Kitchen Science [Hardcover]

Mary Ling (Editor)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Why do lemons give you a buzz? Why does a cornstarch and water mixture behave so strangely? What happens when you put water under pressure and why does it suffer from surface tension? Over 50 experiments show you that science is bubbling away all around us. Science has come out of the laboratory and into the real world. Kids can become scientists in their own homes using everyday ingredients and supplies to carry out experiments.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-These titles are characterized by a spacious format; color photographs of attractive, enthusiastic children; and bright, clearly labeled procedures for basic experiments. Backyard Science treats insects and birds, soil science, water purification, sun and shadows, and more. Kitchen Science includes observations of mold growth, creating emulsions and colloids, bubble experiments, and fizzy projects using baking soda and vinegar. Safety warnings are indicated in triangular icons. Colored boxes explain exactly what is happening scientifically. The superior design and clever texts, which use humor, instruction, and questioning to convey information, make these volumes new and fresh.
Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Chris Maynard has written about 55 children's books. He won the Rhone-Poulenc Science Junior Book of the Year in 1996 (The World of Weather) and his Informania Sharks was runner up for the TES Senior Information Book Award in 1998. Recently, he has discovered the joys of writing websites too.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN; 1st edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789469723
• ISBN-13: 978-0789469724
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,172,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 50 Fun Kitchen Experiments that teach!, September 7, 2001

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kitchen Science (Hardcover)

I don't know about you, but cornstarch has always intrigued me. The way when you add water it gets so well, difficult to stir. So, why does it do this?

Aha...so, cornstarch never really dissolves and that is why it forms tiny solid pieces suspended in the water. That is called a colloid. The harder you press them, the firmer they feel, but when you leave them alone..they drip. When mixing cornstarch in water, you will find this to be SO true. However, if you add enough water, you win. ;>

So what fun will the kids be having?

Captain Cook - Eggs science (making meringues), Making Butter
Manic Mixtures - Cornstarch fun...lots of messy "goo"
Double Bubble Trouble - Making huge bubbles
Tower of Strength - Sugar Cement
Moldy Stuff - Yup..Mold!
Sour Power - Lemons as natural batteries
Fizzical Reactions - Volcanic eruptions..watch out kitchen!
Acid Tests - Get the kids to enjoy cleaning the silver...too funny.
Sinking Feeling - An explanation of lava lamps
Chopping Mad - Coloring celery, etc.
On the Move - Making a water wheel
Hot and Cold - Making Ice cream, hey finally something you can really eat!
Farming Crystals - Crystals from salts
Wet, Wet, Wet - Steam, liquid, ice
Under Pressure - Siphoning, etc.
Creating Currents - Electric charges, balloons
Hard and Soft - Boiling eggs, melting chocolate, toasting bread
Light Fantastic - Make a fake rainbow
Making Sense - Five senses, picture of what we taste: bitter, sweet, sour, salty
Seeing Sound - Sound waves and making your own drum
Hearing Things - Make some fun earphones

Each experiment has a bold heading, followed by plenty of pictures. The ingredients
are not listed in order, but are listed in the instructions. I would have liked to see them listed, but there are quite a few experiments on each page, so you can pick one. Most don't have that many ingredients and more than likely, you will have the ingredients
for these recipes or can easily obtain them at the grocery store.

You might want to keep this book in the kitchen so kids can play while you are cooking, soon they will want to be in the kitchen more when they find out how much fun it really is to "play" in the kitchen. If you think about it, children are naturally attracted to the kitchen, that is the only way to explain why all that Tupperware is everywhere again! For babies, playing with regular kitchen items can be really fun.

I myself was often found in a drawer or tossing about the entire contents of the lower kitchen cupboards. That was before they invented those child lock devices to keep kids out of the cupboards. I still think as a child there was no place more fun that the kitchen. When my parents kept me out for a few hours when they were painting, they said I screamed my head off the entire time. ;> Hey, I just wanted to help!

Imagine if I had found this book as a child! Fortunately science teachers do teach some of the fun things in this book. Your kids will LOVE it, and secretly,..I think you will too.

~The Rebecca Review