Summer science

Ten-year-old Acadia becomes annoyed when the blueberries she has been cultivating go missing. Her science-teacher parents encourage her to use the scientific method (termed as such in the text) to answer her questions, and assist with setting up an experiment to test her hypothesis. In later chapters, she uses this method to investigate human genetic traits, determine where sand comes from, explore why the sun rises early in summer, and learn about how tides and gravity work. Each chapter begins with a narrative that introduces a problem and provides basic scientific background. Acadia's lab notes for each experiment are also included: materials, procedures, data, conclusions, glossaries, and lists of Things I Still Wonder. Hatam's colorful, cartoon-style illustrations are particularly evident in the lab sections, where Acadia's notes appear in manuscript printing, along with childlike sketches. A few spot illustrations also appear at the bottom of some narrative pages. Appended with website resources for each topic, this succeeds as an introduction to scientific methods and may encourage young scientists to try their own experiments.--Kay Weisman Copyright 2018 Booklist

Amiable kid-scientist Acadia wonders about seasonal phenomena she observes: Who is eating her blueberries in summer? Why do leaves change color in the fall? She develops hypotheses, then tests them with experiments. Kids will relate to her everyday experiences and learn from her colorful lab reports and illustrations. Acadia's unanswered questions at the end of each chapter could lead readers on their own investigations. Websites. [Review covers these titles: Acadia Files: Autumn Science and Acadia Files: Summer Science.] (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.