100 Award-Winning Science Fair Projects. Glen Vecchione. (Illus.) NY: Sterling Publishing Company Inc., 2001. 208pp. $21.95. 200102089. ISBN 0806942614. Index; C.I.P.
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Complete Handbook of Science Fair Projects, revised ed. Julianne Blair Bochinski. (Illus.; from the Wiley Science Editions Series.) NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1996. xviii+221pp. $14.95 (paper). 95-22791. ISBN 0-471-12377-3. Glossary; Index; C.I.P.
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Harried parents or teachers seeking ideas for science fair projects will find this resource a godsend. A best-seller now in a revised edition, the book starts with a section on how to conduct an experiment, record and evaluate results, and then put it all together in an informative and appealing display. In the process, the student is exposed to many of the tools of the working scientist, such as statistical analysis and graphing. Besides the 50 experiments described, an additional 400 ideas are suggested in Appendix A. Other appendices list suppliers of scientific materials and science fairs on a state-by-state and county basis. This inexpensive and useful collection is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in middle and secondary school science fairs or honors projects.

Getting Started in Science Fairs: From Planning to Judging. Phyllis J Perry. (Illus. by Debra Ellinger.) Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, Inc., 1995. xv+183pp. $14.95 (paper). 94-44103. ISBN 0-07-049526-2. Index; C.I.P.
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Perry's book will prove a useful for parents suddenly facing a science fair deadline or for teachers needing some last-minute ideas. The first part of the book deals with the format for science fairs, the role of parents and teachers, and scientific theory. After this introduction, the author gets to the heart of the matter by offering 77 detailed projects in such varied fields as botany, earth science, engineering, zoology, microbiology, and the health, behavioral, and computer sciences.

Janice VanCleave's Guide to the Best Science Fair Projects. Janice VanCleave. (Illus.) NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1997. iv+156pp. $14.95 (paper). 96-27512. ISBN 0-471-14802-4. Glossary; Index; C.I.P.
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In this volume, VanCleave's focus on critical thinking and well-formulated hypothesis testing reflects the way scientific research is actually conducted in the world, outside the classroom. The content is well researched and scientifically accurate. Short introductory chapters on the scientific method and on project research, implementation, reports, displays, and evaluation are a valuable tool for anyone guiding students in conducting scientific inquiry in any setting. The many different ideas presented encourage students to develop solid, testable questions as the basis for original research that will ultimately form their projects.

Means and Probabilities: Using Statistics in Science Projects. Melanie Jacobs Krieger. (Illus.; from the Experimental Science Series.) Danbury, CT: Franklin Watts, 1996. 144pp. $17.02. 95-49013. ISBN 0-531-11225-X. Glossary; Index; C.I.P.
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This is an excellent introduction to elementary statistics and statistical methodology. It is appropriate for the high school and middle school levels. Its subtitle, "Using Statistics in Science Projects," gives a hint as to the kinds of examples provided. The examples of the use of statistics in science projects and the pictures of young people doing science might make statistics seem useful and fun to students who would otherwise think of the subject as dull and boring. Among the topics presented are descriptive statistics, the normal distribution, and hypothesis testing. There is also an appendix on statistic calculators.

Quick-But-Great Science Fair Projects. Shar Levine and and Leslie Johnstone. (Illus. by Emily S. Edliq.) NY: Sterling Publishing Company Inc., 2000. 96pp. $19.95. 99-087162. ISBN 0806959398. Index; C.I.P.
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This book makes every experience as fun as it is successful with advice on picking a topic, finding an expert and writing a letter asking for help, writing a report, and presenting and displaying a project - as well as tips on what judges look for and hints for teachers and parents. Whether students want to explore the effect of calcium loss in bones or learn how the sun's energy is collected and stored, there's an experiment here that will challenge and satisfy everyone's curiosity.

Science Fair Projects for Elementary Schools: Step by Step. Patricia Hachten Wee. (Illus.) Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 1998. ix+235pp. $26.50. 98-30432. ISBN 0-8108-3543-6. Index; C.I.P.
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Patricia Wee has advised and encouraged students in science fair project work for many years and had written another book on the subject in 1996. Although her teaching experience is at the high school level, she had made a nice transition in gearing her material to the elementary-school-aged child. Her format and presentation of the subject matter are highly structured and easy to follow. Her use of the "Curiosity Bug," a drawing of a bug with wide eyes and antennae, as a visual tool and a first-person instructor keeps the young reader focused.

