The Science of Fire (Living Science)

An illustrated introduction to the causes of fire, its role in history and human life, the dangers of fire, fire protection, and related topics.

Grade 3-5-These series entries present a scattering of basic facts about very broad topics. The attempt to cover so much ground at a simple level has mixed results. In two-page segments, Fire introduces the chemical basics as well as fire fighting, conservation issues, and uses. The narrative jumps abruptly at times. The discussion of fire's ingredients, for example, though not inaccurate, is choppy and difficult to follow. Underwater Life offers only three brief paragraphs about life cycles, highlighting amphibians and whales. In the spread on underwater plants, only algae, phytoplankton, and sea grass are mentioned. In both titles, the result is a hit-or-miss collection of mildly interesting, but not fully cohesive bits of information. The vocabulary is generally simple, with short, terse sentences that are easy to understand but also fairly dull. Simple activities, such as creating friction by rubbing hands together (Fire) or listening to recordings of whale sounds (Underwater Life), are included, along with shaded boxes that pose questions, such as "Does anything eat killer whales?" with explanations. Each spread features several full-color photographs or diagrams. Readers already interested in these topics may find something intriguing here, but the unwieldy presentation prevents these books from being first choices.
Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR
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