Reviews

Jaqui Bailey and Lilly Matthew's Charged Up: The Story of Electricity, from the Science Works series, is an excellent source of information for younger science students learning about electricity. The authors do an excellent job in making the book an enjoyable learning experience with a "friendly" style, so as not to scare off younger readers. They creatively use bright colors, interesting graphics, and "everyday" household experiences to bring this difficult topic to life. As a result, children are encouraged to dream and to ponder the material presented, thus making the book well suited for students up to grade 4. In addition, the publisher has been careful with fonts, line spacing, and color choices, so that the text is easier to read, follow, and understand. Interlaced throughout the book in simple and easy-to-understand language are descriptions of how electricity is made (both naturally and artificially) and what it is used for, as well as experiments designed to intrigue the young scientist. This style gives the reader a broad understanding of electricity to better prepare him or her for future study of the subject. To top everything off, the authors provide some Internet resources to further grab the reader's attention, encouraging the young scientist to use computers and today's mass communication extravaganza. I recommend this book highly to elemntary school librarians, teachers, and those parents interested in giving their students an early start in understanding a basic principle of science.-- "Science Books & Films"