Details
Synopsis
Introduces important scientific principles and provides basic definitions of common terms in standard alphabetical arrangement with references to related entries.
| Size | | Length: | 112 pages | | Height: | 11.5 in | | Width: | 8.8 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 25.6 oz |
Industry Reviews
Gr 2-3 Covering about 75 topics and including nearly as many demonstrations, this primer will help young readers gain a basic understanding of what science is and how it works. Ordered alphabetically, the articles range in length from three sentences to four pages; each introduces a concept (color, floating), gadget (calculator, television), or field (physics) with a header definition in large type and a combination of illustrations and full-color photos with explanatory captions. Some of the entries include instructions for simple science activities. Every article finishes with a box of see-also references. As topics range from "Day and Night" to "Microwaves," both the level of detail and the number of words likely to be unfamiliar vary drastically, but special terms are defined in context, and the pages are invitingly uncluttered. Potential hazards are flagged, and any boiling or cutting is left in the directions to adult helpers. Though the arrangement is arbitrary and the choice of topics unsystematic, novice researchers will find this helpful for quick reference, and as a supplementary source of ideas for primary-level science projects. John Peters, New York Public Library
Divakaruni
This is an attractive book which shows the considerable thought and energy that have gone into its production. . . . Drawings, photographs, and diagrams complement the text, and cross-references to related topics are included. . . . Simple experiments, which can be done with little or no help from an adult, offer children the opportunity to learn how to make scientific observations. . . . The chief difficulties with this book are oversimplification and omission. . . . There is no apparent reason for referring the reader from nuclear energy to fuels without describing in either entry how nuclear energy is used to create electricity or even mentioning nuclear energy as a fuel. The inclusion of astrology is inappropriate. There appears to be a distinctly unscientific bias in the selection and organization of material; political correctness has no role in correct science. Overall, the information in this encyclopedia is accessible, the errors will do no great damage, and the experiments should be fun to do.
Annotation copyright H.W. Wilson Company.
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