Crazy for Science with Carmelo the Science Fellow

Piazza, a Brooklyn-based teacher who developed a following as “Carmelo the Science Fellow” after he began running popular afterschool science programs and camps, debuts with a guide to core scientific concepts, driven by experiments that use common household objects. Built around Geran’s bold digital graphics, the book outlines each experiment in clear, simple steps. With titles like “Hovercraft Ahoy!” and “Pop Goes the Brain,” the accessible activities include making fake boogers from water, borax, and glue (“Boogers are the human body’s superheroes. They trap germs in their sticky goo”); creating an aerodynamic “straw rocket”; and lifting fingerprints with cocoa powder and tape. Sidebars offer additional related information, and Piazza’s enthusiasm (and steady deployment of jokes) should easily spark readers’ interest in learning more about the way the world works. Ages 6–9. (Feb.)