101 THINGS EVERY KID SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SCIENCE

by Samantha Beres ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1998

Most of the ocean floor is more than 6,560 feet deep. . . . Carbon is the most important element in living things. . . .The first computer took up a whole room."" Numbered from one to one hundred and one, science factoids are presented and explained in brief paragraphs, with emphasis on details such as how many, how much, how fast, how hot, and how far in an attempt to amuse and amaze readers: From meteorology and astronomy to technology, topics are grouped together under broad headings, with most space given to biology, botany, and zoology over chemistry, oceanography, evolution. Catchy headings, e.g., ""Mosses take a nap,"" do not always deliver; ""Rocks, gems and your teeth are crystals"" is a great teaser, but Beres never explains how teeth are crystals. Fun Facts appear in boxed insets throughout the text, and among the Einstein, Newton, and Galileo heavyweights in the brief biographies are a handful of women, such as Dian Fossey and Elizabeth Blackwell. Charts show planets and their moons or track time periods from Precambrian to Quaternary. There's something for everybody here, from Tsunami enthusiasts to stargazers, but they may not find what they're looking for. The index is far too general, and does not include scientists; the volume is less a research tool than a candidate for the browsers' shelf.

Pub Date: June 15, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Lowell House

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S