Many Ways to Move

With simplistic text accompanied by vivid photographs, each title explains an area of physical science, such as force, motion, and density. Using real life examples, the author explains the topic in a meaningful way for young readers. Each title is organized into five sections, followed by a hands-on activity that demonstrates the book's subject. This series would be a welcome addition to school libraries' science section as well as elementary science classrooms. Recommended. --Library Media Connection --Journal Are you 'pushing' or 'pulling' on a door? What is making your toy car change directions? How can you make your sailboat move faster? This book builds on authentic questions to help students understand motion in the classroom and on school grounds. Photos make the concepts of motion visually appealing and easy to understand. A motorcycle in motion, a red sports car at full throttle, a climber scaling a wall--all images that can entice a young child to page through the book and think about physical science. The simplicity of the text makes it understandable to a young child. There are no more than a few sentences on each page, clearly related to the photos. A teacher can refer to them in learning situations, and the students will be able to recall them easily. Ideas like 'Changing directions can change an object's speed' are both simple enough to remember and simple enough to repeat and understand. The end of this book contains one activity for students that involves setting up an 'air soccer' game with materials that are easy to assemble. This a great game that can be made more of a challenge by using a larger box lid for the 'field.' There are many books on the shelves that cover physical science for students in kindergarten, first, and second grades, but they aren't all are so appealing to children as this one. --NSTA --Website Jellybean-bright backgrounds, large photographs, and brief texts will draw readers to this series. The use of questions and image choices help to make the topics relevant and interesting. Scientific terminology is accurate and understandable although at times the examples, such as 'Stepping on the gas makes a car give off pollution, ' are over-simplified. Occasional photos miss the mark. Attract and Repel implies that coins are magnetic. Captions closely follow the text, missing opportunities to extend content. The concluding activity is simple and clear, but the suggested websites are often too advanced for the audience. --School Library Journal, Series Made Simple --Journal Filled with large, engaging photos, each book is divided into subtopics that contain definitions, explanations, and several examples of the physical science principle. The end of each volume includes directions for completing an activity that illustrates the concept and prompts further thinking. Though content is slight, these books could serve as adequate introductions to their respective subjects. --The Horn Book Guide --Journal