Book Review: The Mad Scientist's Notebook by Elizabeth Snoke Harris

Summary: Plastic humanoids, dancing spaghetti, and rubber eggs: something wacky’s going on here—and kids will love it! After all, what could be more fun than peeking into a mad scientist’s notebook and finding 50 fizzing, popping projects that will light up their own laboratories…and minds? Young Einsteins (and Dr. Frankensteins) will discover really cool things to do, including building a hovercraft and rocket, boiling ice without melting it, and making their fingers smoke. Notes from the mad scientist himself on richly illustrated and lined pages make the projects even more entertaining! But don’t be fooled: these irresistible experiments demonstrate important principles of physics, biology, and chemistry. So kids will safely learn all about science…even if they’re too busy making a mess to realize it.

Release Date: June 2008
Age Group: Science, Non-Fiction
Source: Purchased Copy
Reviewed By: Nat & a Future {Mad} Scientist

Review:
I have one future scientist. I am constantly scouring Pinterest for quick & easy little experiments for him to do on the weekends. I have even had to use these as bribes and rewards for good behavior at school.

My mom found this little nugget of wacky experiments and it has been a lot of fun not just for my science minded guy but for the whole family! We started off with Bendable Bones (pg 66). Because who hasn't tried to bend a bone before? In our case, we try to bend them way too often and have had every single monster in casts... multiple times... CPS only evaluated us once...

Both my husband and myself have science-based degrees but it is often hard to explain certain principles regarding the properties of science. This book poses a question and then follows with the experiment. Then gives a simple concise explanation that is in terms kids can understand (explanations also have vocabulary words in red) and sometimes has a quirky thought based on the principles taught. For our experiment, it read this:

Now if I soaked my bones in vinegar, I could finally win a limbo contest. And I could sneak into places through the air ducts to steal stuff. Pardon me while I go fill my bathtub with vinegar...     

Where we got the bone? 

Future Scientist ran into my room yelling "Mom, mom, I got what we needed today at lunch!" And then he proceeded to pull out a wad of napkins from his pocket.

A nice, oily chicken bone appeared.

Then he hands me The Mad Scientist's Notebook and said we were ready to start.

So we did.