DATA MADE FUN FOR KIDS

Devshree Golecha and her 10-year-old daughter Kiara Golecha offer a brief, colorful explanation of data science for young readers.

In their nonfiction debut, the Golechas make Kiara (and her two dogs) the focal point of a short, extensively illustrated guide for teaching kids how to visualize and analyze “big data,” which “helps scientists find cures for diseases, lets companies create better products, and enables cities to plan for a brighter future.” To help younger readers unlock this “treasure chest of knowledge,” the authors, in a series of brief chapters full of charts and bulleted points, lead readers through some of the basic data skills, including how to interpret data averages like mean and median and how to spot patterns and make predictions based on data habits or trends. Concepts like the range visible in any given data set or the nature of outliers to that data are explained using a combination of text, pictures, and charts. Every chapter includes activities designed to help both students and teachers in addition to prompts for “reflection and conclusion” aimed at bringing the whole picture into sharper focus. “Data science is like a magical key that unlocks secrets hidden in numbers and information,” the Golechas write, and the joyful energy of this book actually has a magical feeling. The sheer enthusiasm for the adventure that unfolds in these pages is infectious, and it serves very effectively to demystify the charts and numbers the text includes. The choice to reiterate at regular intervals the importance of data in our modern world is a wise one, guaranteeing that young readers won’t lose interest when the going gets more technical. Touching on everything from scores to statistics, this book does an excellent job of making data exciting.

A warm and thoroughly inviting children’s introduction to understanding data.