73 books like The Magic School Bus Presents

By Dan Green, Carolyn Bracken (illustrator),

Here are 73 books that The Magic School Bus Presents fans have personally recommended if you like The Magic School Bus Presents. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts

Steven Clark Cunningham Author Of Your Body Sick and Well: How Do You Know?

From my list on the body for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a doctor, perhaps because there were no doctors in my family, and I did not even realize that I wanted to (or could) go to medical school until I was almost done with college. Once I did realize this, however, it became immediately obvious to me that being a physician (a surgeon) was what I wanted to dedicate my life’s work to, and I have been passionate about it ever since. Probably the topics I am most passionate about after surgery are education, books, reading, poetry, etc., so this book lets both these passions dovetail beautifully!

Steven's book list on the body for children

Steven Clark Cunningham Why did Steven love this book?

I have read this book scores, if not hundreds, of times to my four kids when they were younger. Just like another favorite in this series, Everyone Poops, both the title and the contents remind and reassure us that we are not alone in our digestive functions of passing gas and pooping! Even though these are normal, they can cause anxiety, embarrassment, etc., but this book does a great job of making learning about digestion fun!

By Shinta Cho, Amanda Mayer Stinchecum (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Gas We Pass as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A reassuring and humorous title presents curious readers with a straightforward, relatable look at a natural body function, explaining how and why gas is produced and eliminated. Reprint.


Book cover of Todos Hacemos Caca

Steven Clark Cunningham Author Of Your Body Sick and Well: How Do You Know?

From my list on the body for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a doctor, perhaps because there were no doctors in my family, and I did not even realize that I wanted to (or could) go to medical school until I was almost done with college. Once I did realize this, however, it became immediately obvious to me that being a physician (a surgeon) was what I wanted to dedicate my life’s work to, and I have been passionate about it ever since. Probably the topics I am most passionate about after surgery are education, books, reading, poetry, etc., so this book lets both these passions dovetail beautifully!

Steven's book list on the body for children

Steven Clark Cunningham Why did Steven love this book?

Like The Gas We Pass, this book I read over and over with our kids, but we had the Spanish version, since our kids were raised bilingual (which is also partly why my first book, Dinosaur Name Poems/Poemas De Nombres De Dinosaurios was published as a bilingual (English/Spanish book). Maybe because it was the Spanish version of Todos Hacemos Caca that I read first, but whatever the reason, I have always liked it a little more than the English version (which is also great!).  

By Taro Gomi,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Todos Hacemos Caca as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 1, 2, 3, and 4.

What is this book about?

Shows how creatures throughout the animal world--including humans--deal with the products of digestion


Book cover of How Your Body Works

Steven Clark Cunningham Author Of Your Body Sick and Well: How Do You Know?

From my list on the body for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a doctor, perhaps because there were no doctors in my family, and I did not even realize that I wanted to (or could) go to medical school until I was almost done with college. Once I did realize this, however, it became immediately obvious to me that being a physician (a surgeon) was what I wanted to dedicate my life’s work to, and I have been passionate about it ever since. Probably the topics I am most passionate about after surgery are education, books, reading, poetry, etc., so this book lets both these passions dovetail beautifully!

Steven's book list on the body for children

Steven Clark Cunningham Why did Steven love this book?

I love the way this book so clearly explains the structure and function of the body (anatomy and physiology) functions with conceptually perspicuous illustrations. It’s remarkable how the clear and intuitive the schematic illustrations teach about the body. At first, I thought that I would not like it, since the organs are not shown in their natural appearances but instead as machines, but after reading it, I loved it.

By Judy Hindley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How Your Body Works as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

1984 Edition - New Never Sold - Some Shelf Wear - Excellent


Book cover of Uncover the Human Body

Steven Clark Cunningham Author Of Your Body Sick and Well: How Do You Know?

From my list on the body for children.

Why am I passionate about this?

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a doctor, perhaps because there were no doctors in my family, and I did not even realize that I wanted to (or could) go to medical school until I was almost done with college. Once I did realize this, however, it became immediately obvious to me that being a physician (a surgeon) was what I wanted to dedicate my life’s work to, and I have been passionate about it ever since. Probably the topics I am most passionate about after surgery are education, books, reading, poetry, etc., so this book lets both these passions dovetail beautifully!

