Super Science Lab

With more than 30 scientific experiments, ranging from more traditional science-fair projects—like making a rocket out of a sports drink bottle—to a recipe for an apple pie sans apples (sugar reacts with cream of tartar to produce a chemical that tastes like apples), this fun book has plenty of ideas to sample. Also offered are magnified images, including a sticky note (blown up, it looks like an “alien landscape”) and a silk worm that resembles a (scary) Jim Henson creation. In between experiments, Hammond explores the science behind the subjects: a section about sound emphasizes that “sound is a form of ENERGY... it travels in waves.” The active approach to science and scrapbook-style design, with plenty of photos, notes and asides, should win over curious kids. Ages 7–10. (July)