Great illustrated encyclopedia for kids. It covers the basics of biology, but still explains it in a readable, easy to understand way. I love DK's diagrams and colorful pages that keeps readers interested and curious!

Another great guide from DK! I like how it is organized by concept, so you can easily review and drill down where you need to work on your knowledge. Some of the pages can be a little cluttered but overall it's an appealing, well-explained reference.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Supersimple Biology: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide is yet another excellent product from DK. Really, it’s almost impossible to go wrong with a DK book and any parent and/or teacher could do a lot worse than stocking their home or room library with nothing but in terms of non-fiction. Their books are always lucid, concise, and, in their best aspect, have absolutely fantastic illustrations. This one is no different.

The book opens up with a look at science as a study/field, discussing elements such as the scientific method, the tools of science, basic data collection and presentation. It then moves into the many broad topics, each subdivided into smaller categories/examples. In order, the broad categories are:
• What is Life
• Cells
• Transport and cells
• Respiration
• Enzymes
• Nutrition in Plants
• Nutrition in Humans
• Transport in Plants
• Transport in Animals
• Nervous System
• Hormones
• Reproduction
• Genetics and Biotechnology
• Evolution
• Ecology

The general categories, as noted, are further subdivided, with anywhere from a half-dozen to 20 or so specific topics, such as mitosis and meiosis, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, the eye, diabetes, protein synthesis, Darwin and Wallace, the water cycle, and a host more. Each specific topic is given 1-3 pages. Again as noted, all of them are very clearly presented (there’s a handy glossary for unfamiliar terms) in terms of language, but the standout element is the illustration, which goes a long way toward making difficult topics easier to understand thanks to being able to so clearly visualize them.

While one could learn some basics from this book, it really functions best as it says in its subtitle—as a study guide that acts either as a complement to more detailed, thorough readings or as a refresher for those of us who forgot, say, what ATP is and its role in the body.

I can’t say enough good about DK books. We bought a lot of them when our child was small, and when we gave away books, we kept all the DK for when he has his own children. They’re that good. Supersimple Biology is just one more stellar example. Highly recommended.

Always love a beautiful book from DK. As a science teacher, this is one I will be sure to reference in my classroom.

Supersimple Biology: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide is a resource guide for learning and studying biology. Due out 23rd June 2020 from Penguin/Random House on their DK imprint, it's 288 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. As almost always with DK's offerings, I was blown away by the detailed, clear, and solidly expert photography. Every photo is well rendered and easy to follow. The supportive text is also clear and accessible.

This is a well written, factual, science based introduction to biology aimed at middle grades and up. The book introduces basic concepts starting with the scientific method and critical thinking skills, through building up concepts from cells, respiration, transport and respiration, enzymes, plant science, human physiology and nutrition, organ systems, a good solid introduction to genetics and biotechnology, ecology, climate science, and health science topics.

The graphics and formatting are top notch. There are color sidebars with explanatory details and side information. "Key Facts" sidebars also give bullet lists of salient points in easily remembered and digested one sentence capsules of information. Photographs and explanations cover all the concepts from cellular anatomy to ecosystems and sustainability models.

Especially now that remote & self study have become so important, this would make a worthy addition to the student's home library. This book and its sister volume are written under the auspices of the Smithsonian.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Do Kids Really Learn All This?

I have to say I am surprised to see the range of topics that biology courses for grades 6 to 10 can cover. The back cover of this book states it is for that grade range. I never took biology in high school, and my middle school didn't have a specific biology class; we took more of a survey of sciences then. This study guide is wonderful, starting with the basics like defining life and discussing the scientific method and best techniques. After basics are covered, major sections of the book seem to alternate between looking at the biology of plants and that of humans and other animals. The pages are colorful with both illustrations and photos. Each page focuses on a single topic with key facts given as well as some details (surrounding the graphical elements—like other DK books you’ve seen). Some pages have brief experiment instructions, showing how to use good scientific technique; some feature prominent scientists. The book covers cutting-edge biology, like genomes and genetic engineering, as well as biological concerns, like species extinction and ecology. I do wonder how appropriate the book is for the 6th and 7th graders who might be taking biology in middle school as some of this gets pretty technical and mathematical. I certainly think it would be helpful for older students, especially those who are new to taking biology classes. I actually could have used a study guide like this myself when I took my first introductory biology class in college. While it, of course, doesn't cover any of these topics in any depth, it certainly provides a framework on which other learning can be attached. It would also be helpful for review to make sure you have your bases covered, helping you see what you need to review more fully. All in all, I do think this is a very helpful guide to the basic concepts of contemporary biology study.

