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Interesting Chemistry Book to Give for Christmas?


Mrs Twain
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I am looking for an interesting chemistry book to buy for my daughter. I know chemistry is not generally considered fun, but she has a science brain and is particularly curious about this field. For example, she watches the University of Edinburgh periodic table videos during her leisure time, which by the way are first rate if you haven't seen them.

 

Any ideas? The history of chemistry, or a basic introduction to the field, or anything of that sort may do.

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The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe is a gorgeous coffee table book that would make a nice gift.

 

Would you mind linking to the videos?

Yes, this one:)

Theodore Gray also has a stunning second book called Molecules: The Elements and Architecture of Everything

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1579129714/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1417275560&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

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Thank you, everyone.  You guys are the best!  I will be checking out all of those suggestions.

 

 

How old is she?

 

She is almost 10 but is doing more advanced work in science.

 

Theodore Gray's Elements and also Molecules are available as stunning iPad apps. I think there are also posters.

The videos we use are from University of Nottingham.

http://www.periodicvideos.com

 

Yes, these are the videos.  Not sure why I thought they were in Edinburgh.  :)

Just click on any element and there is a video.  Potassium (K) and Carbon are good ones to start with.

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Thank you, everyone. You guys are the best! I will be checking out all of those suggestions.

 

 

 

She is almost 10 but is doing more advanced work in science.

 

 

Yes, these are the videos. Not sure why I thought they were in Edinburgh. :)

Just click on any element and there is a video. Potassium (K) and Carbon are good ones to start with.

My ds liked hydrogen because of the explosions, lol.

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I think the DK Eyewitness Chemistry is fun for looking through.  And A. actually read a good deal of McHenry's Elements on his own time -- we scheduled the first chapter or so, but ended up dropping it formally, and he just kept reading it for a month or so.  It's interesting and has some history, too. 

 

And adding more support for Gray's book & stuff, and for the Basher book ...

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Also, for a 10 year old advanced in science...if she would like something on he history of each element there is a fun book called Periodic Tales: a Cultural History from Arsenic to Zinc that is very enjoyable:

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0061824739?vs=1

 

That, A Chemical Tree, Disappearing Spoon, Napoleon's Buttons, and both volumes of Cooking with Einstein, Uncle Tungsten, That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles are all the fun reads.

 

If you would like suggestions on a bit more detailed books she can use for awhile I can give you those as well.

Have you considered any chemistry games? As in Board Game style? We have a few that we play sometimes:)

One of our favorites, with various levels of play:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_box_books?k=Periodic+boardgame

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Oh! And something she might find really fun. We are huge fans of Peter Weatherall, a scientist and educator in New Zealand. He makes great songs/DVDs to learn about science and math. They are really quite detailed, and he recently made a chemistry one. I think ALL of his science and math set is around $25 and you can't beat it. In the chemistry DVD he does little five minute clips discussing/explaining each topic, then a song that hits the main points. Hubby actually plays a couple for Uni level chem classes! Quite a bit of info packed into them:). You can watch some of the clips from his website. The chem one and the Human Biology one are our favorites, as well as the math set...

 

http://www.kidsinglish.com/video_clips/chem_vids_short_clips/chem-songbook.html

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It has taken me some time to research through all of the suggestions, and I have not gotten to the end of the list yet.  And I thought no one would reply to this thread.  LOL

 

I am going to buy Gray's Elements now, and likely the Molecules book in the future.  Those look perfect for the moment.

 

I will also probably get LOF Chemistry as someone on another thread suggested. 

 

I forgot about McHenry's Elements, and I think I will try to fit that into our schedule over the next year or two.

 

I had not heard of any of the other books mentioned here such as the Basher science books and the list of others like Uncle Tungsten, but almost all of them are in my library!  What a coup since my daughter is continually running out of things to read.

 

Thank you, thank you!

 

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