THE OPTICS BOOK

A clever and informative book for budding scientists interested in the field of optics, the science that studies light, vision, and optical instruments. This manual of “fun” experiments begins with a note to parents and teachers, then moves on to safety tips, then a list of materials needed for the experiments that explore the properties of light and color: light rays and reflection, the speed of light and refraction, polarization, and more. More valuable than the activities are the diagrams and explanations, including follow-up sections called “What Happened.” Levine and Johnstone also aptly present an analysis of various optical instruments, including the radiometer, periscopes, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, etc. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)