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Complicated and Amazing
Nurse Florence®, Tell Me About the Spleen follows three friends who, after learning about water filtration systems, want to know if the human body has a similar system. What do you find the most interesting about the spleen, making it a good topic to write about?
I love to write about human physiology. The body is very complicated and amazing. There seems to always be something to learn. Scientists are still discovering new things about how the human body functions, and it’s easy to be a lifelong learner with this topic. I thought discussing the spleen would be interesting for families since not everyone knows its purpose.
When writing the books in the Nurse Florence® series, how do you determine how in-depth to go into explaining concepts without overwhelming your younger readers but still providing enough information for a clear understanding of the topic?
You brought up one of the biggest challenges for me as the author of the series. I believe I have a gift of writing complex things into understandable units of information. My illustrators work very hard to create informative illustrations to complement the writing.
I love the Journal questions included at the story’s end. Have you considered adding other activities to future books to help further retention of the information?
We intend to create some activity books like word searches, connect the dots, and more in the future to supplement the series.
What topics are you planning next for Nurse Florence® to educate readers on, and when can your fans of the series expect a new book out?
We are planning about 500 books in the series to discuss all of the human physiology questions kids may have and diseases that may afflict families. We are publishing a new book about every 10 days. We have around 50 illustrators to support this project. Please visit www.nurseflorence.org for the latest information on the series and find a link to purchase the books directly from the printer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Nurse Florence®, Tell Me About the Spleen
There is no one better than the school nurse to answer questions about the human body and its functions. Jean, Condi, and Sonia know that very well. They enjoy their time sitting with Nurse Florence and discussing health and wellness. When Jean tells Condi and Sonia about her dad’s new water filtration system, the three girls are inspired to ask Nurse Florence about a similar system in the human body. Nurse Florence, always ready to educate her students, is more than happy to explain the role of the spleen in our immune systems.
Michael Dow has returned with another entertaining and informative addition to his series. In the newest installment, Nurse Florence®, Tell Me About the Spleen, Dow gives children an in-depth look at the spleen and its functions. The dialogue between Nurse Florence and the three girls is direct and accompanied by detailed illustrations, most of which are being shown to the girls via the Nurse’s cell phone. Dow and illustrator Jessica Foncannon have teamed up to hand readers a quick read with relatable characters and vivid drawings that will leave them well-informed about the lymphatic system.
While Jean, Condi, Sonia, and Nurse Florence lay the perfect framework for an age-appropriate explanation of complex medical concepts, I feel the dialogue was sometimes challenging to follow. A few of the exchanges between characters feature two speakers within a paragraph. As a teacher, I can see that some younger readers might find it difficult to discern who is speaking.
Nurse Florence®, Tell Me About the Spleen gives young readers and adults a medically accurate and accessible explanation of this important body part. Overall, Dow has again provided parents, teachers, and children a wealth of knowledge in a neatly wrapped package.
Pages: 65 | ISBN : 9781312226562
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