Dirt

April 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Arranged, roughly, in order of complexity, the demonstrations in these volumes are also clearly laid out, with simply phrased directions matched to clear color photos or photorealistic images followed by questions about what young experimenters have observed (e.g., "Which push made the ball travel farthest-a roll, a throw, or a kick?"). Cartoonlike figures help elucidate the steps. Each volume closes with explanations of expected results and suggestions (with more questions) for related activities, plus brief glossaries (that contain pronunciation guides) and an up-to-date resource list. Though there are just seven projects per volume, some-such as Dirt's leadoff, which asks children to list the ingredients in a shaken jar of soil and water-are more challenging than they seem. By and large, this set offers informative, easy-to-achieve insights into selected principles of physics and chemistry.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2013
Grades 1-3 There's no substitute for hands-on experience when it comes to learning scientific principles. This picture-book series explains science through simple projects a child can easily do at home with just a little help from an adult. Dirt celebrates the many interesting qualities of soil, with experiments that help reveal what it's made of, how rocks become part it, decomposing plants, and the role worms play. These fun experiments are clearly illustrated with photos and computer figures inserted into the pictures to point things out. These ought to capture the imagination of budding second-grade scientists.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)