The hands-on activities in these books help children learn through experiments and keep children engaged and interested in physics. Grades 4 through 9.

Kinetic Contraptions: Build a Hovercraft, Airboat, and More with a Hobby Motor (G6735IP)
Written by Curt Gabrielson
The two dozen contraptions found in this handy resource are assembled primarily from low-cost or recycled materials, batteries, and a single motor. Children build vehicles that move across the land, over the sea, and through the air; construct a hovercraft out of a Styrofoam plate, two corks, and binder clips; build a double paddle-wheeler out of paint stirrers, plastic bottles, and disposable knives; and more. Budding engineers gain experience working with tools, testing simple circuits, modifying and improving their designs, and building unique contraptions of their own with the skills they’ve developed. Grades 4 & up.

Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (G6736IP)
Isaac Newton almost single-handedly changed the course of scientific advancement and ushered in the Enlightenment. He invented the refracting telescope, explained the motion of planets and comets, discovered the multicolored nature of light, and created an entirely new field of mathematical understanding: calculus. Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids paints a rich portrait of this brilliant and complex man, including 21 hands-on projects that explore the scientific concepts Newton developed and the times in which he lived. Grades 4 & up.

Loco-Motion: Physics Models for the Classroom (G6737IP)
This book includes models, experiments, activities, and project ideas relating to physics and the motion of objects. Step-by-step directions are provided for each of the 25 activities in the book, but students are encouraged to explore and test new ideas as they observe and analyze the experimental data.  The materials needed are, for the most part, common and inexpensive. Grades 4 & up.

Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities (G6738IP)
In addition to learning all about Einstein’s important contributions to science, from proving the existence and size of atoms and launching the field of quantum mechanics to creating models of the universe that led to the discovery of black holes and the big bang theory, young physicists will participate in activities and thought experiments to bring his theories and ideas to life. Such activities include using dominoes to model a nuclear chain reaction, replicating the expanding universe in a microwave oven, creating blue skies and red sunsets in a soda bottle, and calculating the speed of light using a melted chocolate bar. Grades 4 & up.

10 Things All Future Mathematicians and Scientists Must Know (G3833CM)
Mathematicians and scientists have been closely tied to many famous disasters. The Challenger explosion, the failure of the Mars Orbiter, and the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse all involved thinking errors. This book presents the ten things future mathematicians and scientists must know to prevent these kinds of tragedies from occurring. Because science and mathematics instruction is often dominated by facts and calculation, children are rarely exposed to these important concepts. Over 50 stories show children the strong connections between mathematics and science and the real world. Grades 4–12.

Let's Investigate: Gadgets (G3756UF)
The Let’s Investigate series invites students to explore and investigate a broad range of science-related topics. The activities are well supported by background information, well-illustrated instructions, and challenging extension work. They require only basic science equipment, and many of the activities can be completed at home or used for Science Fair exhibitions. Grades 5 & up.