Following a plea for more non-fiction books to review, Miles Kelly were generous enough to send us some of their best books – all in the name of science. We’re going to kick off by reviewing not one, but three of the brilliant books from their ‘100 Facts’ series.

100 Facts: Stars and Galaxies – In this book, you can learn about star nurseries and great balls of fire!  We particularly liked the mix of photos, cartoons and scientific diagrams; they made the pages interesting to look at and provided fascinating snippets of information for the reader.

I was especially interested to learn that a 10-year-old Canadian schoolgirl, Kathryn Aurora Gray, discovered a supernova whilst looking through photographs taken from a Canadian telescope in 2011.  She was the youngest person ever to discover a supernova and got to meet space-legend, Neil Armstrong!

There are lots of quizzes and activities scattered throughout the pages to keep your mind ticking over as you’re reading.  Perfect for aspiring astronomers.

100 Facts: Animal Life – We loved that this book covers many aspects of animal life – from food chains to survival skills ( important if you look tasty to a fearsome predator!)

My favourite fact in this book was that the skink (a lizard) has fracture points between the bones in its tail so the tip can break off and wiggle on the ground, creating a distraction for the predator, enabling the skink to make its getaway.

Again, this book is crammed with stunning photos and clever cutaways to help you appreciate the true splendour (and yuckiness) of nature.  Fact boxes and animal activities will have you howling for more!

100 Facts: Human Body – A head-to-toe guide to the human body, from starting out in the womb to keeping a healthy body and brain.  Would-be doctors will love this book.

Each key section has a double-page spread which presents bite-sized chunks of information which are easily digested.

Fascinating fact – did you know the enamel coating your teeth is stronger than most types of rock?!  A must if they’re to withstand almost a lifetime of chewing!

This book, in particular, makes excellent use of scientific diagrams and vocabulary, explaining concepts clearly and concisely.

We would recommend these books to young fact-fiends as they’re packed full of interesting information and pictures.  You’re guaranteed to learn a new fact to impress your friends or teachers.

Library Girl and Book Boy.