Impossible Science

Gr 3–6—These titles offer a brief introduction to their subjects, and then two pages per topic, a format that succeeds in working in a wide range of information. Impossible Science, for example, looks at concepts such as perpetual motion, time travel, teleportation, and death rays. Astonishing Bodies covers topics from sleepwalking to spontaneous combustion to contortionism. Forgotten Cities examines Atlantis, Babylon, Troy, Pompeii, and Petra, among other global sites. The pages look like pages from a case file, with paper-clip illustrations and typewriter font, plus many photographs and drawings lining the borders of each spread. This design lends itself to the sense that kids are exploring something mysterious indeed. Sometimes repetitive or vague sentences make some topics less informative than others-but overall, there is a broad array of material here. The missing pieces keep these books from being ideal choices for reports, but they would be solid jumping-off points to introduce ideas, and they would also work well as titles for kids to explore together. Good browsing items.—Heather Talty, formerly at Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City