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Colinsmum
Also I just noticed James Kakalios has a book out dealing with Quantum Physics. If it's like his 'Superheroes' book it should be good. I'll have to wait for some reviews.

Hi Raddy
Is the superhero book all words or are there graphics too? My DS 4.5 would LOVE this but I worry it might be too complicated. And I am worried it might be too scary - the Amazon review mentions death of a character. He did very well with the George and the Secret Key to the Universe but that had a story and some pictures. He absorbs the material in the brainwaves DK books but that is dominated by the pictures he adores. I would like to keep offering more sophisticated material in the sciences but stymied by the approach. k-6th grade level space stuff he seems to have absorbed, not sure how to go beyond that and still deal with his preferences and emotional age. We do use websites and stuff but he is crazy for books so always needing more. I haven't been able to find the Uncle Albert's which I know he would love, my library doesn't have them and amazon is out.

DeHe

DeHe

I thought the super hero book would be a comic book, but unfortunately it's not. I will say that to explain things in terms of what super heroes can do is a really good idea, as you can 'see' in your mind what is meant to happen and why it either is, or isn't, possible. There are no equations. But it's not 'graphical'
having said that, there are some pictures but they're extracts form old comic books in black and white, so your son mightn't go for it.

I wonder, I have recommended 'Eureka' on YouTube before now as a brilliant explanation of basic physics (ie Newtonian). It's about 27 5 minute episodes with little cartoon characters - they actually look a littler like the 'Brainwaves'. brilliant!

Another great 'science' book (and also a TV series on DVD available in Europe only as a series I think) that your son might like is 'the way things work'. I think this is a DK book
http://www.amazon.com/New-Way-Thing..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288116771&sr=8-1

is your son interested in literature?

He loves the way think work books - a great one was transformed - it showed schematics of the processes - like how are potato chips made. I just decided that he was probably ready for the David McCauley version. And anything from DK usually seems great - all the encyclopedias are awesome And from there we can do castles, etc. Non science reading, he loves mysteries so we did the A to Z's, the Capital mysteries and now the Calendar mysteries. Ron Roy was perfect because they were so "nice" no one was mean, there was no pre-teen angst, it was perfect! He really likes the Graeme Base books, waiting for the new one.

Because of his skills, I initially stopped getting him picture books not realizing that he still "needed" to read those. We just read a hilarious one called Chester by Melanie Watt. But he is not reading Harry Potter or Narnia or anything like that which I think he would adore because they all have story elements which would be too scary. Its a tough balancing act between his scientific interests, his reading skill level and his emotional level - which is on the fraidy cat side!

DeHe

DeHe - I'm going to look at those.

DOn't want to get too off topic, but there is agreat literature series here in the UK called "Classical Comics". they do some Shakespeare, Dickens, Bronte I think - as well as Mary Shlley. the great thing about them is that they come in original, modern or quick teact so you can chose the level you want.

Anyway - I am getting into Jim al Khalili "Quamtum - A Guide For the Perplexed" (chapter 3 so far) and I'm keeping up with him. I will start reading it together with little'un in a few days time.

"What is the quantum anatomy of a human being?

The vital force is not enclosed in man, but radiates around him like a luminous sphere , and it may be made to act at distance. Through these rays of subtle form, the imagination of man may produce healthy or morbid effects.� Paracelsus (1493-1541)
�non-locality, dislocality, entanglement�
Homeopathy is a vital body medicine. It has to address this layer of information which is unseen. It has to do with the morphogenetic field."

This is what i meant by saying most of my understanding of quantum physics is fantasy and spiritual, but now I am studying so i can be educated and learn to discuss scientifically (maybe mathmatically too) the intuitive knoweledge i have discussed and gathered over the years from more primitive, yet still accurate models. I'm totally into studying, quantifying, and discussing people, our bodies, minds, and essence. I hope quantum physics and math can "fill in the gaps" for me.

I will be eagerly watching this thread. Many thanks for bringing it up. Thank you for the links and book suggestions, even though surfing the links kept me up all night (thanks a lot lucounu).

Iam finding Asimov's "Undwerstanding Physics" quite enlightening - as usual - from the great man. It cost me 2 limbs (one upper and one lower) to get it from the US but he is an absolute gem.

Get his guide to Shakespeare - outstanding.

last night we watched Jim AlKhalili program 2 of his BBC series Atom (you might find it onn Youtube). I think the next program will be heading into Quantum territory

Just found this site which has some inteesting recommends.
http://unschoolgirls.blogspot.com/2010/02/quantum-physics-for-kids.html