The Element in the Room: Investigating the Atomic Ingredients that Make Up Your Home

My kids like this book, but it doesn't exactly work as the introduction to elements and chemistry that I was hoping for. It is mostly a list of about 100 elements with a few paragraphs describing each. We read about a few elements every day and have taken more than a month to read through it. It would be too boring for my kids to read more than this at one time (although they do ask for it every night at story time).This book doesn't explain anything about protons, neutrons, or electrons or how elements interact with one another. It also will often use words that haven't been previously defined in the book (like metalloid or alloy). There are cool historical comics interspersed throughout, but my kids don't get the references or the jokes. This book may be most appropriate for older children who have already had a basic introduction to chemistry and want to learn more about how elements are useful in our lives (my kids are 5 & 7 for reference). There are also references to British items that Americans will need to look up.

Science can be tough for kids... especially explaining things they "can't see with the naked eye"... this book just brings it home, and having lessons where science applies to things they can see at home, just makes learning so much easier and comprehensible. The book has lots of words, so this is not dumbed down or oversimplified, a smart 10 year old will love it just the same!

My child loves to read this and is subsequently teaching me lots of things I didn’t know! The little funny cartoons sprinkled in make it fun and humorous. We need more books like this that make science fun and accessible but not dumbed down. Well done- two thumbs way up!!

This was a great gift for my 8yr old nephew who is very bright and churns through Legos and science kits so quickly. He was excited to read and share all of the new science facts he learned from the book.

Love this book - ordered it for a 6 year old who's into the elements (to read with parents) but would be good for older kids to read on their own as well.

8 year old granddaughter and her chemist father, university research librarian mother and I love this book. Wealth of fascinating information

Very engaging, full of wonderful facts and memorable for an eight-years old!

When I first saw this book up for review, I thought it might be fun to read with my younger kids. However, after looking through a free review copy I was confused which age group it is actually intended for. The illustrations seem to suggest a younger age group. The wordy descriptions on each page looks more appropriate for upper high school but the humor seems right for junior high students. I decided to experiment and find which age group in my family found it most interesting.Unfortunately, I personally lost interest in this book for several reasons. Most pages are crammed with information but without clear clues to the main idea. My favorite pages were the ones discussing the properties of the individual elements. The point of the information on these pages is clear and somewhat interesting.I soon discovered most of the people in my family agreed that the book is disorganized, unclear, and the brightly colored illustrations are annoying.The one who was most interested was my seventh-grade son. He quickly skimmed through the book and read all the comic strips. My fifth-grade daughter also enjoyed the comics. She liked the funny fact breathing helium from a balloon makes your voice squeaky. Although it at least warns kids to only do this with an adult around, this experiment concerns me as it isn’t really safe. My daughter was also interested in finding more experiments which are not easy to find in this book in my opinion.I recommend using the ‘Look inside’ feature on Amazon or checking it out from a library first if you are considering getting this book. It could be a good intro to chemistry history and the elements for a junior high student.Other books from series I enjoy that may teach chemistry in a simplified yet engaging manner are Life of Fred: Chemistry and E-Z Chemistry (Barron's Easy Way).Last thought, If you have a favorite aunt or uncle who happen to be a chemist, you could buy this for them as a quirky Christmas gift!

Great book. My son loves it!!

Wonderful illustrations and great, contemporary description of each element with examples. I gave it as a present for my child who is interested in science. I adore the aesthetic and design of the book.

This is thorough, enticing and a really great start to introducing the elements to to a 7 year old who’s started asking the bigger more complex questions. It’s lovely to be able to learn along side as chemistry was not my strong point and also put the relatable and tangible knowledge in as we go. It’s not an all in one go book and definitely pick it up and read over a few nights/ weeks and have a bit of a discussion.

Really fun and engaging book all about the elements. Not all children's science books are equal, so it is really exciting to find one that is written so well for the target audience (9-12yr olds I'd say). Honestly, if you buy one chemistry book for your kid, let it be this one.

An excellent book for primary school children that beings in primary school libraries. Great preparation and understanding of natural chemistry.