2017
We really enjoyed reading this book about the brain. For such a scientific subject, he has a great way to introduce it to children. And I have to admit that I learned quite a bit as well.
As we read the book, we had some really good side discussions and answered the questions and discussed our interpretations of the stronger sides of our brains.
We've read several books by Seymour Simon and we've really enjoyed them. The books are informative and educational without being too detailed or boring. And the photographs are big, bright and colorful, helping to depict the different areas of the brain and the functions they control.
We really like Mr. Simon's books and we will certainly look for more at our local library.
As we read the book, we had some really good side discussions and answered the questions and discussed our interpretations of the stronger sides of our brains.
We've read several books by Seymour Simon and we've really enjoyed them. The books are informative and educational without being too detailed or boring. And the photographs are big, bright and colorful, helping to depict the different areas of the brain and the functions they control.
We really like Mr. Simon's books and we will certainly look for more at our local library.
April 3, 2015
This book had a great deal of information regarding the brain. It deeply explained each part of the brain and what the function of that part is. The pictures in this book helped the reader better understand what each of these parts of the brain actually look like. The pictures also helped the reader see where each part is located in the brain. I have leaned a few things that I didn't know about the brain before reading this book. For example the brain weighs about 3 lbs when it is fully grown. Your brain also continues to grow in size until you reach 7 years old. I think my students might enjoy reading this book as long as they don't have a sensitive subject. Some of the pictures are very detailed.
September 12, 2013
This book is an amazing resource about our body's control center. Photographs give readers the chance to view real cadaver brains and spinal cords, and radiological scanners and microscopes give view of greatly enlarged axons and neural pathways that help young readers understand the shape of these nervous system components. The author concisely explains parts of the brain and their functions at a level of detail that will keep readers engaged. Also shown are images of stimulated brains at work, which will interest some young scientists to explore more resources.
Genre: Informational
Reading level: 5.5
Grade level: 6-8
Lexile: 900L
Genre: Informational
Reading level: 5.5
Grade level: 6-8
Lexile: 900L
October 23, 2015
Summary: A book about the brain for 4-8th grade maybe? #notayouthlibrarian
Why I Read This: It came in a set including a model of a human brain, which I checked out from the library!
Review: This is approximately my level. It's more than a basic understanding, but not much more. If you want to learn about identifying brain structure -- this is the book.
Why I Read This: It came in a set including a model of a human brain, which I checked out from the library!
Review: This is approximately my level. It's more than a basic understanding, but not much more. If you want to learn about identifying brain structure -- this is the book.
October 6, 2014
This book is full of information. I think that it may be too much though. I definitely would not want my students reading this book all in one sitting. It may be helpful to read excerpts from this book when it is relevant. Otherwise, I do not see much of a point in requiring that this book be read.
April 13, 2015
This was a great information book if you wanted to read about it in a story form. I liked the way their were real pictures and not illustrations. I think that an older student would like to read this, especially if they likes the brain.
November 20, 2009
The pictures, using high resonance techniques, are cool. This would engage any biology class.
August 11, 2010
Another great book from Seymour Simon on the nervous system.
April 15, 2012
Maybe this text had more information than my brain could handle tonight. A bit dry.
February 11, 2014
This book is very informational and textbook like, but the pictures help give the reader a better understanding of what they are reading.
February 26, 2014
Easily understood and good images. I am usually very frustrated over science stuff, since I am bad at it. Thank you for writing such a useful book.
April 2, 2014
A good book for upper grades. Great for children interested in learning about the brain.
September 23, 2014
An informational book about the nervous system for kids who are a little older. I think they'd probably need to know about the nervous system beforehand or else it might be a little overwhelming.
Want to read
April 25, 2015I chose to put this book on my science bookshelf because of the author. Seymour Simon writes exceptional non-fiction science themed books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews