What do you think?
Rate this book
Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings
Notable Scientists and Their Writings brings to life the many ways in which everyone from Galileo to Jane Goodall has used a science notebook, including to sketch their observations, imagine experiments, record data or just write down their thoughts. You also get four steps to starting your own notebook, plus mini-bios of the diverse featured scientists. Written in captivating rhyme, the text is sprinkled with lively illustrations. In fact, it looks a lot like the science notebook you’ll be eager to start after reading this inspiring book.
32 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2017
2 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 8, 2020
This is a great book showing kids how all types of scientists use their science journals. Images are included from their actual notebooks --Isaac Newton's, Beatrix Potter's, and Jane Goodall's to name a few. This will be fun to read to students creating their own science journals for the first time.
June 13, 2018
This is a book that should be in every elementary school. A great resource for students to see how scientists have used their own science notebooks to record their thinking. The book gives us a glimpse into famous science notebooks from scientists like Leonardo da Vinci, Jane Goodall, Isaac newton, and many more. The book concluded with step by step instructions on how to set up a science notebook.
Read
April 17, 2018Read by Astronaut Joseph Acaba in a video from Story Time From Space
December 27, 2025
Wild Wonderings
In rhythmic, rhyming lines that you start to chant as you read aloud, Fries-Gaither explains the scientific method to young readers. The cool part is that she does it though different scientists' inquiries throughout the course of recorded history. Women and men whose discoveries changed the world are introduced and depicted as relatable by Olliver. Asking questions and making discoveries is not out of reach is the underlying message to young readers. The text emphasizes asking questions and then trying to answer them, setting forth an array of role models and providing space in the book for children to work through their own inquiries.
Notable Notebooks
In a similar vein to Wild wonderings, this installment explains the use and importance of scientific notebooks. This is particularly relevant in today's device-saturated world. Writing, drawing, calculating in a physical notebook not only allows one to keep everything close at hand and record observations, thoughts, and experiments, but offers a place to refine theories where one can refer back to previous ideas and results. The flexibility of a notebook has served diverse scientists throughout history who are each featured on a two-page spread. And that is where this book really shines: each scientist's notebook use is the focus. And each scientist is different. Working out one's thoughts and discoveries on paper is the common factor among them all. Back matter offers guidance for young readers to start their own scientific notebooks.
Exemplary Evidence
This third title in the collection features scientists who collected data to make breakthrough discoveries in their fields. With a focus on the data, Exemplary Evidence details what information was collected and how the scientists recorded it - whether it was drawings, tables and charts, diagrams... By recording their observations, scientist were able to track trends, make and confirm hypotheses, and make recommendations based on that data. One notable example is how the link between lung cancer and smoking was discovered, resulting in the health advisory to not smoke. Back matter guides young scientists in data collection.
Readers will better understand the scientific method and the value of observation and information collection with this trio of books.
In rhythmic, rhyming lines that you start to chant as you read aloud, Fries-Gaither explains the scientific method to young readers. The cool part is that she does it though different scientists' inquiries throughout the course of recorded history. Women and men whose discoveries changed the world are introduced and depicted as relatable by Olliver. Asking questions and making discoveries is not out of reach is the underlying message to young readers. The text emphasizes asking questions and then trying to answer them, setting forth an array of role models and providing space in the book for children to work through their own inquiries.
Notable Notebooks
In a similar vein to Wild wonderings, this installment explains the use and importance of scientific notebooks. This is particularly relevant in today's device-saturated world. Writing, drawing, calculating in a physical notebook not only allows one to keep everything close at hand and record observations, thoughts, and experiments, but offers a place to refine theories where one can refer back to previous ideas and results. The flexibility of a notebook has served diverse scientists throughout history who are each featured on a two-page spread. And that is where this book really shines: each scientist's notebook use is the focus. And each scientist is different. Working out one's thoughts and discoveries on paper is the common factor among them all. Back matter offers guidance for young readers to start their own scientific notebooks.
Exemplary Evidence
This third title in the collection features scientists who collected data to make breakthrough discoveries in their fields. With a focus on the data, Exemplary Evidence details what information was collected and how the scientists recorded it - whether it was drawings, tables and charts, diagrams... By recording their observations, scientist were able to track trends, make and confirm hypotheses, and make recommendations based on that data. One notable example is how the link between lung cancer and smoking was discovered, resulting in the health advisory to not smoke. Back matter guides young scientists in data collection.
Readers will better understand the scientific method and the value of observation and information collection with this trio of books.
December 2, 2025
Though scientists study all kinds of different topics, a common thread is the fact that many scientists rely on notebooks to document their discoveries. From Galileo to the present day, scientific notebooks are a foundation of learning, especially as the observations within them often lead to a greater understanding of the wider world. And just as any notebook can be a vessel for thought, so too can any human utilize a notebook to track their own observations of the world around them. This poetic, nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to several famous scientists and the ways in which they documented their observations. Lines of rhyming text help make the book accessible to young readers, and though the meter and design is not identical from one line to the next, the singsong nature of the narrative makes otherwise weighty subjects lighter. Images of the featured scientists’ actual notebooks are embedded within the illustrations, further connecting young readers to the people included within the book. Though the majority of the scientists presented in this text are fair-skinned men, an effort has been made to include scientists of additional genders and backgrounds to enhance the book’s diversity. The narrative is relatively brief, offering only a glimpse into each scientist’s life and discoveries, but readers may be inspired to further investigate the scientists outside of this book on their own. Back matter includes brief biographies of each of the featured scientists and a guide for starting one’s own science notebook, amplifying the message that anyone can be a scientist at any age. This unique and accessible nonfiction picture book is a good introduction to famous scientists for young elementary school-aged readers.
