An excellent book in the Learning Skills series which teaches the skills that are needed to be a scientist. It is a revised edition of the 2021 book Think Like A Scientist that has been updated to include AI.
It is wide-ranging with chapters on Science is Everywhere, What Do Scientists Actually Do?, How Did They Find That Out? Science to the Rescue, Which Scientist to Ask, Science in the News, What is all This Information Telling Us?, How to Read Like A Scientist, The Language of Science, Is it OK To Do That Experiment?, An Open Mind, Pioneers in Medicine, Will We Ever Know Everything?, Science of the Imagination and Be a Scientist!
The design of the pages is excellent. There are appealing illustrations and plenty of colour. Information is presented in bite-size chunks that are easily digested. I admire the range of techniques used including speech bubbles, flow charts, diagrams, questions and answers, infographics and different fonts. The Words To Know Boxes are threaded throughout the book with a white background. The pitch is age appropriate, and explanations are clear. Scientific method is explained in a simple way. I like the suggestions for activities that are threaded throughout as they encourage further work and engagement. There is a helpful glossary and the book ends with three things to remember:
WHO are the scientists behind the information?
CHECK the dates of the information to make sure you are getting the most up-to-date facts.
CORROBORATE the facts by looking at more than one source of information.
The book covers all the bases and will be of immense value to primary school libraries and science labs. Well done!
Brenda Marshall
How To Think Like A Scientist – A Kids’ Toolkit for Literacy in Science by Susan Martineau
Designed and illustrated by Vicky Barker
bsmall publishing
ISBN 9781916851979
£8.99
Published 2026
