Energy in Action

Gr 3–5—Maintaining a steady balance between general concepts and specific facts, these surveys are apt to stimulate broader interest in science and nature as well as provide helpful information for elementary level reports. Some topics are trimmed to fit, while others are more detailed. Changing Matter includes plasma as the "fourth state" to solids, liquids, and gases (and features a crowd-pleasing infographic showing what happens when solid food changes to gas in the human stomach). Predict It! is a wide-ranging introduction to using the scientific method to test hypotheses, and the authors of both Photosynthesis and Gravity cleverly bring the water cycle into their purviews. Examples are well chosen for the intended audience, too. Each volume's easily digestible narrative is enhanced with a mix of photographs and cartoon images or schematics and capped with a pair of very low-overhead individual or group projects.