Stickmen's Guide to Your Beating Heart (Stickmen's Guides to Your Awesome Body)

Everyone has a brain and if you think you’re pretty darn brainy, you probably are. Now don’t get a big head about it because “Neanderthal people had even bigger brains.” In fact, they were “about 30 percent bigger than ours.” There are all kinds of interesting things we can learn about ourselves, but just how much do you know about your very own brain? Not to worry, you probably already know a lot if you are a brainiac, but the Stickmen in this book will probably give you some pointers ... literally. Just think of the human brain as a “living supercomputer” and get ready to learn all about how it functions.Starting with “Central Control,” you’ll quickly learn that “you nervous system is like a busy Internet wired to every part of your body.” Those messages are traveling from the brain to every part of your body via your nervous system. The Stickmen help you learn about automatic nerves, let you check out the spinal cord, show you how the nerves branch out through your body, help you check out the sciatic nerve, and the wandering nerve. Huh? A “wandering” nerve? It’s really called the vagus nerve and it “wanders all the way down from the base of your brain to your gut.” It controls several different things, including everything from “your breathing and heartbeat to the way you digest food.”Everyone is a bundle of nerves before a test, but just what are nerves? Your “nervous system is made of lots of nerve cells strung together.” They’re quite a bit different from regular cells and are called “neurons.” Whoa, now you’re thinking that’s a lot of information to take in, but the Stickmen will teach you all about those most unusual nerve cells and how they work. You’ll get a chance to see what the neuron is made up of, synapses, neurotransmitters, how nerve signals move, and even how “different combinations of neurotransmitters have different effects on your mood.” Hey, then there’s that little thing called “love.” You’ll learn why you fall in love too!This is an amazing journey into the “mysteries of the brain” young readers will love. They layout of the book pops with illustrations that make the book come alive as the Stickmen guide readers of all levels. Even the most reluctant reader will be drawn into the science of the brain effortlessly. Many students have difficulty with a straightforward text, but blossom when presented with exciting visuals or graphic novel-like presentations. The examples are high-interest ones that everyone can relate to. For example, one discusses what happens “whenever you suffer a sharp pain such as hitting your elbow,: something we all experience.The pages are busy, but not cluttered. My eyes were easily able to browse and focus on topics without becoming overwhelmed, something that’s important for readers, especially those reluctant ones. In the back of the book is an index, a timeline of the history of the brain (450 BCE to 2001), and “More Brainy Facts.” Do girls have smaller brains than girls? Do you know how memories are made? If not, you’ll learn the answers to these questions as well as several more you have in this book. Fabulously fun book for brainiacs of all ages!Grade Level: 4 to 6Age Level: 8 to 12+STICKMEN’S GUIDES TO YOUR AWESOME BODY: Stickmen’s Guide to Your Beating Heart Stickmen’s Guide to Your Brilliant Brain Stickmen’s Guide to Your Gurgling Guts Stickmen’s Guide to Your Mighty Muscles and Bones This book courtesy of the publisher (to library).