Though the series below range broadly in the degree to which they cleave to the Next Generation Science Standards issued last Spring, all offer a time-tested instructional formula that pairs clear explanatory texts written in “leveled” language with photos and digitally created images that, for the most part anyway, convey visual information in immediately understandable—and generally dramatic—ways. There is still room for improvement in designing experiments or other interactive elements, however, and also in the quantity and quality of back matter provided. Along with glossaries and indexes, lists of relevant sources are standard features, even—often—in titles designed for casual browsing. But there is a sharp difference between what is offered to students in lower elementary grades, which is almost invariably perfunctory, and that compiled for fifth-grade readers and up. Those differences are clear in the new series here.

Preschool to Grade 4

Gr 3-5 –Like the similarly formatted “How It Works” series, above-average photos and graphic images combine with brief but specific narratives and captions to set these broad surveys apart. Together, All About the Weather and Extreme Weather combine to present a vivid picture of the forces that drive weather and climate (and climate change). Not all of the titles are equally valuable; Earth’s Place in the Sky, for instance, is just another quick tour of the solar system, and Moon missions does not mention China’s Yutu Moon rover but does incorrectly claim that NASA’s planned Moon project was cancelled (actually, that was just the Ares launch vehicle).

Gr 3-5 –With significant oversimplification and topical overlap, these volumes introduce the kinds and states of matter. Aside from the single page on which plasma and Bose-Einstein condensates are mentioned, Different States of Matter is completely dispensable, as three other volumes in the series cover the topic in considerably more detail. Atoms leaves out any mention of ionization or explanation of molecular bonding and also offers a confusing contradiction by defining atoms as “the basic building blocks of everything,” then on the next spread launches a discussion of subatomic particles. Elements, an otherwise useful tour of the Periodic Table, inexplicably concludes its visuals with a version of the table that is partly in Chinese. There are no interactive elements beyond occasional questions in the texts or photos of theoretically reproducible demonstrations.

Gr 3-6 –Along with describing selected kinds of events in each type of sport, these profiles mention some performance techniques that improve speed, height, or control as appropriate. Each volume also covers helmets and other safety gear, as well as how recent advances in technology and materials science have created more efficient, responsive vehicles. The physical principles involved in the design of those vehicles and on display in various moves and feats also get once-overs. Small action photos, many with explanatory labels added, break the blocks of text into easily digestible units while adding plenty of visual energy.

Gr 3-5 –Any young readers wondering how the rare metals in their jewelry, electronic devices or nuclear reactors (just kidding, hopefully) are mined, refined, and used will find systematically presented answers in these volumes. Along with close-up photos of both raw ores and pure specimens, the illustrations include a view of an open pit or other type of mine, glimpses of forges or other factory scenes, and samples of manufactured goods. Most conclude with a summarizing chart of distinctive properties or products; Uranium also mentions in passing the dangers of nuclear power generation.

Gr 2-5 –Though uneven in consistency, at their best, these collections of statistical information demonstrate the real value of well-designed infographics. Each volume contains a series of neatly designed full-page or full-spread graphic images with simply phrased explanatory captions. Many of the images are just arbitrarily sized silhouette illustrations with labels or even conventional pie and bar charts. Often enough, though, some imagination has been used to present information both numerically and visually at once—from a chart combining cloud types, shapes, and altitudes in Weather Infographics to silhouettes of various land animals placed on a speed line and a world map with selected (and labeled) country flags that are sized to reflect populations. Oxlade does not cite his sources, but leads to print and web resources are provided at the end.

Gr 1-3 –Despite occasional overlaps, these elementary introductions provide a good balance of background explanation and doable activities that demonstrate various aspects of how sound is made, measured, and controlled. Making Noise! surveys the variety of vibration producing mechanisms from rubber bands to insect wings. Shhh! Listen! explores hearing directionally and through various media, with closing mention of deafness and sign language. The other volumes cover loudness and intensity. The illustrations include diagrams of vocal cords and ears, plus photos depicting children creating each project step-by-step and a broad range of other people engaged in various sound-making activities. Many of the projects are homemade musical instruments.

Gr 2-4 –Though stocked with modest amounts of specific information, these “Magic School Bus”–style “field trips” seem slapped together. Weekend with Dinosaurs, for instance, is illustrated with dino portraits done in a large assortment of styles from photorealistic to sketched illustrations. In other volumes, readers are invited to board a “shrinking rocket” for a tour of the human body that jumps from system to system in a disconnected way, and though the author correctly notes that visitors to the International Space Station would now have to ride a Soyuz craft, a U.S. space shuttle is confusingly shown at the beginning. Lists of recommended museums related to each “trip” would have been particularly helpful.

Grades 5 & Up

Gr 6-8 –Though these tales of scientific discovery can easily be found elsewhere, here they are presented in lucid but nontechnical language, placed into historical and scientific context, and enhanced with detailed biographies of the scientists associated with them. In DNA, for instance, Rosalind Franklin is mentioned even before Francis Crick (with a rare color photo). Similarly, in Big Bang Theory, the effects of Hubble’s insight are carried through to the proposed existence of “dark energy,” and Bortz’s account of Mendel’s work concludes with the recent mapping of the human genome and a discussion of genetic engineering. Period photos or images add helpful visual notes, and the back matter includes annotated lists of scientific organizations as well as time lines and lists of print resources.

Gr 4-7 –Decidedly not for the weak of stomach, these provocative surveys aim to shock—and, by and large, succeed. Top Secret Science, the mildest of the lot, covers suppressed government projects from Britain’s World War II anthrax research to Area 51 and other U.S. “black ops” but only mentions Nazi concentration camp experiments in passing. The other volumes go for the (dis)gusto: from photos of a smallpox victim on the cover of Dangerous Diseases and equally disturbing views of animal vivisection in Mutant Animals to accounts of Mad Scientists who drank the vomit of a yellow fever patient, self removed an appendix, or kept a dog’s head alive. Some of the photos are uncaptioned filler, but mesmerized readers are unlikely to notice, much less mind.

Gr 4-6 –Marching in lockstep with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), these episodes, though fictional, not only portray a series of specifically detailed scientific investigations conducted largely by young people, but even feature highlighted keywords in several of the narratives drawn from the NGSS list of best practices. The scenarios range from two young skygazers trying to prove that a certain rock is a meteorite to an epidemiologist’s daughter tracking down the origin of a local flu epidemic. The procedures are laid out in clear, easily imitable steps, illustrated with a mix of scientific photos or diagrams and encouraging pictures of young researchers at work, and capped by relatively generous lists of further resources on the given topic.

The leaders of the pack here are plainly those series intended for upper elementary grades, such as “Revolutionary Discoveries of Scientific Pioneers.” The possibilities of presenting new insights with infographics are ably, if unevenly, exploited in “Infographics,” and though cast in frameworks of fiction, the volumes in “Science Explorer: Follow the Clues” supply clear, strong models for scientific investigation in several fields. “Scary Science” may be disturbing to some readers (not necessarily a bad thing), and most of the rest cover their respective topics competently enough to recommend as replacements or collection extenders.