Re: Middle School Physical Science Texts

[William Beaty <billb@ESKIMO.COM>]

On Tue, 27 Feb 2001, Rick Tarara wrote:
> With so much competition for young
> people's time (TV, video games, sports, other organized activities, etc.)
> there is little time for them to sit down and read.  Reading for
> comprehension--not skimming and then doing a search for key words to answer
> fill-in questions--must become a high priority in our schools.  Science and
> all the rest can then flow from that.

Definitely.  I buy my 9yr-old daughter about $30 of comic books per week.
Comic books made me what I am today!  Of course today they aren't $0.15
apiece, and instead of Richie Rich and Caspar TFG, we have Manga such as
Ranma1/2, the young (male) martial arts student who turns into a girl when
splashed with cold water.

;)

Decades ago there were failed attempts to convert great literature into
comic book form.  Then Larry Gonick worked his way up through the
Underground Comix scene and created "History of the Universe" comics in
the late 1970s, followed by "The Cartoon Guide to Genetics."  It's *very*
impressive, check it out:

  Cartoon Guide to Genetics
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062730991/

Gonick also has a "cartoon guide to physics", but it's not as good as the
first one above.  Also consider buying your kids these below.  It's a
two-volume set of world history as written by an underground cartoonist,
full of humor, sex, and murder (just like the real thing.)

   Cartoon History of the Universe v1-7
   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385265204/

   Cartoon H. of the U. v8-13, springtime in China to the fall of Rome
   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385420935/

Amazon Review:
If Larry Gonick had written the ancient history books, chances are we
would all be staying awake during world history class. This book is not
only funny, but informative as well. Both trivial and essential topics are
addressed and explained in wonderful cartoon detail. If this book doesn't
get you excited about ancient history, then my friend give up hope,
because if this doesn't nothing will. Gonick takes us from the beginning
of time to Alexander the great, and it's a fun and memorable ride the
whole way. OH, but don't be discouraged by it's large size. Chances are
you'll finish it in a day or two AT THE MOST!! It's so entertaining,
you'll take it with you to the carpool and read it while you 'work'. This
book will double you IQ, I gurantee it. And you'll becoming back to it no
mattter how many times you reread it. I can not recommend this book
enough, if I could change the history text book ciriculum to include this
I would. But I can't so you'll just have to settle for the next best
thing.

((((((((((((((((((((( ( (  (   (    (O)    )   )  ) ) )))))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty                                  SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb@eskimo.com                                  http://www.amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits          science projects, tesla, weird science
Seattle, WA   206-789-0775          freenrg-L taoshum-L vortex-L webhead-L