Steven's book list on the body for children

Steven Clark Cunningham Why did Steven love this book?

The thing that I really like about this book is that it is literally built around a 3-D model of the body embedded in the center of the book, so that as you turn the pages, you uncover different layers of the body, since the model is built in layers, each attached to the board-book-style pages. So, opening the cover (the skin, as it were) of the book reveals a page on the dermal system, and the skeletal system, and as you turn the next page, the ribs come with the page to reveal some of the internal organs, and so on. 

By Luann Colombo, Craig Zuckerman (illustrator), Jennifer Fairman (illustrator) , J Max Steinmetz (illustrator)

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Uncover the Human Body as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

It is in very good condition. Seems to have been seldom played. It has normal wear associated with an item of its age


Book cover of Flights

Ted Pelton Author Of Malcolm & Jack: And Other Famous American Criminals

From my list on historical 2000s novels that aren’t all the same.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a professor of American literary history. Still, as an undergraduate, I studied with a charismatic, postmodern French-American fiction writer, Raymond Federman, who, in a theatrical accent, called me by my last name, “Pel-tone.” Atop the Kurt Vonnegut I’d read in high school that gave me my taste for crazy, socially-conscious novels that I have tried myself also to write, I imbibed the books Federman sent my way: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Italo Calvino, Samuel Beckett. In years since, I’ve championed innovative novels through my own small press, Starcherone Books. I am an artist whose greatest passion is discovering writing that makes me see in new ways.

Ted's book list on historical 2000s novels that aren’t all the same

Ted Pelton Why did Ted love this book?

What a breathtaking scope Tokarczuk gives us! This Polish novelist was new to me when I first picked this book up, but even though she won a Nobel Prize, I think she will be new to most U.S. readers.

This book begins as a meditation on travel and human movement, moving episodically through different fictional and historical plots, investigating sexualities, artificial humans, geographies, and the human compulsion not to sit still. But this just scratches the surface, as she has a kind of Garcia Márquez touch for identifying stories where bodies (both real and fake) exert their magic, even as the stories she tells are purportedly historical.

Did an 18th-century noblewoman during wartime smuggle a jar that contained Chopin’s heart in her undergarments? Tokarczuk answers: Is this so unbelievable? 

By Olga Tokarczuk, Jennifer Croft (translator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Flights as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE
 
WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST FOR TRANSLATED LITERATURE

A visionary work of fiction by "A writer on the level of W. G. Sebald" (Annie Proulx)

"A magnificent writer." — Svetlana Alexievich, Nobel Prize-winning author of Secondhand Time

"A beautifully fragmented look at man's longing for permanence.... Ambitious and complex." — Washington Post

From the incomparably original Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, Flights interweaves reflections on travel with an in-depth exploration of the human body, broaching life, death, motion, and migration. Chopin's heart is carried back to Warsaw in…


Book cover of The Good Gut: Taking Control of Your Weight, Your Mood, and Your Long-Term Health

Lindsay S. Nixon Author Of Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-And-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

From my list on vegan health.

Why am I passionate about this?

I first adopted a vegan diet for the animals and then shifted to a plant-based vegan "for my health" in my mid-20s. I felt fabulous for the next 10-15 years. Then, in my mid-30s, I suddenly developed severe and chronic GI symptoms. I was severely bloated, nauseous, and constipated, which didn't make sense given how much fiber I was eating. After diagnosis and treatment for H Pylori (a bacterial infection), I was left with a "broken belly" (severe dysbiosis). I've spent the last few years reading every book on gut health and hormones to learn how to heal myself since traditional medicine has failed me.

Lindsay's book list on vegan health

Lindsay S. Nixon Why did Lindsay love this book?

Best, most succinct, and comprehensive book I’ve read on the topic of gut health by far. It's also written in a friendly, conversational tone (not overly dry or academic). Things I like: The authors provide a specific daily fiber recommendation (29-35g minimum) for gut health; they discuss how antibiotics and antibiotic soap/cleaner affects microbes, the impacts of glycemic load and industrial flour, and most importantly: they provide evidence so the reader can draw their own conclusions as to what’s best for them diet-wise instead of using fear-mongering.

