Image courtesy of royalsociety.org
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTIVITY
For this activity I did a book review of a shortlisted book for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Awards (see the Book Review page for my review). The book I reviewed is Astrophysics for young people in a hurry (2019) by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Shortlisted for the award in 2020, the book is a great example of how to make science fun, engaging and educational for young children.
I also looked at the award, how it started and why it is important to young people. Established in the United Kingdom in 1988, the Royal Society Award is given to the best book communicating science to young people (Alexander & Jarman, 2015). While the shortlisted books are chosen from a panel of prominent authors, the winner of the award is chosen from multiple groups of young people from across the country, including those from schools, science centres, libraries, and youth groups (Alexander & Jarman, 2015).
WHAT DID I LEARN?
There have been a number of activities that I have undertaken this year that I have not attempted before. A book review is one of these activities. When researching how to write a successful book review, I learned how important a review is, as it is this small statement that entices readers to the book. Using a simple list of how to write a book review, I have developed the ability to confidently offer a review of a book that is helpful and engaging. Additionally, I learnt about the importance of providing science books for readers under fourteen. The prize “aims to promote literacy in young people and to inspire them to read about science” (The Royal Society, 2020, para. 3).
HOW WAS THE ACTIVITY RELEVANT?
The award seeks to promote literacy and inspire more children to become interested in STEM and the sciences while teaching them in a fun way. Alexander and Jarman (2015) note that the young people involved in the book selection used the panel as a social activity which promoted literacy and social interaction in an activity that many people view as a solitary exercise. The process of selection within the groups of young people teaches them how to work effectively in a group environment and how to collate and analyse information to determine a winner (The Royal Society, 2020).
WHAT WERE THE GAPS IN MY KNOWLEDGE?
When I began to look at book awards for young people, I was unaware there was a young people’s award for the Royal Society. I had previously heard of the Royal Society in relation to adult sciences, especially physics and astronomy, so to learn they had an award that was selected by young people to promote the sciences was both surprising and exciting. For me, the most rewarding fact about this prize is how they are trying to promote all sciences to young people.
References
Alexander, J. & Jarman, R. (2015). Prizing children’s science information books: The text, reading and the reader. Literacy, 49(3), 123-131. https://doi.org/10.1111/liy.12060
Plaja, L. (2019). How to write a book review. The Book Trust. https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/writing-tips/writing-tips-for-teens/how-to-write-a-book-review/
The Royal Society. (2020). More information. The Royal Society. https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/book-prizes/young-peoples-book-prize/more-information/
The Royal Society. (2020). The young people’s book prize. The Royal Society. https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/book-prizes/young-peoples-book-prize/
The Royal Society. (2020). [Image]. https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/book-prizes/young-peoples-book-prize/
Tyson, N. (2019). Astrophysics for young people in a hurry. W.W. Norton & Company Inc.