Everything You Need for Winning Science Fair Projects: Grades 5-7

Children's Literature - Joan Elste

Scientific American and Chelsea House Publications in cooperation with Byron Press Visual Publications Inc. worked together for this nonfiction science series using easily attainable objects for truly outstanding winning science projects. The introduction covers everything clearly with paragraphs highlighted designating important information on safety, supervision, and presentation. The "Physics of Sound" chapter is extremely interesting, because it makes children aware of the everyday sounds around them. "The Doppler Effect" chapter explaining the pitch of sound from a moving source would be a fascinating project for kids. But there is more here than meets the eye. The chapters cover a wide variety of subject matter from sound to electricity, from light and optics to plant growth. There is something here to work on for any child's interests. This is a usable classroom book for teachers to help with the step-by-step instructions set up for the children. The inclusion of background information on each of the subjects is an added plus. A few more illustrations could be added to lighten the visual heaviness of the text.