View source for Scientist Academy: Are You Ready For the Challenge? by Steve Martin and Essi Kimpimaki

{{infobox2
|title=Scientist Academy: Are You Ready For the Challenge?
|author=Steve Martin and Essi Kimpimaki
|reviewer= Louise Jones
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
|summary= Budding scientists are encouraged to learn about the world around us by means of activities and experiments that can be easily replicated at home.
|rating=5
|buy=yes
|borrow=yes
|pages=64
|publisher=Ivy Kids
|date=July 2017
|isbn=9781782405023
|aznuk=178240502X
|aznus=178240502X
|cover=178240502X
}}

Kids seem to have an innate curiosity about the world around them. They are constantly asking ''How?'' and ''Why?'' Curious kids and budding scientists are going to love the new ''Scientist Academy'' book by Ivy Kids, which is filled with practical experiments and fun activities with an educational twist.

As with all Ivy Press publications, this book has a high-quality feel about it. The pages are reassuringly thick and there are stickers, posters (everyone needs a periodic table on the wall!) and a press-out model of a sundial all included inside. The front cover has a satisfying ''touchy-feely'' aspect, thanks to the slightly embossed images, stimulating sensory curiosity before the first page is even turned.

The format of the book is a fictional science academy, which encourages its 'students' to complete sets of activities before 'graduating' to the next class. Each section focuses on different scientific disciplines, as well as possible career progression in the real world. It covers laboratory work, investigative science, life science, space and earth science with lively experiments and entertaining worksheets. At the end of each section, there is a little certificate, where the child can add their name and the date to show their progression through the book.

The experiments are simple, but effective and can be achieved using items easily found within the home. For example, the ''floating ping pong ball experiment'' utilises a hairdryer and ping pong ball to study what happens when two forces act on an object. A later experiment uses a balloon and a kitchen roll tube to create a makeshift stethoscope for measuring heartbeats.

The book is beautifully presented and the experiments and activities are perfect for keeping kids busy and sparking the imagination. Who knows? This book may be the starting point to a future career in science for some of its readers.

Bookbag also enjoyed [[This is Not a Science Book: A Smart Art Activity Book by Clive Gifford]], another addition to the Ivy Press collection that simply oozes quality.  You might also get a lot out of [[Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy: Cool Ways to Remember Stuff by Steve Martin]].

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[[Category:Steve Martin]]
[[Category:Essi Kimpimaki]]