The Joy of Chemistry: A Quick Study Guide for Kids and Beginners to Learn Chemistry Using Fun Analogies and Examples Paperback – May 3, 2021

We purchased this book as part of a main homeschool Chemistry curriculum. Today the kids and I completed all the chapters, and we have learned so much! I wish I learned Chemistry this way in high school. Dr. Elkhadragy did a fantastic job summarizing the basics of chemistry, and presenting Chemistry in a more kid-friendly way. I’m sure the kids and I will remember most of the concepts explained in this book.

My elementary and middle school aged kids really enjoyed this! They got it and I just might have also!! 😊

While science isn't the type of book that I would normally read the author asked me if I would review there book and since it was a short read I agreed. This particular book covers a subject that I luckily didn't have to take when I was in school. Obviously I did learn some of it through some of the other science courses that I had through the years. Plus I've had the opportunity in life to learn bits and pieces of it. For a short read that is meant to get children more interested I found this to be an excellent book. If I had this one when my children were younger I would have read it to them. I like the way they use analogies to make their science more agreeable to people that aren't familiar with it. The bits of testing at the end of each chapter are actually fun to do. I think this book would be useful to any parent of a younger child or even 2 children who are just taking up sciences entry in high school. I would actually find it interesting to see what my junior in high school would think of it compared to the course that they're actually taking right now. Getting them to actually sit down and read it may be challenging though. In the end I have to say that I definitely did learn a few things from this book that I did not understand about the periodic table of elements. Overall a good read for anyone.

The Joy of Chemistry by Dr. Nervana Elkhadragy is 8 short chapters and a total of 51-pages long. Each chapter has a knowledge check and the answers to those questions.The author offered me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I reluctantly accepted, having no real fascination with Chemistry, but found the author’s enthusiasm tempting.While I found the print a little small for my eyes, I like the short chapters, example, and the analogies.It has been a long time since I studied Chemistry and when I began reading this study guide, I have to admit that I forgot most of it. The author is clearly enthusiastic about this subject and did simplify and explain things well, but I find that even with a great book, Chemistry requires a great deal of memorizing.The author did an excellent job explaining the periodic table, how it arranged, and why some symbols got their elements their names. I thought he did a better job explaining than what I remember from other textbooks in college. My only suggestion for the author is to take a good look at the figures and eliminate those that are not really age appropriate or useful.This study guide is fairly easy to grasp, especially at the beginning; however, like all difficult subjects to really grasp the information in this book requires diligent study and focus.I recommend this book to to beginning Chemistry students.Enjoy!

Dr. Elkhadragy is the teacher I wish every young person could have when it comes to introducing complex and exciting scientific concepts. I sure wish she could have introduced me to chemistry instead of the bored, and boring, middle-aged teacher I had in high school. Her enthusiasm leaps off the page, turning this spare little volume into something akin to a marvelous treasure map.Make no mistake, this is no Chemistry for Dolts knock-off, but rather a lively and thoughtful discussion of “the branch of science that deals with the identification of the substances of which matter is composed; the investigation of their properties and the ways in which they interact, combine, and change.”*Dr. Elkhadragy makes her subject accessible to young minds by a clever use of storytelling and analogy. What better way to describe states of matter than imagining oneself in a bathtub, where an outstretched hand encounters air (gas), water (liquid), or a wall (solid)? Or at a backyard picnic with sedentary adults (solids), active teenagers (liquids), and high-energy, “all over the place” toddlers (gas).Rather than a summary at the end of each chapter, Dr Elkhadragy employs a “Knowledge Check,” with fill-in-the-blanks quizzes, rewarding the reader for paying close attention and grasping increasingly complex concepts. I can imagine her young readers, on entering chemistry class in high school, realizing they are already armed with a reasonable idea of what they will be studying throughout the year.I encourage you to check out this delightful book and see for yourself just how good it is.*Oxford Languages (dictionary publisher)

This book, at first, was fascinating the way the author used people to explain chemistry. I found myself getting all the answers correct. But as I continued, I got confused and lost track of what I was learning. Having never taken chemistry, I got very little from the book. It just didn’t work for me.

The Joy of Chemistry - it sounds like an unlikely kids' book topic, yet even just a quick flip through the pages reveals that there is, in fact, quite a lot of joy in the subject, especially for kids. This book is a great way to introduce kids to scientific concepts and principles of chemistry. It is written in a voice that is engaging and easy to follow (even if you, like me, are rather scientifically illiterate). There are diagrams and illustrations to help explain the information, rendering the book accessible and informative. I enjoyed flipping through it, as did my soon-to-be-8 year old daughter (who, in addition to being NOT scientifically illiterate, is also scientifically curious). It's a great way to introduce the topic to a beginner, young or not-so-young.Thanks to the author for my obligation-free review copy.