Force and Motion

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Basic science concepts are introduced through clearly written texts and full-color illustrations. Communications explores spoken and written language; signs, signals, and pictures; and complex electronic devices, including telephones, communication satellites, radio and television, and radar and sonar. Force and Motion explains the nature of these principles, including the laws of motion; forces between molecules; and atomic, electric, and magnetic forces, with an emphasis on how they affect people and how they are put to use. Although other recent titles cover this topic, such as Philip Sauvain's Motion (New Discovery, 1992) and Bryan Murphy's Experiment with Movement (Lerner, 1991), this volume is particularly rich in hands-on activities. In both books, at least half of each page is devoted to photographs, drawings, and labeled diagrams, all of which have extensive captions. Directions for activities to involve readers appear in boxes. More than 50 questions (of varying quality) are asked of readers in each title, with answers at the end of the books. Some relate closely to the topic under consideration; others relate so loosely that they are distracting. A one-page chart of milestones summarizes the history of scientific achievements in the fields covered. These two series entries include a lot of well-organized information, but it is their investigative format that sets them apart from other titles and makes them appealing choices for independent and teacher-guided explorations.-Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA