Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4-7. From the publisher'sids Can! Book series, this introduces chemistry to children in an unintimidating, sometimes entertaining text, illustrated with black-and-white, cartoon-style drawings. Brandolini explains the periodic table and presents hands-on activities such as making slime, testing foods for starch content, and observing the release of carbon dioxide in a yeast-sugar solution. She also includes stories of discoveries, applications of chemistry, and ideas for science-fair projects. Readers will find a great deal of accessible information here, but the material, presentation, and vocabulary are more difficult than they might initially expect. For example, the term ion is introduced and used early in the book, but it is not clearly defined until later. Still, this is one of the few books that attempt to present the fundamentals of chemistry to children. --Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-This book begins with an introduction to the elements and an explanation of the periodic table. The following chapters describe the different columns, or families, of the periodic table from the alkali metals to the actinides, presenting information about certain elements. Boxed areas provide each element's symbol, number, mass, and brief details about its discovery. Related experiments appear throughout. While they are illustrative and simple, many of the projects, such as making slime and using iodine to identify starchy foods, will be familiar to students and educators. Ideas for making the activities appropriate for science fairs are also included. Sidebars highlight interesting facts, and useful pronunciation guides help with difficult words. Humorous black-and-white cartoons and photographs add to the busy layout. While the visual presentation will appeal to primary graders, the reading level and content is more suited to middle school students. Still, this would be a solid addition for teachers with a chemistry curriculum, as well as for youngsters seeking information on the subject.-Maren Ostergard, Bellevue Regional Library, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
