Don't Try This at Home!: Science Fun for Kids on the Go

From School Library Journal Grade 4-6-A collection of over 60 easy-to-do activities and demonstrations to perform in schools, parks, restaurants, or while traveling. They include curling a dandelion stem, observing the strobe effect on a computer screen, and detecting stress points in plastic. The principle behind each activity is carefully explained. Some of the experiments, such as the "law abiding balloon" (the movement of a balloon in a moving automobile), appear in more than one of the author's previous books. Although some of the observations could be used as a starting point for science projects, the value of the book lies in helping children become more observant, to question what is really happening, and to learn the scientific principle(s) behind the observation. Although some of activities presented can be found elsewhere, many are interesting adaptations, such as skipping a stone on sand or using a rhododendron to tell the temperature. Frequent black-and-white cartoons break up the text and add a light touch to the presentation. The concept of looking for scientific principles anyplace one might be is well presented here.