(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best science & nature books for children

Update:


Thank you all for your suggestions!! I bought a few of the ones mentioned here as well as some others. I went a little overboard, but I figure I can space out the gifts for later in the year, and some are for her little brother too.

1. Nancy Drew (1-5) I LOVED these when I was younger, they're such a classic and Nancy's take charge attitude taught me so much.
   
   
2. Little Pea (for her brother) A cute little kids book about a young pea who has to eat all of his candy for dinner, so he can have veggies for dessert! It's so charming and silly and is a fun reversal for kids who don't want to eat their veggies :)
   
   
3. The Planets in Our Solar System (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science) Thanks for the suggestion /u/tectonicus!
   
   
4. The Daring Book for Girls - a fun reference for knowledge and classic kids games, always ideas for fun stuff to do!
   
   
5. Getting To Know The World's Greatest Artists - These art history books for kids gave me such a decent foundation in art history that when I finally took it in college I got my first A+ at a university level. Not to mention, having that knowledge made my time at art museums for field trips and such so much more relevant as I grew up! Also, I give these books full credit for my success in Jeopardy studio auditions :)
   
   

• >Van Gogh
  
• >Monet
  
• >O'Keefe
  
• >Da Vinci
  
• >Rockwell
  
• 
  
  
  
  
  (She's French born, so I made sure to include some American artists in there too.)
  
  

6. The Paper Bag Princess - another one of my favorites that my dad used to read to me when I was younger. I loved it because when the Dragon strikes, it's the princess who has to outsmart him to save the bratty prince :)
   
   
7. The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System, and The Magic School Bus On The Ocean Floor. Classics! Thank you /u/tectonicus, /u/mariposamariposa, and /u/caemin!
   
   
8. The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak - couldn't tell too much about this one, but it's supposed to be very clever and leave a lot to the kid's imagination, fun to read out loud!
   
   
9. Annie Oakley: Young Markswoman (Childhood of Famous Americans). Another book I enjoyed as a girl about a young woman who who "broke the mold" - stepping outside of social boundaries and working hard at something she was incredibly talented at.
   
   
10. The Way Things Work - This one looks great!
    Thank you /u/mariposamariposa, and /u/moration!
    
    
    Edit: For the commenters saying I should just give her princess stuff if that's what she likes - I have and will continue to. This year I spent over 100 hours making her an Elsa from Frozen dress for her birthday. This should be proof enough that I encourage and share her enthusiasm. http://imgur.com/a/ga9DQ

Outside of natural history museums you're mostly going to find paleontologists at work in universities and at fossil sites. There isn't much for someone to do watching a researcher work on a fossil at a university. As someone who does it every day...it's mostly working on computers. Some sites do public digs. However, he's very young to be able to gain access to sites, so it depends on their proximity to areas open to the public.

I don't know the area very well, but there are a few sites that are fairly well known. Have you heard of Sharktooth Hill? They have public digs. I think that would be something he'd have to do in a few years. When I did work at fossil digs that were open to the public there were minimum ages for liability and insurance purposes. It also looks like they allow volunteers in the prep lab, so that's something to keep in mind.

The Page Museum (at La Brea) has a fishbowl lab where people are preparing fossils. Outside in Hancock Park are the tar pits themselves. These are places you're probably familiar with.

You have a few age-appropriate options:

• You mention local museums (and you have a bunch, which is really cool). Have you just been visiting or have you looked into all of the events that go on? You could join a museum you guys love and participate in the special programs. A lot of these museums have great summer programs that go beyond just visiting the exhibits. They often have special events for National Fossil Day and Darwin day that are really fun, or movie nights where they'll discuss the science of the movie. I did events like that alongside curators and other researchers, so they can definitely be opportunities for interactions. He's getting to be the age where these programs are perfect, and I really think they're your best bet. There are often guest talks as well if he can sit through something like that. The Page Museum even says:
  
  > Mark your calendars for October 12 and come to the Page Museum! We will be celebrating fossils found right here at the La Brea Tar Pits as well as specimens collected by NHM scientists across the globe. This is your chance to get up close to real fossils, talk with our scientists, and become amazed by the variety of fossil discoveries to date. The event is Free and open to the public.
  
