cover image Scienceworks: 65 Experiments That Introduce the Fun and Wonder of Science

Scienceworks: 65 Experiments That Introduce the Fun and Wonder of Science

Ontario Science Centre, Ontario Science Cent. Da Capo Press, $11.95 (96pp) ISBN 978-0-201-16780-1

From the very first page, this book lives up to its title with a text that, though detailed, is engaging and lighthearted. The experiments provide a basic introduction to sound scientific principles and ideas, yet most of them seem like magic tricks. But there is no sleight-of-hand going on here: if an experiment says that it's possible to pass a human body through a hole in a piece of notebook paper without ripping the page, it's really true. Of course, patience is the key to most of the experiments. There are a lot of instructions to get through, but the results are gratifying. The illustrations serve as more than decoration; goofy characters demonstrate the experiments or show off the results. Kids can learn how to take fingerprints, make butter and sugar crystals, lasso ice cubes, enlarge or reduce drawings perfectly by hand, and make giant bubbles, all with ordinary household items. (712)