New books and key backlist explaining the coronavirus for all ages.
- Interest Level: Grade 5 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 3
This high/low series helps students understand the virus, its impacts, and how the world has reacted and offers a hopeful look at what a post-COVID-19 future might look like.
A Lasting Impact
In early 2020, the United States lost about 25 billion dollars a day during the economic shutdown caused by COVID-19. Millions of people lost their jobs as thousands of businesses shut down, either temporarily or permanently. How are governments helping people—and businesses—stay afloat? Will there be permanent changes even after the virus is gone? During this “Big Pause,” pollution levels have dropped in many areas of the world—but will that last? Will anything positive come out of this crisis? Learn more about the impacts of the coronavirus, as we look toward a future of hope and healing that may be very different than what we’ve known in the past.
Essential Workers, Essential Heroes
COVID-19 has shut down most people’s normal lives. But grocery stores are still open, mail is still delivered, and restaurants are offering meals via delivery. None of this would be possible without the people who are still going to work every day, exposing themselves to the virus so that others can stay home. Most importantly, healthcare workers are doing all they can—putting their own lives at risk—to treat and save those who have contracted the disease. In this book, readers will get inspired by the real-life heroes of one of the largest health crises in human history.
Social Distancing
Are you ready to live in a world without handshakes or hugs from anyone outside your home? What about “going to school” via your laptop in your living room? Are you taking your dance class on an iPad? These are just some of the adjustments people have had to make in trying to stop the spread of COVID-19. But what are the best ways to enjoy our lives and interact with friends without socializing in person? Readers will explore how our social lives have changed since COVID-19 began, and how some of these changes may be around for a while.
The Science of the Coronavirus
COVID-19 has taken the entire world by storm. Many of the smartest people on Earth have been working to find treatments, a vaccine, and ultimately, a cure. So what exactly is COVID-19? What is a “coronavirus”? Where did the disease come from? How do you know if you have it? How is it treated? How do you stop yourself from getting it or passing it on to others? Learn all about the answers to these questions, and one more question on everyone’s mind: When and how will the world go back to normal?
The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Coronavirus Timeline
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 5
In late 2019 the Chinese city of Wuhan reported several cases of what doctors thought was pneumonia. But it wasn’t long before officials identified a new coronavirus behind the outbreak: SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, quickly spread through China and then around the world.
In the United States and everywhere else it landed, the virus drastically changed familiar ways of life. Events were canceled, schools moved online, and whole countries shut down in an attempt to slow the virus’s spread. Meanwhile, frontline workers kept essential services running, and scientists raced to discover as much as they could about the viral threat. Follow the timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic, learn about key figures in the US government’s response, and find out what’s next in the fight against the coronavirus.
Stay Healthy with Sesame Street®: Understanding Coronavirus
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 2
- Reading Level: Kindergarten
Familiar characters from Sesame Street and a friendly question-and-answer format help make the subjects of coronavirus, COVID-19, and quarantine accessible to young children.
Germs Up Close
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
- Reading Level: Grade 2
On pre-order until 04/06/2021
Have you ever seen a germ up close? Really, really close? Award-winning science writer Sara Levine introduces readers to a variety of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and fungi that can make people sick—including SARS-CoV-2, E. coli, and ringworm. Micrographs and illustrations show extremely close-up views of the germs that are at once incredible and a little gross.
The book concludes with tips for staying healthy as well as information about the immune system, vaccines, and medicines. It gives readers accessible, up-to-date scientific information presented in a way that emphasizes curiosity rather than fear.
Key backlist that helps to provide context for current events
Pandemic: How Climate, the Environment, and Superbugs Increase the Risk
- Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 8
Throughout history, several deadly pandemics brought humanity to its knees, killing millions, and recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika took coordinated international efforts to prevent them from spreading. Learn about factors that contribute to the spread of disease by examining past pandemics and epidemics, including the Bubonic Plague, smallpox Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and Zika. Examine case studies of potential pandemic diseases, like SARS and cholera, and find out how pathogens and antibiotics work. See how human activities such as global air travel and the disruption of animal habitats contribute to the risk of a new pandemic. And discover how scientists are striving to contain and control the spread of disease, both locally and globally.
Vaccination Investigation: The History and Science of Vaccines
- Interest Level: Grade 6 – Grade 12
- Reading Level: Grade 8
Vaccines are biological substances that cause the human immune system to build up its defenses against specific diseases. Public health officials recommend a series of vaccines for all children, as well as some vaccines for teenagers and adults. But not everyone gets the vaccines they need. Many poor nations don’t have the resources to deliver vaccines to every community. Some parents refuse to have their children vaccinated because they don’t believe the evidence proving that vaccines are safe.
The effort to wipe out diseases using vaccines continues. Vaccine Investigation recounts the fascinating history of vaccines, their important role in protecting community health, and the excitement of cutting-edge research.