Each title offers thirty cookbooklike experiments that begin with a brief summary of ideas and objectives. The confidence-building experiments, which use very few materials to examine a vast array of concepts, encourage further individual experimentation. Practical tips are provided for the presentation of results for science fairs. Extensive appendix included. Glos., ind.

Gr 6 Up-A collection of 30 projects. Although some are novel, most are repeats or modifications of familiar demonstrations on such topics as acid-base reactions, food chemistry, and properties of water. As VanCleave states, these are ``cookbook experiments''-procedures are clearly written, common household materials are used, and the expected results are described. A detailed and sometimes sophisticated explanation follows along with interesting facts and suggestions for additional investigation. A few experiments require simple mathematical calculations. Black-and-white line drawings aid in setting up the activities. Overall, the book does a fine job at what it does. However, while there are elements worth exploring in the suggested demonstrations, it is a poor model for science-fair projects because the answers are known before any experimentation is ever run.-Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC