Can you feel the force?

Gr 5-8-This colorful book includes information, experiments, and questions and answers about physics, in four sections. "In the beginning" presents a historical overview of human understanding of the topic; "Can you feel the force?" defines some terms and explains Newton's laws. "What's the matter?" explores atomic make-up, magnets, and the states of matter; and "Can you see the light?" looks at particle theory, color, electromagnetic rays, and the speed of light. Running time lines help students place theories and scientists in historical perspective. The format includes eye-catching photos and graphics on every spread along with brief paragraphs of text and additional information in bubbles, captions, and sidebars. Experiments help explain matter, friction, gravity, velocity, electricity, air pressure, and water pressure. Interspersed cartoons and upside-down text may be distracting for some students. An appended "Who's who?" profiles 16 scientists from Aristotle to Dirac. Christopher Cooper's Forces and Motion: From Push to Shove (Heinemann Library, 2003) covers similar information for the same age group. Hammond's lively style and kid-centric examples provide an effective introduction to the basic concepts of physics and the scientists who discovered them.-Ann Joslin, Fort LeBoef School District, Waterford, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.