⭐ Great educational read for curious kids

I picked this up recently for my 9-year-old, who alternates between loving science and getting easily bored by heavy reading. Non-fiction can be a bit hit-or-miss for this age group, but this one has been a really solid addition to our routine. We’ve been reading a few pages together every couple of nights, and it’s the perfect length for a quick, interesting chat before bed.

The glow-in-the-dark cover was a fun touch that got it off the shelf initially, but the actual content inside is what made it worth buying. What works best for us is the “Before” and “Now” structure. It takes these massive, complex topics like ancient engineering, ecological management, and sustainable water sourcing and breaks them down into bitesize concepts that a 9-year-old can easily grasp.

My child was genuinely interested in the pages about how First Nations people removed salt from seawater and managed resources without modern plastics. It didn’t feel like schoolwork to them; instead, it sparked a few great questions about how smart ancient engineering actually was, and how we use those same ideas today to protect the environment.

The illustrations are excellent too. They are bright and engaging without being overly busy, which helps break up the text so it doesn’t feel overwhelming for a middle-primary schooler to tackle on their own.

If you have a child around 8 to 10 who is naturally curious or likes learning how things work, it’s definitely a worthwhile book to have on the shelf. It’s educational, easy to dip in and out of, and leads to some really nice family conversations.

Get your copy here.