  
• Get him outside so he can see geology in action, even if they're not fossil digs. This site has recommendations for paleo stuff in Southern California. Anza Borrego looks like a great place to go. Look into some paleontology and geology books for kids (like this, this, and this) and tie them to the what you see outside. This is more about the process of observing and learning about the world. It's about seeking to explain things. He's probably extremely curious and inquisitive and would do well with things like this. Other state parks or public lands in the region may have trails and visitors centers. You're definitely in an area where there are fossils!

This might be a completely crazy idea, but...since he's clearly smart and enjoys learning, maybe teach him some basic neuroscience? Explain that there are parts of his brain that make him feel his feelings (limbic system), and other parts of his brain that help him stay in control (prefrontal cortex). Explain that as kids grow up, their prefontal cortex gets bigger and stronger so they get better at managing big feelings. Explain that he can help his prefrontal cortex get bigger and stronger by practicing calming himself down when he feels big feelings. He's actually growing his brain every time he practices! (This is more or less true, though it's more about neural connections than brain volume, and obviously there are some developmental limits on what a 4-year-old brain is capable of). Anyway, just thinking this might help motivate him to try a bit more self-regulation, and help him feel less out of control if he understands a bit better what's going on in his own brain. There are some great neuroscience books for kids out there (aimed at slightly older kids, but shouldn't be a problem for your kiddo) such as The Adventures of Your Brain and Your Fantastic Elastic Brain. My First Book about the Brain is another good one in coloring book form.

Helping him become more in tune with his body so he can recognize when he's starting to ramp up might also be helpful. Listening to My Body or Visiting Feelings might help with this. He might also really relate to the story Sometimes I'm Bombaloo. Once he's able to recognize when he's getting wound up, help him redirect that energy/emotion into more appropriate outlets. Maybe encourage him to run around outside, or do jumping jacks, or stomp his feet. You might look into sensory-based activities; this book looks like it might be helpful. Ask him what his body feels like it wants to do, and help him find a way to do that safety/appropriately (e.g. if he wants to destroy something, have him knock down block towers or rip up paper). You could also try calming strategies like deep breathing, yoga, or other mindfulness activities - there are some great apps for that such as Stop Breathe & Think Kids and Super Stretch Yoga, or books such as Breathe Like a Bear and My Magic Breath. He might especially relate to The Lemonade Hurricane. The Mindful Kids activity cards are great too.

Hope something in there is helpful - best of luck to you and your son!

I -loved- my 5th grade science teacher. I thought she was awesome, I thought science was awesome, and I thought learning about everything was awesome.

One day, we were talking about birds, and peregrine falcons came up. I fucking love peregrine falcons. I think they look awesome and badass. And I had a book that I fucking loved reading. I forget the title, but it was something about comparisons, where it showed all of the largest contrasts in the universe --the slowest and fastest of the animals, birds, planes, cars, trains, etc; the smallest and largest animals, buildings, planets, galaxies, countries, land formations, etc. So when my 5th grade science teacher, whom I adored for her enthusiasm for science and all things nature, told us about peregrine falcons and how they can dive up to 200 miles per hour, I eagerly raised my hand, excited to contribute to the conversation and let everyone know of the awesome fact I knew from my book. "Actually, peregrine falcons have been clocked at up to 217 miles per hour!"

She just looked at me and her face fell into this annoyed glare. "Well, I was just giving a rough estimate. Not everyone knows or wants to know the exact statistic, Nick -- it doesn't really matter."

I was silent the rest of the day. My interpretation then and now is that she felt one-upped by me -- that a student knew something she didn't, and she felt that I was rubbing it in her face. If I came off that way, I didn't mean to. I was just excited to share what I knew. Se shot down my enthusiasm and cut my confidence and excitement to the floor. She never realized what she did, but my respect for the woman to this day is pretty low after that class. You should never kill a child's thirst for knowledge like that. If I was disrupting the class in some way, take me aside after class and explain that while it is great to know these sorts of things, there isn't enough time to cover all of it. Don't crush a kid's excitement.


edit: I found the book! "Incredible Comparisons": http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Comparisons-Stephen-Biesty/dp/0789410095

Stembox seems cool, although I haven't had the budget for it (the price is not unreasonable).



