Taylor, Barbara. (1991). Sink or swim!: the science of water. New York: Random House.

This book is all about inquiry. A question is posed and the reader does an experiment, makes and records observations, and then is guided to make a conclusion. After some of the experiments, the reader is encouraged to determine why he or she got the result they did and to step forward with that knowledge to perform another experiment to further enhance his or her knowledge. The inquiry is divided into categories that are all related to water: floating and sinking, boat shapes, bottles and balloons (in water), water’s skin, floating liquids, sinking, and plants and animals (in water). Each experiment is explained clearly and simply. Color drawings and photographs accompany the instructions to illustrate the procedure; drawings of the items needed to conduct the experiment are placed at the beginning of the steps for each experiment.

Intended for an audience of upper elementary school students, this book does a good job of clearly structuring and illustrating the instructions on how to do the experiments. It does an excellent job of modeling the scientific method. Questions are posed and the experiments lead to observations, which lead to conclusions. Further, some of the experiments build on earlier observations and conclusions and then extend them to related topics, which is an excellent way to show children interrelations and to foster a spirit of inquiry. The instructions, experiments, and results are geared to an audience of older elementary school students (4th-6th grade), and they are so clear and comprehensible to that audience that they will be able to do the experiments without help from an adult. (However, the book recommends adult supervision in some cases for safety.) The language is interesting and so compelling it will draw the audience in to wanting to do the experiments. The structure aids in the book’s clarity by using headings, subheadings, boxes, and colored insets that feature each experiment’s conclusions. An index is provided, as well as a table of contents organized by illustrations. There is only one aspect of the book that is problematic; all of the people shown in both the illustrations and photographs are White, which sends a message that science is for White people only. ( )