Scary Science: 25 Creepy Experiments

by Shar Levine, Leslie Johnstone, Ashley Spires (Illustrator)

Afraid of things that go bump in the night? Not when YOU'RE the mad scientist!Create your own SHRUNKEN HEADS!Bend BONES and make EYEBALLS bounce!Mix up festering OOZE and bubbling ALIEN BLOOD!Here are 25 spooky experiments to get kids howling with laughter while learning some scientific facts. They'll also find out real-life stories behind deadly spiders, zombie worms, and exploding snakes with "Strange . . . but true!" facts throughout. All of these terrifyingly fun experiments include step-by-step instructions, cute and creepy illustrations, and easy-to-find ingredients, so there's no excuse not to try them!

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty lame. A lot of these experiments take hours or days, or require odd things from the store. Some steps really ought to be illustrated but aren't. One project tells kids to put something fizzy in their mouth but not swallow any of it--not sure *I* could do that! And the strange-but-true facts often aren't related to the experiments. I had much better experiment books as a kids. Will not be passing this one on.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While driving, I happened to listen to the John Tesh show on the radio about a new genre in children’s literature that is aimed specifically at reluctant boy readers—grossology. Hence, books like Captain Underpants resonate with this audience. So when I received a review copy of Scary Science: 25 Creepy Experiments, I showed it to my 9 year-old daughter and 6 year-old son who quickly began leafing through it.

My daughter wasn’t too thrilled with some of the experiment names such as Bubbling Alien Blood and Bouncing Eyes (Yuck!) but she was curious about the experiments and the science behind it. My son thought this book was so cool, and after looking through all 25 experiments we tried the Howling Spirits right away because we had the materials on hand and it was very easy to do. Since then we’ve tried some others to surprise Dad such as the message that appeared on the bathroom mirror after he took a shower even though the bathroom door was locked. Got you curious?

This book is a science book that uses the theme of creepy, gross things. For example, there are experiments to make spiderwebs, shrunken heads, things that glow in the dark, festering ooze and zombie food. My kids are not particularly attracted to these things but the science aspect of it is fun and teaches children fascinating facts about chemical reactions and basic scientific principles. The book includes a list of Dos and Don’ts and a glossary of scientific terms, which I found helpful. Most, if not all experiments, require adult supervision but unless you are a very squeamish adult, you will enjoy doing these experiments with your children.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake's Review: Mom this is the best book you have ever got for me. I want to try all of the experiments. This is going to be so much fun. I got a great idea for next weekend, We can invite all my friends over and we can take turns doing the experiments. --- Mom --- uh mom why are you crying and saying all those bad words for. The pictures are really funny and I like the explanations on why these experiments work. I wish it was bigger with more experiments and I also wish that the experiments used more items that we had in the house. You're not giving this one away are you?

Jake's Rating: 10/10

Mom's Review: Any book that gets kids interested in science is cool with me. Especially when they are having so much fun with it, they don't even realize they are learning something. There should be books like this for EVERY subject in school, than our kids would love going to school. The pictures are delightful, the experiments easy to read and follow. Even cleaning up isn't that big of a deal -- but Jake -- there is no way in HELL (oops, that is going to cost me a quarter in the swear jar) that I am having any of your heathen friends over to do experiments in my kitchen!!! My only real complaint in the book, is that a lot of the experiments include things that I would have to go out and pay for, and I don't like to spend money you know!

Mom's Rating: 9/10

[Karen Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't had science crack me up in quite some time! The illustrations are hilarious, and the experiments are pretty amusing too. Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone have put together instructions for 25 creep-tastic experiments that will definitely appeal to kids, including how to make rubbery chicken bones, fake pus and vomit, bubbling alien blood, and fake-rotten zombie flesh. Gross? Absolutely! Each experiment has an explanation as to what happens to the ingredients, and why they react and interact to create the results. There are also fun related facts, like how certain parasites can turn ants into zombies, and why glue doesn't stick to the inside of the bottle, but sticks things together once it's out of the bottle. The instructions advise caution and supervision, both with doing the experiments and disposing properly of the results. I know we're far past Halloween, but this is too much fun to pass up! 4th-8th grade.

[Vandy]

author - not a sientist - interstinf biography