That said... I find most of my science ideas on Pinterest and YouTube. (scishow and scishow kids, veritaseum, how it's made, etc. Also vi hart's doodling in math class thing about phi and plants).

We are usually learning more in depth about something that we encountered in real life, trying to solve a problem, or learning more about the underlying reasoning and mechanics behind something.

One thing that I would like to say is that making something "for girls" is a slippery slope. Remember that girls are diverse and three dimensional. We are not split up into fashion lovers, pet lovers, tomboys/sports lovers, geeks, and family focused.... You can, and do, find all those in the same kid. Wonder Woman, for example, resonates because she is three dimensional: good at sports, smart to the point of being geeky (reads teaching stuff for fun), enjoys dressing pretty, and loves babies.

I think Goldie Blox really screwed up their idea to engage girls, by having cool mechanical stuff and then wanting to make cutesy rhyming books that do not adequately explain the methodology and usage of their kits.

For example,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/155453707X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ZYMvzbT1XC61M this is the best book, and https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkmP5w6G4UM_N1uXdIATJ3BfXVcPHoXhf these are great videos about simple machines like ramps and levers.

Something at this level that helps kids understand the the concepts all the way at the basic level, then applied into a project for the box (say it's about levers: make a catapult, then make changes based on this info that help it to shoot farther), then explained into some situations that you might experience (building a pillow fort [https://youtu.be/iPZEwqkY5TQ] riding a seesaw with a smaller friend, lifting something to move it), allows them to engage with the project emotionally and be able to apply it to every leverage situation that they come up with later in life.

Same would apply for other fields, although those aren't as easy to provide glib examples for in a reddit comment.

In my experience, girls tend to be more socially oriented, not meaning more EXTRAVERTED, but thinking about how things they encounter will fit into situations with other people. They are more likely to be enthusiastic about something cute (eg puss in boots' sad face, fuzzy baby things etc), which boys usually like but won't necessarily get excited about. Lego did market research and found that girls are more concerned than boys with the appearance of something, specifically making sure that the pieces match and looking for symmetry, than boys are. The girls' fine motor skills develop faster/earlier, while their spatial reasoning skills lag a little - so maybe when building a kit, to ensure girls stay engaged, show things from multiple angles.

So some concrete ideas:

• Don't just show an abstract 2D diagram, but also a photo or 3D representation of the thing.
  
• Have both cute (a kitten) and icky things (a germ or a monster) in the margins, making helpful comments.
  
• If you provide decoration materials for a finished product, include twice as much so it can be twice as fancy, or they can decorate something else to match.
  
• Make an effort to color coordinate the pieces. All shades of the same color, like a paint swatch, is a good bet. (maybe keep it to no more than 3 complementary colors per kit - 2 bold and one light/pastel)
  
• Be sure to include descriptions of how this item can be used to connect to the world around them, particularly for conflict resolution and being helpful or supportive.
  
• Don't just provide a project and tell why that exact set of steps works, but ensure that the underlying concept will be understood well enough to apply it to other situations.
  
  Hope this is helpful.

I've been a lurker on space for a long time, but I saw this and I crated an account to post. I have four kids, the three oldest are daughters. My four year old loves space and science. She amazes me at being able to understand big concepts like this. I think the tools posted here might be a little overkill for that age though. Everyone learns differently, but for my four year old I have been able to explain concepts like this by relating to objects she understands (small ants vs us vs planet vs stars for example).

Do you have a local planetarium? She LOVES going, and our local one has a kids program that touches on scale and basic physics. She also loves watching Cosmos (although she has trouble making it through an entire episode in one sitting). She has figured out a good amount of topics like this on her own from video. I also read to her a book from time to time AmazonLink This book has mixed reviews, but it has worked for us and definitely paints a picture of scale in different parts.

I hope this helps and good luck! I was very excited to have one of my kids so interested in space. I just try and keep it as fun as possible.

Hello :-)

Do you have any programming experience? At 11 a bit of guiding is probably required.

While some things can be programmed with a tablet, perhaps even with a graphical / block-based command interface, a "real" computer will be much more versatile. Even a ten year old computer for $20 will be capable of running the tools required. The learning curve might be a bit more steep, but in the long run it will be more flexible to develop own ideas.

