Fake plastic trees…

I thought my obsession with children's science books [1][2] from the 50's and 60's (the ones I checked out from the library when I was young) was just a nostalgia thing. But when I see the dumbed down crap that passes for "science books" these days (Grossology? c'mon, man…) I realize it's more than that.

FWIW:

I've had a project on and off the back-burner for years now that is a kind of children's science (and other things) book that is meant to engage children's sense of wonder about the world (I mean, it is wonderful). The project is meant to to be an inexpensive, physical book, and meant to be given to students for free.

In my fantasy, a series of these books would be produced that each focus on a different developmental age. Each year the students get the next book in the series to take home and own. (Also, the whole thing is especially useful to poor kids.)

In time, each kid will grow a small library of their own at home…

[1] Example of a good one: Kenneth Swezey's science books like this: https://archive.org/details/chemistrymagic00swez

[2] Another good example, UNESCO's: https://archive.org/details/700scienceexperi0000unes_q9o7