Here are experiments one hopes children will practice at someone else’s house. Even with clearly laid out Lab Rules—“Clean all your materials after you use them” and “Never pour a polymer or slime concoction down a drain”—there are bound to be some messy mishaps. “Soda slobber” creates great gobs of cola foam that “bubble up and out and all over the place.” “Bubbles that Bounce,” made with syrup, will leave a sticky reminder wherever they pop. And a chemistry-enhanced “Water Bomb,” made with vinegar, baking soda and a zip-lock sandwich bag could be painful if mishandled. It’s not enough to say in the text, “Don’t get the concoction in your eyes,” when the accompanying drawing shows the exploded bomb drenching an unsuspecting teen who was quietly reading. Despite these concerns, these experiments make chemistry interesting and fun and there are some neat recipes for making polymers like “Snot for Everyone,” made with gelatin, “Moo-vable Milk,” made with vinegar and milk, and “Clean Green Slime,” made with white glue and borax. Illustrations throughout are colorful and humorous, but all practitioners should be shown wearing safety goggles and gloves. Recommended with reservations. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: May 13, 2005
ISBN: 1-57990-620-6
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Sterling
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2005
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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This clear, detailed explanation demonstrates that we know about climate change through research by scientists and students at home and in the field—patient observation and investigations that lead to information about Earth’s climate history. Environmentalist Cherry collaborates with photojournalist Braasch to distill the information in the latter’s adult Earth under Fire (2007), adding examples of young people whose participation in citizen science projects through their schools supports the ongoing work of documenting these changes. The topically organized text is informative and accessible, explicit in its message, positive in tone and particularly useful in its broad array of examples and suggestions for student involvement in both inquiry and solutions. Numerous small photographs show children and adults around the world, a wide range of affected wildlife and effects of climate change on the landscape. A lengthy “Resources” section includes both books and a variety of information and action sources with Internet addresses. The scientists whose work is described are listed in a separate index, identified by position. A must for school libraries, and science teachers may want copies of their own. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-58469-103-7
Page Count: 66
Publisher: Dawn Publications
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2008
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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An installment in the Information Revolution series provides an overview of current and predicted advances in technology as applied to the entertainment field. Oleksy (see above) attempts to cover the latest innovations in television, movies, video games, the Internet, music, sports, and radio. The book is written in the style of an extended newsmagazine article, complete with pull quotes, man-in-the-street comments, and poll results, and is unlikely to attract youthful browsers. Dedicated techies will find little that is new and may be annoyed by inaccuracies, e.g., it has been a long time since 40 megabytes was ``more than the entire storage system of most home computers.'' With a combination of current information that will soon be dated in the fast-moving world of technology and some mild predictions, this seems headed for a short shelf life. (b&w photos, index, not seen, glossary, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-8160-3077-4
Page Count: 118
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 20, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1995
Categories: TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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