Forces and Motion

Gr 4–6—An improvement over Capstone's gimmicky "LOL Physical Science" series, these surveys of physical forces and phenomena combine straightforward, nontechnical explanations with well-designed graphics and murky but generally revealing photographs. The coverage is not always systematic-only one of the three classes of levers is mentioned in Forces and Motions, for instance, and AC and DC not at all in Electricity-but the texts are broken up into digestible blocks, with plenty of sidebars and captions. Even less able readers will come away with at least broad overviews of the covered topics. Each volume includes directions for several simple projects or demonstrations and suggested topics for further study.In this generally above average lot, Arcturus's "Science F.A.Q." stands out for younger readers, and for middle graders Heinemann's "Anatomy of an Investigation" offers a broad mix of hands-on projects, scientific analysis, and cool accounts of forensics in action. Heinemann's "Night Sky: And Other Amazing Sights in Space" is likewise commendable for its broad scope and enticing topics. Despite problematic illustrations, the tours in Amicus's "Do You Really Want to Visit…?" will leave readers with vivid impressions of planetary surfaces and atmospheres as well as basic facts about them. The other series provide well-tuned curriculum support and would make serviceable replacements for older titles on their topics.