Forces Make Things Move (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
Gr. 1-3. This volume from the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out series takes on the relatively abstract idea of forces. A little longer and more complex than most texts for the series, this one starts with a common childhood experience, pushing toy cars across the floor--and gradually--introduces ideas such as forces, reactions, inertia, friction, and gravity. That's a lot to explain in a short book, and some of these concepts are difficult to simplify. To her credit, Bradley, the author ofEnergy Makes Things Happen(2003), does grapple with fundamental concepts rather than taking the easier, more traveled, less-satisfactory road of, say, talking about gravity in terms of "up" and "down" or simply describing its observable effects. Colorful line-and-watercolor-wash illustrations brighten the pages. The final spread offers instructions for a simple activity leading to a better understanding of friction. A practical starting place for understanding forces.Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.