The author brings to the forefront the forms of energy we need every day. The fundamental theory is that energy and matter coexist and that energy can be changed from one form to another. Unlike matter, energy is intangible, but we can sense things which produce energy and its effects. Several sources of energy are listed, and nearly all of these can be traced to the sun. Vivid examples of kinetic and potential energy are delineated in addition to differences in endothermic and exothermic animals.

 

  • Publisher: The Creative Company
  • Series: Mysteries of the Universe
  • Year Published: 2012
  • Age Level: 10-14
  • Category:

Reviews:

This sophisticated series will appeal to report writers and serious astronomy students. Each book carefully examines the history behind attempts to unravel explanations for the subjects, going back to Anaxagoras’s work on energy in 450 B.C. all the way up to the contemporary findings of Stephen Hawking. The numerous theories put forth throughout the ages are meticulously detailed and put in context of how research was able to proceed despite political or religious pressures to suppress it. Sidebars bring in interesting tidbits, including information about how pop culture has used or misused science in fiction and film. As they bring together science, history, and philosophy, these volumes are exhaustive treatments of their subjects. (School Library Journal)

This is an excellent book to introduce the mystery of energy and processes involved in establishing scientific concepts and theories. (National Science Teachers Association)

The “Mysteries of the Universe” series books are uniformly written by one author, so the quality is consistently high. This collection would be an excellent addition to any middle school science classroom or library. Facts, theories, and historical information are presented alongside full-page color photographs with simple but informative annotations. Another student-friendly element of this series is the brightly-colored bold text vocabulary words and accompanying glossary. Each book concludes with a list of suggested websites, a selected bibliography, and an index making this an excellent source for middle school research assignments. (Jackie Fulton, Children’s Literature)