The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids: Homemade Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome Chemists, Past and Present

by Liz Lee Heinecke

Replicate a chemical reaction similar to one Marie Curie used to purify radioactive elements! Distill perfume using a method created in ancient Mesopotamia by a woman named Tapputi! Aspiring chemists will discover these and more amazing role models and memorable experiments in Chemistry for Kids, the debut book of The Kitchen Pantry Scientist's Guides series.

This engaging guide offers a series of snapshots of 25 scientists famous for their work with chemistry, from ancient history through today. Each lab tells the story of a scientist along with some background about the importance of their work, and a description of where it is still being used or reflected in today’s world. A step-by-step illustrated experiment paired with each story offers kids a hands-on opportunity for exploring concepts the scientists pursued, or are working on today. Experiments range from very simple projects using materials you probably already have on hand, to more complicated ones that may require a few inexpensive items you can purchase online. Just a few of the incredible people and scientific concepts you'll explore:

Galen b. 129 AD 
Make soap from soap base, oil and citrus peels.
Modern application: medical disinfectants

Joseph Priestly b. 1733
Carbonate a beverage using CO2 from yeast or baking soda and vinegar mixture.
Modern application: soda fountains

Alessandra Volta b. 1745
Make a battery using a series of lemons and use it to light a LED.
Modern application: car battery

Tu Youyou b. 1930
Extract compounds from plants.
Modern application: pharmaceuticals and cosmetics

People have been tinkering with chemistry for thousands of years. Whether out of curiosity or by necessity, Homo sapiens have long loved to play with fire: mixing and boiling concoctions to see what interesting, beautiful, and useful amalgamations they could create. Early humans ground pigments to create durable paint for cave walls, and over the next 70 thousand years or so as civilizations took hold around the globe, people learned to make better medicines and discovered how to extract, mix, and smelt metals for cooking vessels, weapons, and jewelry. Early chemists distilled perfume, made soap, and perfected natural inks and dyes.

Modern chemistry was born around 250 years ago, when measurement, mathematics, and the scientific method were officially applied to experimentation. In 1896, after the first draft of the periodic table was published, scientists rushed to fill in the blanks. The elemental discoveries that followed gave scientists the tools to visualize the building blocks of matter for the first time in history, and they proceeded to deconstruct the atom. Since then, discovery has accelerated at an unprecedented rate. At times, modern chemistry and its creations have caused heartbreaking, unthinkable harm, but more often than not, it makes our lives better.

With this fascinating, hands-on exploration of the history of chemistry, inspire the next generation of great scientists.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Stem

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant way to do a science book for kids -- kids read a short biography of a scientist in history with a fun illustration of the person, and then do a science experiment based on the scientist's discoveries. Many of the materials are things you find around the house but you will need to purchase some things such as pourable soap kits, alligator clips, water dispensers and a color-reading smart phone app. A resource supply list is provided at the back.

There is great diversity in the scientists, and there are probably more women than men are featured. The scientists start in ancient Mesopotamia with fragrance distillation and learning about a woman named Tapputi-Bilatikallim around 1200 BC, and go right through to present day with a scientist named Raychelle Burks and colormetric sensors. Twenty-five scientists and experiments are featured in all. Topics include the pH scale, DNA, dispersion of environmental contaminants (Rachel Carson of Silent Spring), olfactory chemistry, surface tension, synthetic dyes, carbonation, oxidation, batteries (the lemon battery experiment), medicinal plant compounds (based on Nobel Prize winning Chinese scientist Tu Youyou, who studied ancient Chinese herbal remedies and discovered that wormwood would kill malaria even though modern experiments seemed to say it didn't work -- because she realized in the traditional recipes it was never boiled), and so on.

Experiments reflect the nature of the discovery but change the details. For instance, in the herbal remedy experiment kids will simply gather aloe vera gel from leaves to use as a sunburn remedy. Color photos of kids doing the steps are provided for every experiment.

This would make an excellent resource for homeschoolers doing elementary or middle school chemistry. (Note: For homeschoolers, I would pair it with one of two excellent free chemistry resources for kids that are available online, either the American Chemical Society's 700 page middle school text (see http://magicalchildhood.com/homeschoo...) or the excellent free online flexbooks that you can customize at www.ck12.org).

This is a colorful, fun book that will teach kids much about the history of science and also provide some pretty interesting experiments that they can learn along with. Highly recommended.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many cool experiments, information on the chemistry and scientists behind the experiments.

