Customer Reviews

Experiments W/Rocks & Minerals (True Books: Science Experiments)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was ready to give up on science kits and science for kids books. I actually considered writing my own until this little gem cam along. (no kidding)

Over the past year-and-a-half I have spent probably $300 (in increments of $15.95 plus tax) buying "Science Kits" for my son who is now age six.
(Project Kit for Kids: Magnetism, and
Project Kit for Kids: Electricity are pretty cool)
But many of those fail to teach the lesson behind the neat experiments and too often the "kits" turn out to be little more than a piece of string, three plastic cups, and a soda straw.

Most "science for kids" books (I've got a collection of those too), are EITHER experiments OR the science behind them. Frequently they have over 300 words per page and use 6th grade English to describe K-4 science. (Younger kids can't read it or even understand what you read to them. Older kids are bored with re-re-learning the same old facts about magnets and light and crystals.)

Finally, there is Experiments With Rocks and Minerals by Salvatore Tocci.

It includes BOTH the neat-o experiments AND the science lessons behind them

The language is on a 2nd-3rd grade level, so the parts my son cannot read himself I can read to him

And best of all, both the pictures, and the science, are engaging enough that he doesn't feel "cheated" when I use the cups and string we have around the house (instead of the $15 cups an string included in most "science kits."

It is really is age-appropriate, so he can actually browse this book and learn on his own.
If we are doing the experiments together, the science doesn't stop if I have to answer the phone or let the dog out.

It still has about 70 words for page, and roughly 20 words per illustration. This is perfect for kids age 8 and older but too heavy for kids 5-7. THAT is the only thing that prevented me from giving this book 5 stars. And if my son were 8 or older I probably would have

I have no doubt that in the next few years I will collect every one of the books in this series.

Nice large type & easily understood text & instructions. There weren't as many experiments as I'd hoped, so that was a bit disappointing. Overall it was a good entry level book for a young person (7-10 yrs old) wanting to learn more about rocks & minerals.