[Book Review] Calling all kid scientists
"One day, my sister will be bigger than me," a friend's 3-year-old recently announced. "How do you know that?" her mother asked, preparing for a preschooler's take on polygenic inheritance. Leaning in closer, she whispered: "An owl told me." What tickles me about this response is how perfectly it illustrates the creativity and open-mindedness with which children approach the world. Like the best scientists, they tackle the unknown with minimal preconceptions and aren't afraid to employ a little outside-the-box thinking. Helping kids identify the right questions and the best ways to answer them is our happy task, a job made easier by this year's finalists for the Science Books and Films (SB&F) Prizes for Excellence in Science Books. Sponsored by Suburu and AAAS (the publisher of Science), this annual competition highlights books that promote science literacy among children and young adults. Read on to see reviews of the finalists written...