Janice VanCleave's Scientists Through the Ages
Gr. 4-7. In this collective biography, the author of many science project books introduces 25 eminent scientists and their work. She begins with an overview of the fields of astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics. Then, for each scientist she includes a brief biography; an account of his or her important work; clear, step-by-step directions for an experiment that relates to the discoveries; and a useful bibliography. The feminist theme is strong and stated many times, and the timespan is huge, from Archimedes to Rosalind Yalow, with some of the choices seemingly arbitrary. There are also a few factual errors (for example, Rosalind Franklin was not American). But the spacious book design, with occasional black-and-white drawings, will encourage kids to dip into the biographies, and many readers will want to follow the clear, lively directions for the experiments.Hazel RochmanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved