Exploratopia: More than 400 kid-friendly experiments and explorations for curious minds
Grade 3–6—Practiced young experimenters ready to strike out on their own will find enticing science demonstrations on nearly every page of this inviting collection. Each of the 21 sections contains a half dozen or more entries that feature easily gathered ingredients, clear directions, and color photos or diagrams that are not only informative but often arresting as well. Areas of inquiry range from explorations of one's own ears to bathroom studies of surface tension and bubbles, from creating a mummy (in this case a hot dog, dubbed "King Oscar" in the directions) to making a rocket launched by "100 percent stomp power." Murphy and company also include many experiments specifically designed to sharpen observation, logic, and measurement skills, along with other intangible, but essential, "Tools for Exploration." A closing section of hints and shortcuts, plus a useful directory of links on an associated Web site, rounds out an above-average addition to science-project shelves.—John Peters, New York Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.