A breezy, accessible collection of science projects that will appeal to both middle-grade science enthusiasts and less-motivated students. Projects are inspired by entries from sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students in the Discovery Young Science Challenge, and young contributors are acknowledged in the forward. This is a page-turner, with boxes of odd and intriguing information, a lighthearted style, and cartoon drawings. The author begins with a discussion of the scientific method that will have readers laughing and learning. Step 1, according to the author, is curiosity; he outlines a variety of situations and gives the curious response. For instance, “Your little baby cousin tastes some foods and then throws them across the kitchen. One possible response: Always wear a plastic smock while visiting. The curious response: Wonder which tastes babies really like.” There are over 20 projects; most use ordinary products and are based on everyday events, such as wondering which breakfast cereals stay un-soggy longest or which fabric is the best to wear in hot weather. Each project includes the idea, title, question to be answered, hypothesis, procedure, conclusion, and what it means in the real world. At the end, the author provides the titles of 101 actual projects that won awards in school, regional, and national science-fair competitions. With titles like “The Physics of Cheating at Baseball” and “Are Hot Dogs as Safe as You Think?,” readers will look forward to creating better science adventures. A winner. (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2002
ISBN: 0-525-46534-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2002
Remarking that ``nothing about the weather is very simple,'' Simon goes on to describe how the sun, atmosphere, earth's rotation, ground cover, altitude, pollution, and other factors influence it; briefly, he also tells how weather balloons gather information. Even for this outstanding author, it's a tough, complex topic, and he's not entirely successful in simplifying it; moreover, the import of the striking uncaptioned color photos here isn't always clear. One passage—``Cumulus clouds sometimes build up into towering masses called cumulus congestus, or swelling cumulus, which may turn into cumulonimbus clouds''—is superimposed on a blue-gray, cloud-covered landscape. But which kind of clouds are these? Another photo, in blue-black and white, shows what might be precipitation in the upper atmosphere, or rain falling on a darkened landscape, or...? Generally competent and certainly attractive, but not Simon's best. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-10546-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
A beautiful conservation story told in a rich setting and peopled with memorable characters.
Unlike the rest of her nature-obsessed family, Louisa wants to be a musician, not a biologist.
But when Louisa’s mother finds out that the Australian government is about to destroy the Tasmanian rainforest camp their family has managed for decades, she insists that Louisa leave Toronto and spend the summer on the strange, small island with her even stranger uncle Ruff. But when Uncle Ruff gives Louisa a copy of her great-grandmother’s journal, Louisa becomes fascinated with her family’s history of secretly protecting endangered species, including the mysterious Tasmanian tiger, widely regarded as extinct. With the help of her new friend and neighbor Colin—a boy who has autism spectrum disorder—Louisa deepens her connection with her family’s land, with history, and with her love of music. Kadarusman masterfully creates a lush, magical world where issues associated with conservation, neurodiversity, and history intersect in surprising and authentic ways. The book’s small cast of characters (principals seem all White) is well drawn and endearing. Crucially, the author acknowledges the original, Indigenous inhabitants of the land as experts, something rarely seen in books about environmental degradation. Louisa’s narratorial voice strikes the right balance of curiosity, timidity, and growing confidence, and her character’s transformation feels both incredibly natural and incredibly rewarding to behold.
A beautiful conservation story told in a rich setting and peopled with memorable characters. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77278-054-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Pajama Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020
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