Note: This book is not "pure vegan" (the authors suggest dairy in some situations).

By Justin Sonnenburg, Erica Sonnenburg,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Good Gut as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The groundbreaking science behind the surprising source of good health

Stanford University's Justin and Erica Sonnenburg are pioneers in the most exciting and potentially transformative field of human health and wellness, the study of the relationship between our bodies and the trillions of organisms representing thousands of species to which our bodies play host, the microbes we call the microbiota. The Sonnenburgs argue that the microbiota determines in no small part whether we're sick or healthy, fit or obese, sunny or moody-and that the microbiota has always been with us, coevolving with humans and entwining its functions with ours. They…


Book cover of If Our Bodies Could Talk: Operating and Maintaining a Human Body

Tamara Duker Freuman Author Of The Bloated Belly Whisperer: A Nutritionist's Ultimate Guide to Beating Bloat and Improving Digestive Wellness

From my list on science books to make yourself health-fad proof.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an evidence-based dietitian who’s worked in gastroenterology practices for over a decade and have seen countless patients defrauded by modern-day snake oil salespeople and unqualified influencers trying to hawk fad diets, unregulated supplements, pseudoscientific lab tests, and more. Knowledge is power, and scientific literacy—understanding how our bodies actually work—is the best defense against being led down a harmful rabbit hole of health misinformation. I love popular science books, and I especially love it when people can write about science with humor and intelligence without ‘dumbing it down’ or oversimplifying; these books all meet that criteria!

Tamara's book list on science books to make yourself health-fad proof

Tamara Duker Freuman Why did Tamara love this book?

I first picked up this book years ago for the appeal of its short, science-based chapters took on novelty, quirky questions about why our bodies are so weird: why do we have dimples? Why do stomachs rumble? Why do men have nipples? What happens to weight when it’s lost? (Spoiler alert: you breathe it out!)

But Hamblin also takes on some more serious topics, the (mis)understanding of which is even more important in the era of COVID and social-media-fueled wellness culture: how do vaccines work? Can you really boost your immune system? Do probiotics work? What about multivitamins? Are we made to eat meat? What is gluten, anyway? What causes cancer? Hamblin’s humor, straight-talk and lack of any agenda to sell you anything but the state of the science is a refreshing balm in a world fueled with health disinformation that thrives on our lack of scientific knowledge.

By James Hamblin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked If Our Bodies Could Talk as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"If you want to understand the strange workings of the human body, and the future of medicine, you must read this illuminating, engaging book." —Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Gene

In 2014, James Hamblin launched a series of videos for The Atlantic called "If Our Bodies Could Talk."  With it, the doctor-turned-journalist established himself as a seriously entertaining authority in the field of health. Now, in illuminating and genuinely funny prose, Hamblin explores the human stories behind health questions that never seem to go away—and which tend to be mischaracterized and oversimplified by marketing and news media.  He covers topics…


Book cover of YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger

Allan & Barbara Pease Author Of The Answer: How to discover what you want from life then make it happen

From my list on living an extraordinary life.

Why are we passionate about this?

Barbara and Allan Pease are the most successful relationship authors in the business. They have written 18 bestsellers – including 10 number ones – and given seminars in 70 countries. Their books are bestsellers in over 100 countries, are translated into 55 languages, and have sold over 30 million copies. Both Barbara and Allan appear regularly in the media worldwide and their work has been the subject of 11 television series, four stage plays, and a number one box office movie and TV series, which attracted a combined audience of over 100 million.

Allan's book list on living an extraordinary life

Allan & Barbara Pease Why did Allan love this book?

Here is a fabulous and practical health book that puts you back in touch with how your incredible body works for you, not against you. Simple guidelines give you the confidence to separate myth from fact in the ever-increasing content about our bodies. Knowledge is power, and the most fundamental thing you can study is your own health and happiness.

By Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked YOU as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 bestseller that gives YOU complete control over your body and your health

With new health studies and advice bombarding us every day, few people know much about what chugs, churns, and thumps throughout the miraculous system that is the human anatomy.