I liked seeing so many female scientists represented, very good!

Our favourite experiment was the lemon battery, which we gave a twist by adding a bowl of Sauerkraut to the circuit. Great fun!

[AcademicEditor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous! It is organized by profiles of the scientists credited with discovering various fundamentals (everything from the PH scale to DNA), followed by an experiment (with photo instructions) and then a box that helps parents/teachers contextualize the finding within the broader context of history. A perfect resource for homeschooling / distance learning families who want more hands-on activities.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

[Etienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun chemistry book for kids. What I like about it and what make it stand out of the lot is the fact that there is quite a lot of interesting and well explained information/theory and then an experimentation, not just random activity, but good contents about who discover that «process» and why it does what it does. So it's more than fun, it's also educative. Well done!

[Ula · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 of out 5 🌟Beautifully illustrated and easy to follow

Liz Heinecke is an author of the KitchenPantryScientist.com blog where for more than 10 years she’s been showing funny and home-accessible experiments to perform with kids at home. Liz has also her own YouTube channel with step-by-step instructions and overviews. This publication is another science guide written by the author but is different from previous ones and offers readers much more than just instructions.
The book ‘Chemistry for Kids’ is focused on both experiments and the history behind them. Each chapter describes people from the past who discovered that specific concept along with a full description of ingredients, steps, and photo-guide of an exercise. At the end of the book, there’s a small glossary and more resources for further research.

I love beautiful illustrations and ‘Chemistry for kids’ makes me extremely happy to just flip the pages with admiration. Pictures painted by Kelly Anne Dalton are remarkably eye-catching what makes the whole book gorgeously decorated. In addition to rich paintings, each experiment is portrayed by clear and vivid photos taken by Amber Procaccini. It’s a great combination for a pleasant reading experience.

This book is so much more than just experiments on Liz Lee Heinecke's blog! Gorgeous illustrations and pictures plus interesting histories of great men and women of science. It’s also a work about women and their impact on chemistry and our everyday lives, empowering both girls and boys to engage in STEM activities.

I subtracted one star because just after receiving the book, I found myself having to buy components for almost all of the listed experiments. I’d use a handy list of must-have ingredients to avoid some frustration. Finally, the book isn’t a magic solution for parents who don’t have time for home experiments. Each exercise takes time to prepare and patience to follow, therefore parent supervising is essential.

*Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.*

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids is a fun and accessible STEAM book for young learners (really, all ages including adults) by Liz Heinecke. Due out 5th May 2020 from Quarto on their Quarry imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The format of this book is appealingly different. Readers are given a short biography of an iconic scientist (Preistly, Curie, Ada Yonath, Alice Ball, and many more). The lab part of each chapter allows students to recreate similar experiments to the ones for which the scientists are well known.

The illustrations are colorful and engaging. The photography is top notch - clear and well formatted. The lab exercises are well written and the underlying theory is well explained in layman/kid accessible language. Safety is paramount and the parts which need adult supervision are clearly delineated. The ingredients and tools used in the labs are easily accessible and inexpensive.

I've been hammering on since the early days of my blog on the importance of STEAM education for our youngsters because they're the next generation of doctors, researchers, engineers, artists, and teachers. It's nice to see books which are fun and worthwhile - this one definitely is. The author's choice of scientists was also a pleasant surprise and there will be a number of them who are likely unfamiliar to most readers.

In these days of home-schooling and social distancing, keeping the learning process fun and fresh can be daunting. This books is an entertaining and valuable resource in the toolbox.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[FOLIO · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Chemistry for Kids by Liz Lee Heinecke is a brilliant family book for bringing science to life at home, featuring 25 short, illustrated biographies of chemists throughout the ages with a do-in-your-kitchen experiment linked to each of their fields research.

As well as some famous chemists, such as Marie Curie, many less well known scientists are featured (ensuring something in this book even for those who are keen budding scientists). A good number of women and researchers from across the world are included; it’s great to see this diverse representation of scientists showing all children how any of them could go on to change the world with their own scientific discoveries.

The experiments are adapted so you can carry them out at home with minimal resources and relatively little adult supervision. The instructions are accompanied by (almost) step by step photos (with kids from a wide range of backgrounds doing the experiments), and there’s always a challenge, encouraging young scientists to extend the experiment in a new way. Experiments include making your own soda water, lighting up LEDs with lemons, distilling essential oils, making dyes and much more. This book could be enjoyed by kids as young as 5 (with input from their grownups) but could equally well be enjoyed by early teens left to their own devices in the kitchen.

