Sci-Fi & Scary

The Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More! is not a book a child will get through in a day. Or even in a week. At 304 pages, it’s a fair monster of a book. It’s a good thing, though, considering all the information stuffed in it. I loved that right away they made science accessible to kids. They made it clear that science has touched almost every part of their lives in some way. From the computer they play on to the food they eat. I also appreciated that they clarified scientific theory immediately. Given that most adults don’t seem to know the difference between a theory in casual conversation and the scientific theory, it was needed! The Physical Sciences and Life Sciences are briefly, but thoroughly explained before book dives into anything in-depth.

The editors have done their best to make sure the format is one that keeps the reader’s attention. The various sections are well-defined, the font varied as necessary. Colors and pictures play a huge role in the information. The Science Encyclopedia is for 8-12 year olds. To be honest, I think it might be a little much for the younger end of that age range. It gets in-depth enough that younger children might get easily lost. It really depends on the child though. They did do a great job of giving enough information to make the reader feel like they ‘got it’ on a basic level, but not into the minutiae.

All the “Try This!” experiments contained within the Science Encyclopedia seems very appropriate for the intended age range. I loved the “Geek Streak” tidbits. They were extremely well named as a number of them made me perk up when I read them! The “LOL!” sections were awesomely groan worthy. Having been told I have the sense of humor of a 10-year-old boy, I feel my words carry some weight on this. The “Personality Plus” sections attempt to put names and faces to scientific discoveries. I didn’t particular care for them, but appreciated their inclusion nonetheless. The Word Check sessions were good vocabulary builders.

I can’t say that Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More is my favorite book from National Geographic, but it is a wonderful one. It does what it sets out to do. Whether you get it for your mini-geek at home, or are a teacher purchasing it for your classroom, you’ll get your money’s worth.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.