If you think scientific experimentation is methodical and perhaps just a little bit dull, this book is going to light your Bunsen burner. The author’s novel approach to science encourages learning through such activities as building a Giant Air Cannon or creating Marshmallows on Steroids. Kids can do these experiments with everyday items such as CDs, straws and paper towel tubes. Instead of offering formal hypotheses, the author gives “scientific excuses” for having some safe, irresponsible fun. (Ample notice is given if adult assistance or safety gear is required.)
Parents might remember her as Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years, but now Danica McKellar is all grown up and has taken a much different path than most Hollywood starlets—she’s a math genius! Kiss My Math, the follow-up to McKellar’s first book, Math Doesn’t Suck, features comparisons between variables and blind dates, as well as personality quizzes and nerve-taming test techniques. This relatable, fun book throws pi in the face of nerd stereotypes and encourages girls to embrace their inner math mavens.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you might have trouble coming up with enough sentences to match the number of photos in this 300-page book. This one-volume encyclopedia lets the images do the talking about nature, the human body, science, art, technology and space, to name just a few topics. The publisher describes it as a “museum, search engine and the world’s biggest garage sale rolled into one.”
Does the periodic table have personality? Definitely. Even for kids not taking chemistry, learning about elements such as gold, iron and oxygen in the form of colorful characters can spark a reaction to read the whole book in one sitting. Your child may even find herself comparing her own personality with the descriptions of the elements. Does she most resemble platinum (good taste), or is calcium (hard-headed) closer to the truth? Beware of sulfur: the book may lead you to believe he is sweet natured, but he tends to unleash some sour smells. Basher’s artwork captures the essence of each element’s characteristics, which might just entice young minds to remember them.
What if Napoleon had you listed as one of his top eight friends, or Captain Cook blogged about his voyage to the South Pacific? This book covers 3,500 years of world history as they might have been reported in such modern communication formats as newscasts, blogs, comic strips and interviews. The facts are all there, along with the people and events, but the innovative presentation truly brings them to life.
