Kathleen V. Kudlinski

This outstanding science title for younger readers manages both to tap into childhood excitement about, and fascination with dinosaurs, and to communicate the idea that scientific thinkers are not infallible - that scientific ideas and theories must change, as our evidence grows - in a way that feels entirely natural, and free of any "lecturing" tone. Of course, as a non-fiction title, there is a clear didactic purpose here, but Kudlinksi's narrative, aided by S.D. Schindler's art, never show more loses sight of the fact that this is a topic that is fun, as well factual.

Highlighting the many ways in which early scientists and scholars got it wrong - the ancient Chinese thinking that dinosaur bones were evidence of dragons, the assumption that dinosaurs were cold-blooded, rather than warm-blooded - when it comes to our dinosaurian friends, Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs! sets the record straight, as far as it is possible with our current knowledge, and emphasizes the fact that current thinking may be incorrect as well. The artwork was very amusing (I liked the little speech blurbs showing what the dinosaurs might have thought about the misconceptions being depicted), and adds to the feeling of excitement. All in all, an excellent book for all young dinosaur lovers, and for young scientists in general. show less

After reading and greatly enjoying Kathleen V. Kudlinski's Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs!, which set out some of the ways in which earlier generations of scientists and thinkers got it wrong, when it came to prehistoric life, I immediately added this follow-up title to my tbr shelf. A general overview of the progression of astronomical knowledge, from the days when people believed the earth was flat to the time when they knew better, from their belief that the earth was at the center of show more the cosmos, to the idea that it was the sun around which everything orbited, this book succeeds in highlighting the idea (central to both books) that scientific thinking must keep pace with new evidence, and be flexible enough to change, when change is warranted.

Unfortunately, although Boy, Were We Wrong About the Solar System! does succeed at this primary goal, it is nowhere near as strong a title as its predecessor, in other respects. It's not that Kudlinski gets her facts wrong - some reviewers have chided her for incorrectly claiming that Neptune was discovered before Uranus, but if one examines her time-line, it quickly becomes evident that she is aware of the correct chronology (Uranus discovered in 1781, Neptune in 1846) - but that her main narrative, in addition to being rather vague about dates and scientists' names, is rather misleading when it comes to the sequence of various discoveries. She never actually claims that Neptune was discovered first, it's just that Neptune's discovery comes before the discovery of Uranus in the narrative, and there are no dates (except in the time-line at the rear) to clarify the matter. Similarly, the astronomers and scientists all remain anonymous, even though their stories are quite well known, thereby robbing the young reader of the chance (again, while reading the main narrative) of making possible connections to other material they may have studied.

It's unfortunate, because I do genuinely like the didactic purpose here, but these flaws, although of organization rather than of fact, detract enough from the book that I wouldn't really recommend it as a science title for younger readers. Those looking to reinforce the idea that science is a field that must always be open to new evidence are advised to look to Kudlinski's first title in this vein, while those looking for good books about the cosmos for this age group, will undoubtedly find titles such as Seymour Simon's Our Solar System helpful. show less

This is a fairly simple examination of how theories of the solar system have evolved over time. While there is nothing really out of the ordinary, it could be a nice introduction to younger readers, especially to show how science is based on evidence known at the time; as more is known, the related theories and ideas change with it. I particularly like how the author mentions that our ideas about the solar system will continue to change as we learn more about it (her example of Pluto likely show more will ring true for older readers). She also includes a succinct timeline at the end, which mentions specific names that were left out of the actual book. show less

Lively illustrations accompany historical anecdotes about what people used to think about what caused the weather - and what we've learned since. (On occasion, there's a nod to old wisdom, such as the phrase "red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight," which bears out.) The final pages shift from weather to climate, concluding, "Some people still think global warming is a myth. Boy, are they wrong!" Rather than ending on a down note, however, the last show more suggestion is, "Maybe when you grow up, you could be one of the scientists who makes us all say, 'Boy, were were wrong about the weather!'" Back matter includes a "time line for weather science" and two websites for more information (NASA and NOAA), but no index. show less