January 6, 2026
In Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings, Jessica Fries-Gaither offers an engaging introduction to the ways scientists think, observe, and record their work. By focusing on notebooks as tools of discovery, the book humanizes science and invites young readers to see scientific inquiry as an active, creative process rather than a collection of fixed facts.
Fries-Gaither highlights the notebooks of well-known scientists, showing how sketches, notes, questions, and revisions played a central role in major discoveries. Clear, age-appropriate text explains how careful observation and documentation help scientists test ideas and learn from mistakes. The emphasis on primary sources—real scientific writings and records—adds authenticity and encourages readers to value evidence and curiosity.
The layout is inviting, with visuals that support comprehension and model how students can keep their own science notebooks fun and special. Practical connections to classroom practice make this title especially useful for educators seeking to integrate literacy into STEM instruction. The book implicitly encourages critical thinking, close reading, and writing as essential scientific skills.
Notable Notebooks is a strong nonfiction selection for upper elementary readers, particularly those interested in science, history, or inquiry-based learning. It works well for classroom use, research projects, and library collections focused on STEM and informational text.
Recommended for: Ages 8–12; STEM collections; classroom science units; inquiry-based learning. The illustrations are beautiful and the “How to start your own science notebook” at the end is simply awesome…, not to mention the “Images credit” and “Scientists Profile” addition ! 🙂
Fries-Gaither highlights the notebooks of well-known scientists, showing how sketches, notes, questions, and revisions played a central role in major discoveries. Clear, age-appropriate text explains how careful observation and documentation help scientists test ideas and learn from mistakes. The emphasis on primary sources—real scientific writings and records—adds authenticity and encourages readers to value evidence and curiosity.
The layout is inviting, with visuals that support comprehension and model how students can keep their own science notebooks fun and special. Practical connections to classroom practice make this title especially useful for educators seeking to integrate literacy into STEM instruction. The book implicitly encourages critical thinking, close reading, and writing as essential scientific skills.
Notable Notebooks is a strong nonfiction selection for upper elementary readers, particularly those interested in science, history, or inquiry-based learning. It works well for classroom use, research projects, and library collections focused on STEM and informational text.
Recommended for: Ages 8–12; STEM collections; classroom science units; inquiry-based learning. The illustrations are beautiful and the “How to start your own science notebook” at the end is simply awesome…, not to mention the “Images credit” and “Scientists Profile” addition ! 🙂
December 1, 2017
Love the concept of showing kids the importance and diversity of notebooks. From Isaac Newton, to DaVinci, to Rachel Carson and more the author shows how science notebooks have held data, info, illustrations, wonderings and more. The last few pages also shows science notebooks from children too. I love the inspiration and cool factor that the notebooks show, making learning and note taking much more fun and interesting... I just wish it wasn't written in rhyme.
September 24, 2017
Great artwork and a useful model when teaching students how to have a science notebook and why it's important
March 26, 2018
I thought this was a good book for inspiring students to see how a science notebook can help them understand, although I actually read this to inspire myself!!!
June 12, 2019
Notebooking in the real world!
June 26, 2019
I am excited about sharing this, along with Amy Van Derwater's notebook blog as be launch notebooks for capturing our thinking to figure out what we know and what we'd like to discover.
July 24, 2019
This was a fun read that us full of interesting facts.
July 25, 2019
Great rhyming poetry about famous scientists with actual photographs from some of their notebooks. Made me want to study something using a notebook!
October 23, 2019
Interesting books
October 28, 2019
A rhyming picture book with images from notable scientists' notebooks/journals, this book encourages readers to look at the world around them and record their observations and thinking.
August 24, 2020
This was real cool listening to reading from outer space
December 28, 2023
Great for Kids.
August 3, 2017
Reviewed by Raif Wagner for San Diego Book Review
“Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings” is a children's picture book. The author, Jessica Fries-Gaither, wants children to see how scientists have used notebooks in their work. So the book talks about lots of different scientists and what they studied, and why that was important. It talks about Galileo, and Isaac Newton, and an astronomer named Maria Mitchell who discovered a new comet.
You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.
“Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings” is a children's picture book. The author, Jessica Fries-Gaither, wants children to see how scientists have used notebooks in their work. So the book talks about lots of different scientists and what they studied, and why that was important. It talks about Galileo, and Isaac Newton, and an astronomer named Maria Mitchell who discovered a new comet.
You can read this entire review and others like it at San Diego Book Review.
September 1, 2017
I absolutely love this book. It is great for getting kids excited about creating and interactive notebook in my science class. The rhythm and rhyme is fun and the pictures are great.
January 28, 2023
My son and I both enjoyed this and he was highly motivated to start his own science notebook, and has been constantly taking notes and drawing pictures of what he learns.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews