Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
Grade 4–7—An opening time line commences with the 1642 marriage of Newton's parents and closes with his death in 1727, and a general introduction describes the man and the times in which he lived. The text touches on Newton's childhood in Woolsthorpe, his studies at Cambridge, which led to his three laws of motion, and his time as master of the Royal Mint and president of the Royal Society. The activities elucidate, for example, concepts in mathematics ("What Are the Odds?") and physics ("Create Optical Illusions"), and reveal more historical details. For example, in a section on the 17th-century plague, readers are provided with instructions on how to make a mask like those worn by doctors of the time. The activities will generally not be suitable for science fairs, but are likely to engage readers. Lengthy sidebars provide additional information about pertinent subjects ("Comets," "Churches, Kings, and Freedom of Speech") as well as individuals and events that influenced Newton's work. The writing is clear and detailed, but is best suited for motivated readers. Black-and-white illustrations on every spread consist primarily of reproductions of art and of scientific diagrams. Some of the further-reading suggestions, including two tiles by Newton, are for adults. This will be a handy supplement to a physics curriculum and would be a useful selection for school and public libraries.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.