The American Heritage Children's Science Dictionary

Although There Are Several Fine Science Dictionaries On The Market For Students In Grades Four Through Six, This One Has Some Attractive Features. The 2,600 Entries Were Selected To Represent Different Areas Of Science Such As Astronomy, Biology, And Physics As Well As Areas Like Weather And Computer Technology. Each Blue-Highlighted Entry Word Has One Or More Definitions. Entries Generally Contain A Pronunciation Guide And A Succinct Two- Or Three-Sentence Definition. Unusual Plurals Or Irregular Forms Are Included, As Are Notations That Alert Users To Locations Of Pictures Or Illustrations And Places To Look For Cross-References Or Comparisons. One Nice Feature Is The "Did You Know? " Boxes That Are Interspersed Throughout The Book And Contain Extra Information About Topics Like Anesthesia Or Cactus; There Are Also 150 Short Biographies On Famous Scientists, Like Barbara Mcclintock. Larger Entries, Called "A Closer Look, " Use Captioned Pictures To Illustrate Topics Like Machines, Plate Tectonics, And Stars. There Are Also Full- And Double-Page Treatments Of Measurement, The Periodic Table, Geologic Time, And Other Concepts. All Of These Added Features Present Information In An Appealing, User-Friendly Way. The Illustrations That Dot The Text Are Small But In Full Color And Generally Clarify The Entries.