Synopsis
Shows how detectives and forensic experts use science to do their jobs and presents experiments which explore the world of forensic science and criminal investigation.

Details
Publication Date:	1996-02-20
Illustrator:	Ed Shems

Size
Height:	10.0 in
Width:	7.3 in
Thickness:	0.2 in
Weight:	8.0 oz

Publisher's Note
Children/Science

Become a super science sleuth with . . .

Detective Science

40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activities for Kids

Search for evidence, gather clues, and discover how science can help solve a mystery. From dusting for fingerprints to analyzing handwriting, these easy, fun-filled activities give you a firsthand look at how detectives and forensic scientists use science to solve real-life crimes.

Make a plaster cast of a shoe. Identify lip prints left on a glass. Examine hair and clothing fibers. Practice chemistry to identify mystery substances, and much more.

In no time at all, you'll be thinking like a detective and performing experiments like a real forensic scientist!

Industry Reviews
An elementary introduction to such concepts as forensics, voice-prints and DNA testing, Detective Science: 40 Crime-Solving, Case-Breaking, Crook-Catching Activities for Kids by Jim Wiese shows how detectives and forensic experts use science to do their jobs. Through a variety of easy, at-home experiments, readers learn how to take and analyze fingerprints, identify blood and detect counterfeit bills. With black-and-white illustrations by Ed Shems. (Wiley, $12.95 paper 128p ages 8-12 ISBN 0-471-11980-6 Mar.)
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Gr 4-7 Wiese offers readers the opportunity to delve into the world of crime detection and forensic science. Through 40 projects and experiments, youngsters are encouraged to develop their skills of observation and creative thinking; investigate the scene of a crime; analyze evidence by means of chemistry; use biology to learn more about a crime; and analyze documents to solve it. Each project includes an introduction, a materials list, step-by-step procedures, questions, and an explanation. For many of the projects there is also a "More Fun Stuff to Do" section for extending the investigation. Notes on the need for adult help and safety cautions appear in bold print. Scattered throughout the text are "Detective Science in Action" inserts that relate the science principles behind an activity to its use in solving real-life crimes. Robert Sheely's Police Lab (Silver Moon, 1993) and Robert Gardner's Crime Lab 101 (Walker, 1992) also explore crime-detection methods, but the range of projects and Wiese's clear, lively writing make his book a particularly fine choice for this audience. It will be a valuable addition to collections where science activities are in demand, especially where Wiese's Roller Coaster Science (1994) and Rocket Science (1995, both Wiley) are popular. Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA
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