There are tons of robot kits; Some are more or less mechanical sets that will run after assembling them.
Then there are simpler electronic kits, e.g. analog circuit line followers. These kits will have limited learning effect, as she won't be able to create own logic, behavior.

Other kits with modules are really nice, e.g. Mindstorms, or one of the Kickstarter projects with modular robot components, but these are rather expensive and that can limit creativity as well.



There's an Arduino Scifi book with very mixed ratings (I read through parts of it, the concept is nice, but it's a bit cheesy), and then there's Sylvia's Arduino guide.

There are also wearables (e.g. Sew Electric; Lilypad), which can be nice.

I am currently working with students age 10 to 17, and I am building simple 2wd robots with them ($8-$9 at Aliexpress). When ordering overseas you can get the micro-controller board, sensor, motor driver and the 2wd chassis for under $15 total. It can be programmed in the Arduino IDE or using a graphical interface (Ardublock, Scratch...). I've posted a part list over there the other day, it's rather simple to connect. It requires only 10 lines of code (or six Ardublock-blocks) to get the robot running and avoiding obstacles.

At the end, it depends a bit on your budget and what you are trying to achieve. For a larger budget with a polished robot kit, instructions and using just a tablet, a Mindstorm or similar kit will be the way to go.

If you have some programming experience yourself, pick up the Arduino robot parts, a book, a part kit 1 2

Most books/tutorials use these components (For example: 1 2 3 [4](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYutciIGBqC34bfijBdYch49oyU-B_ttH
) 5 6), they are more or less standard. On the Arduino site or on instructables, examples for each part can be found.

While most guides mention a few basics about circuits, a bit more in-depth knowledge is beneficial :-)

• "Getting started in Electronics" (kid-friendly and very intuitive, drawings, experiments, circuits; Great for beginners of all ages)
  
  
• or "Practical electronics for inventors" (more in-depth and background information)
  
  While most things can be made using wireless breadboards and connectors, a soldering iron is always a good idea :-) A good guide makes it easy and fun, and sometimes you don't get around it (e.g. repairing something or soldering two wires to the motor tabs).
  
  A multimeter to check connections, battery voltage, sensors and such can reduce headaches, and is great for reading resistor values the lazy way :-) A cheap $3 multimeter will do for low-current & low-voltage tasks, but are dangerous around mains. There are also part testers for $10 which can be useful for beginners. Plug a random capacitor, transistor, resitor, LED into the slots, and it will tell you what pin does what, what value the part has, and so on.

I am not a parent yet but I was a very well informed child and work with children daily/child psychology major so I could possibly help!

For one I'd like to thank you for not pretending as if these things don't exist. I see so many parents wait to have "talks" or provide resources to their child, and sometimes it's too late. Girls can start menstruating as early as 7, they should be informed!

By the time I was 4 I wanted to be an OBGYN. This has changed quite a bit since then (still with children in mind, just couldn't get math), but my obsession with human anatomy, sex and how babies are made was huge.

So anyway, as to some resources, my mom gave me the "The Care and Keeping of You" , which was an American Girl book that covered everything from menstruation, to good hygiene practices, body hair and more. Even though it is out of date, I think it could still be a good resource.

I want to say that I had this book as well, but I can't entirely remember. A lot of the books I had were about general bodies or specifically about pregnancy. But it looks like something along the lines that you are interested in! This one also looks fun.

They do have some more kid friendly versions, but the ones I saw looked like they were for a younger crowd (maybe 3-6), if you are interested in these just search "childrens anatomy book"!

As for how to take it from an educational level - answer her questions and make yourself available to her. If she asks stuff that is a little too complex or maybe not quite age appropriate, let her know that. But not in a "I'll tell you when you are older" way, but in a way that reminds her that she just doesn't need that information yet. But this is basically up to your own personal boundaries.

I hope this helps!

Self Improvement:

1. Tell me about it. In my 20's, I ate everything under the sun and could barely maintain. Around 35, that shit ended. I did keto to lose it, but now eat a low-carb diet to keep it off. How are your cooking skills? What eating habits do you think are hindering your goals? Mine was beer and late-night carb snacking.
   
