Grinity, I like how you combine helpful advice, humor, and veiled criticism (of textbooks in this case)
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Caught me! But really, I'm almost completely double minded about this question. One mind has completely come to accept that my kid is developmentally on a different path, and that if something works for a heterogeneous group of kids 3 years older than him, then of course it'll be perfect for my kid. He's just built that way. Then my other mind is outraged at how low the bar is set for the general group, and is sure that with the right materials and teaching that the whole group could achieve a lot more, and by the way, aren't I wonderful ((humor alert)) for giving my kid the platform he needed to get where he is? ((Of course by this logic, aren't I terrible not giving him a stronger platform so that he could have achieved more?)) So I sort of hoover like an electron cloud in these possible orbitals. I sort of hope that I'm on a progression from mind 2 to mind 1, because I like myself better in mind 1. But I guess I wouldn't be trying to sell my services to help parents provide enrichment for their bright kids at home if I didn't believe to a small degree in mind 2.
/self examination
But - a colorful, shallow overview can serve a wonderful purpose as a jumping off point for a really good classroom experience, which my son did get in 6th,7th and 8th grade science class. History is similar - his 8th grade teacher used the text as introduction and overview and gave them tons of 1 or 2 page copies of original source material. My hat is off to her still. I just love that in Middle School the culture finally gets it that Abstract Knowledge is in the ballpark for kids and tries to reach in and bring kids there. I'm not going to be an expert in everything, there just isn't time, so I love a good scaffold or overview when I find it. I think Middle School and High School Level Textbooks are also great for parents to use as an outline when 'having conversations' with kids who aren't ready to grasp the material.
So maybe the answer of 'what to do next' is different for parents who swim in science and those who don't have it inside them - perhaps a tutor, even a High School teacher or student is the missing ingredient for some families.
Also - The Teaching company and magazines aimed at adult readership, such as popular science, maybe blog.makezine.com/home-page-include/
and maybe to schedule a visit to a Maker Faire? blog.makezine.com/home-page-include/
I guess visit a bookstore/library and browse the racks to see what level works for you and your child.
Hope that helps,
Grinity
