Transformed: How Everyday Things Are Made
Grade 4-7–This lively presentation looks at how 69 familiar items are made. Fun and Games includes baseballs, guitars, teddy bears, CDs, and marbles; Around the House includes books, dental floss, erasers, toothpaste, and wire; and Soup to Nuts covers bread, ice cream, peanut butter, and yogurt. The last section describes the raw materials used in the manufacturing processes, including aluminum, glass, paper, petroleum, and rubber. Historical information is included, such as the fact that the earliest form of football was played with a pig's bladder in Virginia in 1609. The steps needed to manufacture each item are numbered in bold type so that readers can follow along, and whimsical cartoon art helps them understand the process. Although reminiscent of David Macaulay'sThe Way Things Work(Houghton, 1988), this book is less technical and is written for younger children.–Ann Joslin, formerly at Erie County Public Library, PACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.