   
2. What stopped? I'm guessing a combination of stress, depression and too much fucking life! Something else, maybe?
   
   
3. Ooooh! What did you create before? Sounds interesting!
   
   
   Stuff for your daughter:
   
   
4. A walk before or after dinner. Every day. Teach her to observe. The birds and bugs. The spray paint markings on the street. See a plane in the sky? Ask her where she thinks it is going. Ask her why she thinks the leaves on the tree are changing color and falling off. It is a great chance to bond with her and help her learn (and for you to learn from here). It also helps with your first self-improvement item. During our walks, we end up playing tag, sumo wrestling (she wins a lot), a stripped-down fartlek (you might call them Indian runs), or her invention--running while holding hands. She loves these games and it gets my ass out of a chair. Again, the bonding time is unmatched.
   
   
5. Temper your expectations here. I say do it with gusto, but know that you will need tough skin if the PTA is mostly moms. They will see you as an intruder (as they do with most men in early education). I'm not one bit saying not to do it. Just know that you'll have to be extra tough and persistent. I would suggest also joining a dad's group. It's a good way for you to meet other motivated dads and learn additional dadcraft skills. PM me if you're having a hard time finding one in your area.
   
   
6. 4-5 books a night. This is the best damn thing you can do for your daughter. Your local library is awesome. Don't forget that they can order other books from other neighboring libraries. We have dealth with death (The Fall of Freddie the Leaf, When Dinosaurs Die), potty training (Potty), divorce (Two Homes), science (Baby Loves Thermodynamics or Scientist Scientist), anatomy (Contemplating Your Belly Button), personal conduct (any of the Toddler Tools books from Free Spirit Publishing). I also throw one Dad book in each night like Kisses for Daddy, Grizzly Dad, Daddy Cuddles, Because I'm Your Dad and others. The DC Superheroes Character Education series is pretty nice. It also helps your bond with your daughter along with improving her reading skills.

Any books in the Dorling Kindersley series are great.

http://www.amazon.ca/Science-Encyclopedia-Dorling-JOANNA-Kindersley/dp/0756642965/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634566&sr=1-2

www.amazon.ca/Dorling-Kindersley-Science-Encyclopedia/dp/0751356417/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634566&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.ca/Cool-Stuff-Exploded-Dorling-Kindersley/dp/0756673267/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634605&sr=1-1

Any other books with exploded views are great.

More for when they're older but these books were amazing when I was a kid:

http://www.amazon.ca/Handy-Science-Answer-Book/dp/1578593212/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634709&sr=1-2

Horrible science books are great too:

http://www.amazon.ca/Horrible-Science-Blood-Bones-Body/dp/0545993245/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634757&sr=1-4

Big book of experiments are fun because you can read about them together at night and do them the next day. Definitely gets kids excited to do science and puts it in their head a little longer:

http://www.amazon.ca/Great-Science-Experiments-Dorling-Kindersley/dp/0756619181/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332634816&sr=1-1

There are bunch of other great resources too but I always found the best types of books are ones that are either very pictorial and visual, or ones that break complex subjects down into quick question and answer blocks. It's a great opportunity to learn, and to learn how to read, which I personally believe is the biggest key to being a great learner later in life.

The best thing you can do to encourage your niece's interest in geology is to get outside and do geology! Identifying rocks, looking for fossils, and seeing cool geologic features are great ways to encourage learning. Check national and state parks in your area to find opportunities!

This may seem intimidating, but there are a number of resources that you and your niece can use to help. There are a few books on Amazon that would be pretty helpful. Here's a link to one!

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, and Rough (Amazing Science) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1404803343/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ucikyb6Z2WCMV


Things like geodes and rock/mineral kits are great ways for your niece to explore Geology at home as well! The best part about Geology is seeing and touching it. That's true for children and adults!

Some of this is obvious, but anyway here goes:

Try to let her run around the airports before boarding so she can use up some energy. Prepare for lots of walking up and down the aisles. Bring a snack/drink for all the takeoff/landings since swallowing will help her ears pop. Obviously, bring all her favorite books/toys (size permitting). In addition, in the coming weeks maybe get a new airplane/airport-related book so you can teach her a bunch of relevant words in advance. We like this one a lot. If you have a window seat, you may get lucky and find her totally entranced by the outside. My kid at 16 months just kept staring out the window, between trips up and down the aisle. Consider some phone/tablet apps, even if she normally gets no screen time. Noisemaker apps are great (with headphones...): Like a Xylophone app, drums, and Bebot is pretty cool. Does she have her own seat? Encourage her to climb up and down it, explore underneath, etc... it will tire her out without requiring much from you. Play games like hiding under a blanket, or peekaboo with any friendly people in seats behind/in front of you.

