IT’S NOT MAGIC, IT’S SCIENCE!

Science lovers and would-be magicians will have a great time with this compendium of tricks based on scientific principles. All tricks use household items and with few exceptions can be successfully completed without adult assistance. For each project the author provides, “What you need,” “What to do” and “How it works.” “Eggs with Legs” demonstrates the Bernoulli Effect, moving an egg from one shot glass to another without touching it; “Bouncing Basketballs” explores Newton’s Laws of Motion; and a plastic milk bottle becomes an Air Cannon, or in scientific terms, a vortex generator. Some helpful tips for non-magicians too: To avoid a soda spray when opening a can that has been shaken, tap three times on the side of the can before opening. The pressurized co2 will rush to the top, and the soda will not spray out. Text boxes provide additional explanations of how things work; for example, “Eye Fooling” describes how human eyes and brains work together making tricks that fool the eye possible. Humorous drawings on every page extend the text and keep the reader turning pages. Good fun and good science. (glossary of scientific terms, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)