Overview
Help! A mad scientist has unleashed a throng of deadly robots on the world--and only by joining the characters and solving every one of these science-based puzzles can kids stop the destruction and save humanity. Learning about anatomy, astronomy, nature, secret codes, and more becomes a delightfully challenging game when these scientific subjects are woven into a thrilling and stylishly illustrated story. There's art throughout, created in a cool 1950's sci-fi style, and each puzzle focuses on a different topic. Through crosswords and riddles, word games and word searches, all kinds of fascinating facts emerge. Best of all, on the last page a "grand finale" uses all the solutions from other puzzles in the book.Synopsis
Help! A mad scientist has unleashed a throng of deadly robots on the world--and only by joining the characters and solving every one of these science-based puzzles can kids stop the destruction and save humanity. Learning about anatomy, astronomy, nature, secret codes, and more becomes a delightfully challenging game when these scientific subjects are woven into a thrilling and stylishly illustrated story. There's art throughout, created in a cool 1950's sci-fi style, and each puzzle focuses on a different topic. Through crosswords and riddles, word games and word searches, all kinds of fascinating facts emerge. Best of all, on the last page a "grand finale" uses all the solutions from other puzzles in the book.
Susan Hepler, Ph.D. - Children's Literature
Here is a disposable book kids can use in much the same way adults do crossword puzzles but all of the topics, fill-ins, unscramblable puzzles, word searches, code breakers, and other challenges are related to science. While the book provides plenty of fun (and answers, of course) to science-minded fifth graders through middle-schoolers, a science teacher might reproduce a challenge for the whole class work on, such as the double acrostics that challenge students on a variety of levels. A clever summary puzzle asks readers to go back through the worked solutions and pluck a clue or letter, according to directions, that will unscramble to reveal the final password that will save the earth. All good fun, high quality paper that erases well, and a clear and large typeface that reproduces and reads clearly are all bonuses in this good activity book for families or classrooms. Who knows why an index of puzzles by name is needed, but it is included, as well. 2003 (orig. 2000), Sterling Publishing Company, Ages 9 to 14.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Here is a disposable book kids can use in much the same way adults do crossword puzzles but all of the topics, fill-ins, unscramblable puzzles, word searches, code breakers, and other challenges are related to science. While the book provides plenty of fun (and answers, of course) to science-minded fifth graders through middle-schoolers, a science teacher might reproduce a challenge for the whole class work on, such as the double acrostics that challenge students on a variety of levels. A clever summary puzzle asks readers to go back through the worked solutions and pluck a clue or letter, according to directions, that will unscramble to reveal the final password that will save the earth. All good fun, high quality paper that erases well, and a clear and large typeface that reproduces and reads clearly are all bonuses in this good activity book for families or classrooms. Who knows why an index of puzzles by name is needed, but it is included, as well. 2003 (orig. 2000), Sterling Publishing Company, Ages 9 to 14.—Susan Hepler, Ph.D.