Science Fair Projects: Helping Your Child Create a Super Science Fair Project. Dana M. Barry. (Illus. by Howard Chaney; from the Creative Kids Series.) Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials, 2000. 160pp. $19.95. 00-107858. ISBN 1576906000. C.I.P.
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This book should prove very useful both to students who are trying to develop a project and to teachers who are implementing such activities in their classrooms. The book is particularly strong in its systematic approach to the topic. It is divided into major sections: the basics of the experimental method, ideas for specific projects, planning, and implementing a project, and sample projects that provide useful models for how to proceed. There are also good discussions of techniques for systematically collecting, recording, and displaying data, along with practice sections for data analysis, including use of ratios and percentages and drawing various types of graphs and charts. The book's strong organization should also be helpful to teachers in clarifying their own thinking about science fair assignments.

Science Fair Success in the Hardware Store. Salvatore Tocci. (Illus.; from the Science Fair Success Series.) Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2000. 112pp. $19.95. 99-35531. ISBN 0766012875. Glossary; Index; C.I.P.
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Science Fair Success Using Supermarket Products. 98-25945. ISBN 0-7660-1172-0. Order

These volumes are two of six in a series featuring scientific phenomena that are practical to demonstrate or manipulate in the ordinary environment with ordinary materials from hardware stores, supermarkets, sporting goods stores, garden shops, and so on. These books enable the student to conceive a project that is achievable without being a "cookbook" specification of any given science-fair project.

Science Fair Success, revised and expanded. Ruth Bombaugh. (Illus.; from the Science Fair Success Series.) Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 1999. 128pp. $19.95. 98-3297. ISBN 0-7660-1163-1. Index; C.I.P.
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This book is an excellent guide for any student who has to research, prepare, and present a science project. The reader is taken, clearly and concisely, through all steps that are required, from selecting the topic to the final presentation. The illustrations are of high quality and clearly show what is being explained. There is even a section on talking to the judges. Everything needed to complete a project is included, from listings of Web sites (9 pages), writing tools (Modern Language Association references), and suppliers (20 pages) to construction hints and, finally, prizewinning projects (125, divided into categories). The book is well written and direct; it should be in every science class and department.

Science Fair Success Using the Internet. Marc Alan Rosner. (Illus.; from the Science Fair Success Series.) Springfield, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 1999. 112pp. $19.95. 98-25945. ISBN 0-7660-1172-0. Index; C.I.P.
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Today, students who are doing science projects have more choices regarding where to get information. Now, they can get current and detailed information quickly from the Internet. This book is a great one for middle-grade students to learn how to use the Internet to enhance their research projects and could also be useful for high school students. At the beginning, of the volume, the author presents a brief history of the Internet and gives guidelines for preparing a science project. Throughout the book students are reminded to use the Internet to enhance their projects, not as their projects.

Super Science Fair Sourcebook. Maxine Haren Iritz. (Illus.) NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1996. viii+248pp. $17.95 (paper). ISBN 0-07-032849-8. Glossary; Index; C.I.P.
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Essentially an updated and expanded version of the author's 1987 book, Science Fair: Developing a Successful and Fun Project, Super Science Fair Sourcebook reflects the increased use and advantages of the computer in all phases of science fair efforts, from literature searches, to the recording, organization, and analysis of data, to the preparation of displays. In the manner of a useful sourcebook, this one presents an extensive array of checklists, tables, forms, formats, flowcharts, rules, and addresses of key resources interspersed throughout the attractive, albeit somewhat laborious (e.g., 25 pages of tedious line-by-line programming, menus, lists, and editing keys on pages 107 to 132) text.

Sure-to-Win Science Fair Projects. Joe Rhatigan with Heather Smith. (Illus.) NY: Lark Books, 2001. 128pp. $21.95. 2001016505. ISBN 1579902383. Index; C.I.P.
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Did you just say, "Aargh! I have no idea in this whole wide world what to so this science fair project on?" No Problem! The Answer can be found in this book by Joe Rhatigan - and not just "what," but the "how to do it," too. That includes everything from developing a plan of action to learning what you can expect when you get there. Best of all, take your pick from 51 sure-to-win projects, many from real science fairs.