Microwaves

Description: "Microwaves heat our food. They carry messages from phone to phone. They help detect the weather. Microwaves are all around us, even if we don't see them. With engaging, at-level text and colorful images, readers will learn about microwaves and how we use them every day"--

Brief description: Tracy Vonder Brink loves facts and true stories--especially the weird ones! She is a contributing editor to the kids' science magazines Click, ASK, and Muse. She is also the author of more than 30 articles for kids. Tracy lives in Ohio with her husband, two daughters, and two crazy-but-happy rescue dogs.

Review Quotes: These titles feature objects and processes that will be familiar to students, such as video games, cell phones, and GPS. The connection of each type of wave to kids' everyday lives makes the content relevant to young readers. Photos and diagrams depict bats using echolocation, the formation of rainbows, weather radar, and other examples of waves in action. Each book ends with directions for an activity to explore the concepts covered. Students might experiment with trying to block the signal to a radio-controlled car or making music with glasses of water. The series could be read to first graders or explored independently by older students. VERDICT A solid introduction to the concepts; a good addition to collections.--Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary, Maryville, TN "School Library Journal"