A couple of tiny typos (the wrong date for the publication of the first draft of the periodic table by Mendeleev, and a misspelling of Marie Curie’s birth name) detract slightly from what is otherwise an excellent, informative, fun and engaging book. Definitely one to look out for.

[Reviewed by Zoe for FOLIO]

[Kiersten · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids got a huge kick out of this book, and I found it to be a great supplemental resource for helping my son learn his fifth grade science lesson on chemical bonds. for my first grader it was just fun to watch the reactions, but with my son, it helped him to see how those bonds from his lessons can change in a safe and fun format. I will be recommending this book to all my friends with kids, as it will be great for jazzing up those lessons the teachers are sending out. I may recommend this to the teachers as well.

[Amit Verma · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very attractive science book. It showcases main processes behind chemistry.
It has wonderful pictures and illustrations. It introduces children to scientists who discovered main breakthroughs in the field of chemistry.
And then there is demonstrating experiment that kids can do at home.
A very interactive and readable book. It is very heartening to find so many female scientists in there. Rosalind Franklin and Dr tau youyou need all the recognition.
A very good book for teenagers willing to make their chemistry simpler.

[Nicoletta LaSirenissima · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for kids in elementary school and in highschool.

My girls always asking things and want to know how stuff works.

This book explains about the person who first encounter the subject and the you get to do your own experiment.

So you get to learn and have fun at the same time.

We had a lot of fun doing those experiments.
Thanks for letting me read this book.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biographies of scientists with an experiment that illustrates the principles that they are known for. Each step is accompanied by photographs but sometimes the purpose isn't clear until three steps later why you are doing something and it is for an off-shoot of the experiment. Overall, not a bad book, the better half was the bios and paintings of the scientists.

[Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I never took chemistry in school and wanted to at least get an introduction. I loved the mix of historical figure bios, including lots of women, which inspired each of the labs in the book. I learned a lot and feel like I could definitely dive in more!

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is super cool. Very excited to share it with a student through direct giving or LFL as this copy was donated to Stags Read.

[Gladimore · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my son is older, this would be so fun and educational to do!

[Sharley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a fabulous layout and really shows the science and history behind the chemistry tasks. The phots added colour and made it seem fun. I think this book is aimed at children older then my 7&9 year old and I’m not sure the line telling you you are likely to have most of the things required already at home.....we didn’t!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brightly illustrated with simple instructions and common household items, this title does an excellent job of making chemistry fun and relevant. Includes history on each of the chemists associated with the principle you'll be exploring in the experiment, including a good variety of women. You may be familiar with some of the experiments from your own childhood, but the presentation provides a good explanation of what's happening and encourages children to record their observations. We may tackle a few of these during our coronavirus self-isolation/social distancing period to make use of easy learning opportunities.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kitchen Pantry Scientist Chemistry for Kids covers 25 chemist from modern day to ancient history. It provides details of the scientist and their work, along with an experiment to try yourself.

Each of the experiments come with a history of the chemist, a cute illustration of them, how to do the experiment yourself along with safety tips and a story behind the chemistry. The experiments themselves list the ingredients and items you require plus comes with colour photographs to accompany the written steps.

Some of the experiments included are making soap, carbon dioxide, rust, chemical batteries, dyes and many more. There is plenty to pick from and some are quick to do and some take a bit of time. Some of the ingredients you may have at home, some come from specialist suppliers and others can be bought in the supermarket. Included at the rear of the book is a glossary, resources and references plus the periodic table

This is a great book for showing children and teens some fun experiments, and would certainly be good to do whilst the schools are closed during these COVID times and beyond.

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book to read and learn that not only kids will enjoy but the adults too! The book gives a brief description of the scientists important work is described and if it is still being used. It does include some background of the scientist. There is an experiment at the end of the information given about the scientist. The experiments given contains materials usually already available in your home. Occasionally, you may need to buy some material. The experiments are simple yet the few I tried were fascinating. With Maria S. Merian ‘s experiment given, I went beyond it and studied the different spiders in my house. Did you know that Charles Darwin wrote a book about earthworms? I didn’t but I do now! What an inspiring book! It might make the kids who use this book become inspired to become a scientist!

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engage your children with chemistry experiments using things you have in your pantry! I've already ordered a copy for my library and will be ordering one for myself!