Microscope: How to Use It and Enjoy It

School Library Journal

Gr 4 Up-- After a brief introduction to the first microscopes made, the Stwertkas describe standard microscopes of today and how to use them to explore various small worlds. Their explanations are generally clear, and the line drawings of equipment, techniques, and things to look for are generally helpful. They recommend current products for preparing slides, include 800 numbers for some of the scientific supply houses they list, and reflect current health and safety concerns in their instructions. The greatest recommendation for this book, however, is that it offers more information than Selsam's Greg's Microscope (Harper, 1963), but is easier than Gaylord Johnson and Maurice Bleifeld's Hunting with a Microscope (Arco, 1980). Older, out-of-print titles may make this an unnecessary purchase, e.g., Seymour Simon's Exploring with a Microscope (Random, 1969; o.p.), whose photographs give a better idea of how hard it may be to see the distinguishing cilia of some protozoa or the striations of voluntary muscle cells than Cecala's line drawings do, but when these older books fall apart or disappear, Microscope makes an acceptable replacement. --Margaret Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Library, N.Y.