We love DK books at home, and one of the subjects lacking representation on our bookshelf is biology. This particular book is advanced for my son, but with one of us reading to him (cutting it off when it becomes a little too detailed because he doesn’t need the explanation currently), he’s been able to follow along. The book is very interesting for even a biology layperson such as me and has great pictures. I’m going to eventually buy the physical book so he has it on his shelf for when he’s grown a little older.

Many thanks to DK and Netgalley for providing a review copy.

SuperSimple Chemistry: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide by DK Children is currently scheduled for release on June 23 2020. It is an aid for coursework, homework, studying for tests, and a comprehensive guide for grades 6-10. Each topic is fully illustrated to support the information, make the facts crystal clear, and bring the science to life. A large central image explains the idea visually and each topic is summed up on a single page, helping children to quickly get up to speed and really understand how chemistry works. Information boxes explain the theory with the help of simple graphics and for further studying, a handy "Key Facts" box provides a simple summary you can check back on later.

SuperSimple Biology: The Ultimate Bitesize Study Guide by DK Children is currently scheduled for release on June 23 2020. This biology book for kids 12+ years old is ideal for home and school learning. From reproduction to respiration and enzymes to ecosystems, this guide makes complex topics easy to grasp at a glance. Perfect support for coursework, homework, and studying for tests. Each topic is fully illustrated to support the information, make the facts crystal clear, and bring the science to life. For key ideas, "How It Works" and "Look Closer" boxes explain the theory with the help of simple graphics. And for studying, a handy "Key Facts" box provides a simple summary you can check back on later.

Both of these books are exactly what one would expect from the titles, and the publisher. They are crisp, clean, and bright looking resources with concise and well written text. The sections are well organized and the pages are formatted to keep readers focused. I liked the balance of illustrations, charts, text, and the key facts boxes. I think resources like this are well timed (although I know they have been around previously) with everyone learning from home for months, and the worries about losing ground with studies, and the possibility of more home learning in the future for many. This would be useful both as a personal resource to support classroom work, as a resource in the classroom, or independent study for those interested in the specific field of study.

I like that it is layer out like Cards for each concept. This is a great colourful reference guide to basic concepts. Just enough details to not bore you.

I considered using this for homeschooling next year but I'm not terribly impressed with it. Each topic gets just a page and most of that is taken up with illustrations and quick facts, leaving kids with little real information. In many cases, the information was incomplete because of the necessary brevity or made generalizations that aren't entirely accurate, which will leave kids with misconceptions about the topics. In other cases, it was written in a very confusing way. I would have been totally confused if the only information I got about the lymph system was from this book, for instance. I read one sentence three times trying to tell what they were trying to say. In other cases it almost read like propaganda, such as the section on how safe pharmaceutical drugs are, while other topics were tiptoed around ("most people agree" that global warming is caused by carbon emissions caused by burning fossil fuels) and it talks about the pros and cons of selective breeding but completely avoids the topic of genetic engineering and GMOs as if they don't exist.

There are good color illustrations, and it's a good book to skim if you just want bite size information. I would not use it for a stand-alone lesson though, and I would not rely on it for any in-depth information.

For now, I'm sticking with the digital flexbooks from CK-12, which are far more complete, can be customized and merged with other books and video content, are well written and easy to understand, and are free (flexbooks.ck12.org).

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

DK is one of my go-tos when buying nonfiction. If you want a book about biology, with a great layout for kids, this is the book for you! Hand to kids who love science.

This book is part of a series that I love. Published by DK Smithsonian, it is called the Ultimate Bitesize study guide. The lesson is usually one page and the illustrations are beautiful and an important part of the guide. Chapters include Cells, Respiration, Plants, Nutrition, Nervous system, Hormones, and genetics. Great for your Junior High science buff or High school-er who needs simple explanations to complex issues. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Really awesome biology text designed to educate and engage young readers. Has plenty of bright photos and diagrams with easy to understand explanations. A definite must have for your child's supplementary reading.

What a wonderful resource for older children. SuperSimple Biology has a plethora of science broken down into simple to understand sections of information.

SuperSimple Biology has some great graphics to help understand some higher biological information. The book does a fabulous job of stating the scientific method and data collection, along with biology topics. I would buy this book as a supplement to my biology classroom to have the added visuals some students need to process the topics.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.