YOU: The Owner's Manual challenges preconceived notions about how the human body works and ages, and takes you on a fascinating grand tour of all your blood-pumping, food-digesting, and numbers-remembering systems and organs—including the heart, brain, lungs, immune system, bones, and sensory organs.

In this updated and expanded edition, America's favorite doctors, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz,…


Book cover of Mind, Body and Immunity: How to Enhance Your Body's Natural Defences

Anthea Durand Author Of Illumination of the Shadow: Ancestral Wisdom from the past for the future

From my list on for spirituality and health.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have expertise in the area of spirituality and alternative health from working for over 20 years as a shamanic practitioner, spiritual teacher, and healer. I have travelled extensively and trained with many renowned teachers all over the world. I also provide ancestral healing and train students to be ancestral healers. Through my own healing journey, I have studied many healing and alternative approaches to wellness. I have studied extensively with plants and herbs. In 2020 I wrote my award-winning book Illumination of the Shadow, which explores ancestral healing. I have always had an interest in books in the mind, body, and spirit area, and read extensively in this area.

Anthea's book list on for spirituality and health

Anthea Durand Why did Anthea love this book?

This is a great book, which comprehensively explores the body's immune system. It provides great insights that I was not aware of the various factors that can cause the immunity to breakdown. It is full of information and is easy to read, yet very comprehensive on each area that is explored. I loved the individual exercises included in the book, for example around exploring how toxic your environment is and how this can affect your immunity, which provided great practical information for reflection

This book really helped me with my personal well-being. I am more aware of what can affect my immunity, and how I can live and eat better and enhance my natural defenses.

By Rachel Charles,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Mind, Body and Immunity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Based on the author's personal experience of fighting cancer, this study draws on current research in the area of immune efficiency and provides practical guidelines on planning and implementing an enhancement programme which concentrates on mind, emotions, diet and exercise. The author explores the connection between the onset of illness and emotional upsets, and explains how to deal with anger, stress and resentment through a series of visualization and relaxation techniques. She also examines the physiological and psychological effects of exercise, and outlines the "peak immunity" diet. The text includes information on other immune-deficient and auto-immune diseases, such as allergies,…


Book cover of Plucked: A History of Hair Removal

Elise Hu Author Of Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital

From my list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest and curiosity in this topic primarily came from life experience: not fitting in as a gangly Asian girl growing up in white suburbs and picked on for how I looked, working as a teen model in the late 1990s and early aughts, becoming a mother to three girls while opening up NPR’s first-ever bureau and living in Seoul, South Korea, the plastic surgery capital of the world. Ever since graduating from The University of Missouri-Columbia’s School of Journalism, I’ve been a professional journalist. Most of my career has been as an NPR correspondent, but I’ve also worked as a reporter for VICE and appeared in The Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, and numerous other publications.

Elise's book list on challenging beauty standards and diet culture

Elise Hu Why did Elise love this book?

Oh my goodness, this is the most surprisingly fascinating book I’ve ever picked up, because I originally thought, how much could there be to learn about body hair removal? Well, the answer is, a lot.

It is ostensibly all about the history of body hair and body hair removal, but really it’s about abuse, freedom, and bodily autonomy and so many other sweeping topics. It’s funny, it’s fast-paced, it’s full of tidbits I continue to share with friends at cocktail parties.

Without giving too much away, I will say that as we move into an era in scientific innovation where it’s easier than ever before to genetically modify ourselves and other creatures, Herzig’s book is so evergreen and relevant.

By Rebecca M. Herzig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Plucked as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Uncovers the history of hair removal practices and sheds light on the prolific culture of beauty
From the clamshell razors and homemade lye depilatories used in colonial America to the diode lasers and prescription pharmaceuticals available today, Americans have used a staggering array of tools to remove hair deemed unsightly, unnatural, or excessive. This is true especially for women and girls; conservative estimates indicate that 99% of American women have tried hair removal, and at least 85% regularly remove hair from their faces, armpits, legs, and bikini lines. How and when does hair become a problem-what makes some growth "excessive"?…


Book cover of The Gas We Pass: The Story of Farts
Book cover of Todos Hacemos Caca
Book cover of How Your Body Works

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the human body, human anatomy, and immune system?

The Human Body 49 books
Human Anatomy 12 books
Immune System 14 books