Beautiful. Did you ever read The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie De Poala? That was one of my favorite books growing up. I loved the illustrations.

Dude, I own this book. A catapult is nothing more than a ballistic device that is able to launch projectiles a long distance without the use of explosives. Hence why a trebuchet is a type of catapult. Just look at the title: "The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery"

So when people say "a trebuchet is better than a catapult" you're effectively saying "a catapult is better than a catapult," which... is odd.

Also, check out "The Manga Guide to Physics". I was actually able to check it out today at Barnes & Noble and was pleased with it.

For pleasure:

• The Disappearing Spoon
  
• Periodic Tales
  
• Stuff Matters
  
• Molecules of Murder
  
• The Elements of Murder
  
• The Elements
  
• Molecules
  
• Molecules that Changed the World
  
• The Chemistry Book
  
  Undergraduate
  
  
• Organic:
  Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, The art of writing reasonable organic reaction mechanisms
  
  
• Inorganic: Inorganic Chemistry, Molecular Symmetry and Group Theory
  
  
• Analytical: Principles of Instrumental Anlsysis, Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry
  
  Graduate
  
  
• Organic: Advanced Practical Organic Chemistry, March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, Greene's Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, Purification of Laboratory Chemicals, Strategic Applications of Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis
  
• Inorganic: Advanced Inorganic Chemistry

I'd recommend two books, The art of the Catapult and The Big Book of Catapult and Trebuchet Plans.

That should at least get you started.

/squees at Miss Piranha Pants

The first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) are actually the Torah so you technically have that. If you want another book that is specifically the Torah, here's one.

If the Twin Terrors are anti-Catholic, Tomie dePaola does some very nice books on saints.

If you want Celtic tales, this one looks cool.

Some Native-American tales are here and here.

You mean like the "Manga guide to..." series? https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Physics-Hideo-Nitta/dp/1593271964

I like Theodore Gray's books, such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/Molecules-Architecture-Everything-Theodore-Gray/dp/1579129714
He also has books on elements and reactions.

manga guide to physics: http://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Physics-Hideo-Nitta/dp/1593271964

The Manga guide to Physics

You can check out books such as these
http://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Physics-Hideo-Nitta/dp/1593271964/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321678461&sr=8-1

They cover a lot of other subjects too.

This actually is a thing.

I saw a ton of these books in a bookstore a few years ago.

Here's another

The Manga Guide to Relativity?


The Manga Guide to Physics?

https://www.amazon.com/Manga-Guide-Physics-Hideo-Nitta/dp/1593271964

> physics

Is this worth a shot?

Donno about toddlers, but there is a Manga.

I have the database one, it's actually a fairly informative series. My wife actually was able to describe quite a bit about DBs and normalization and knew nothing at all prior to reading it.

The current definition only has one citation: The art of the catapult: build Greek ballista, Roman onagers, English trebuchets, and more ancient artillery by William Gurstelle (2004). If you find a different definition from another reliable source, I would strongly suggest that you go on the article's talk page and start a new discussion. Consensus can change, especially when backed by good references.

I had a quick look at various online dictionaries and found many different definitions, some of which are mentioning tension/torsion, others only talking about throwing stuff. The book cited also doesn't appear to be terribly authoritative to me, so I don't think it would require extraordinary efforts to change the definition.

You can of course be bold and edit the Catapult article directly, change the definition and include your (reliable) references. However, you'll need an account that is at least 4 days old and has more than 10 edits. Both the catapult and trebuchet articles are currently semi-protected because of frequent vandalism.

I would however recommend against this kind of unilateral change since this definition has been in use in the article for about 10 years. It doesn't mean that it is correct, but you will face resistance.

You should never hesitate to use an article's talk page to ask questions or propose changes, as long as you remember that they are not forums and should only be used to discuss the article's content.

One of the books that stuck out most from story time in elementary school The Legend of the Bluebonnet