SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: JUNK DRAWER ECOLOGY
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://bobbymercerbooks.com
CITY: Asheville
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 361
http://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/mercer–bobby-contributor-234251.php
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born 1961; married; wife a family physician; children: Nicole, Jordan (daughter).
EDUCATION:University of Central Florida, B.S., 1986; University of Virginia, M.Ed., 2008.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author and educator. High-school science teacher in Chicago, IL, beginning c. 1990s. Has also taught in FL and NC.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Author and educator Bobby Mercer has drawn from more than two decades of teaching physics to create a series of fun and educational experiment books for kids. His first, Smash It! Crash It! Launch It! 50 Mind-Blowing, Eye-Popping Science Experiments, was written with Rain Newcomb and presents experiments that use everyday objects to demonstrate simple principles of physics. “The study of physics becomes appealing when combined with marshmallow catapults, potato popguns, and water-balloon launchers” in this “engaging” book, according to School Library Journal contributor Janet S. Thompson. Booklist critic Carolyn Phelan remarked that Smash It! Crash It! Launch It! has “considerably more zip than the typical science experiment book,” making it “offbeat, yes, but fun and scientifically grounded.”
Mercer explores different ways to understand science in other volumes. The Leaping, Sliding, Sprinting, Riding Science Book: 50 Super Sports Science Activities “uses sports moves and activities to teach physics and other science concepts,” as Marcia Kochel explained in School Library Journal. “This will appeal to active kids looking for science fair ideas,” Phelan predicted, “and what they learn may also be helpful on the playing fields.” Similarly, The Flying Machine Book: Build and Launch 35 Rockets, Gliders, Helicopters, Boomerangs, and More contains experiments that “offer hours of fun and an increased understanding of what makes things fly,” a Kirkus Reviews critic noted, and School Library Journal contributor John Peters praised the author’s “easy-to-follow instructions” and his suggestion to have “adult supervision where appropriate.”
Everyday objects bring science to life in Mercer’s Junk Drawer Physics: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing. “Each experiment is introduced with a clear objective,” Erin Anderson observed in Booklist, thus helping curious readers to “experience basic scientific concepts for themselves.” The activities are “fresh and different,” wrote Trina Bolfing in School Library Journal, the critic adding that Mercer “does a great job connecting activities to principles of physics.” The fun continues in The Robot Book: Build and Control 20 Electric Gizmos, Moving Machines, and Hacked Toys, wherein “those interested in tinkering with electronics” can busy themselves with finding new uses for cast-off household appliances, according to Amy M. Laughlin in School Library Journal.
Junk Drawer Chemistry: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing is another children’s instructional book focusing on readily available materials in the home that can be used for scientific experiments. The focus is on using experiments to explore concepts in and aspects of chemistry, including chemical reactions, solutions, atoms, compounds, thermodynamics, and acids and bases. Mercer includes step-by-step instructions along with photographs depicting each step. Each experiment concludes with a section titled “The Science behind It,” explaining the experiment and the chemical reactions it demonstrates. For example, one experiment involves using vinegar to turn egg into rubber. Another experiment discusses thermodynamics via making slushies. Sidebars are included throughout highlighting various chemistry facts. In the book’s introduction, Mercer explains chemistry and some of the basic science associated with the field. He also warns readers that, when dealing with chemical reactions and interactions, safety is the primary concern and that children should seek help from an adult when needed. He also tells children that they should wear old clothes just in case of a spill. “Whether for home or school use, this experiment book will get more than periodic use,” wrote Angela Leeper in Booklist. A Children’s Bookwatch contributor called Junk Drawer Chemistry “an excellent and educational activity book.”
Mercer continues his contribution to the “Junk Drawer” series with Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don’t Cost a Thing. This time the focus is on constructing things with household items, from bottle caps to the discarded tubes from paper towels. Mercer begins with an introduction explaining exactly what engineering entails, explaining that engineering is both an art and a science. He points out that readers will learn about several options to addressing an engineering project and discover that not all approaches will work. The book is broken up into three categories: energy, structures, and waves. For example, in the energy section there is the guide for making a rollercoaster with marbles. The structures section features projects such as building a tower with marshmallows and making a bridge out of pasta. In the waves section one project features building a musical instrument. The book concludes with an “Age-Appropriate Engineering” section, which features different strategies to use based on age and ability. Angela Leeper, writing in Booklist, called Junk Drawer Engineering “a fun, hands-on resource for anyone who wants to inspire STEM-minded kids.”
Mercer continues this educational series with Junk Drawer Geometry: 50 Awesome Activities That Don’t Cost a Thing and Junk Drawer Algebra: 50 Awesome Activities That Don’t Cost a Thing. In the former, suggestions for activities included using two types of crackers to demonstrate the Pythagorean theorem and creating a homemade flip book. Erica Thorsen, a contributor to School Library Journal, described the book as “accessible” and “a great addition to STEM collections and makerspaces.” “Kids who hate geometry may change their minds after trying the activities in this entry,” suggested Sharon Rawlins in Booklist. In the latter book, Mercer shares activities that involve spare change, candy, and aluminum foil to illustrate concepts in algebra. A Children’s Bookwatch critic remarked, “Educators and parents will find this title a handy guide to teach problem-solving skills and algebraic equations.”
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A further installment of the “Junk Drawer” series, Junk Drawer Ecology: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing, follows the same format as earlier titles in the series. Here, Mercer offers a hands-on guide for saving the planet from global warming. Young readers learn about the importance of the polar regions in maintaining the delicate ecological balance of the planet, about all sorts of pollution, and also how they can make a difference in the fight to save the planet by discovering ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. A major tenet of the book is learning how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Mercer has youngsters actively involved in such activities. For example, one of the experiments is building a miniature greenhouse to learn about the use of radiant heat in growing plants. All that is needed for this experiment are scissors, a thin-walled plastic bottle, some potting soil, seeds, and a marker. Other experiments teach about water and land and the danger of rising sea levels, or air and pollution. Each experiment is accompanied by clear black-and-white photographs to help with each step. Reviewing Junk Drawer Ecology in School Library Journal, Ashley Larsen commented: “This clever, hands-on guide to ecological science is an excellent resource for classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and community groups.” Similarly, a Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked: “Easy craft activities teach readers concepts of ecology. … Highly recommended for educators, home-schoolers, and any curious kid.”
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 2006, Carolyn Phelan, review of Smash It! Crash It! Launch It! 50 Mind-Blowing, Eye-Popping Science Experiments, p. 50; May 1, 2007, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Leaping, Sliding, Sprinting, Riding Science Book: 50 Super Sports Science Activities, p. 91; September 15, 2014, Eric Anderson, review of Junk Drawer Physics: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing, p. 50; October 1, 2015, Angela Leeper, review of Junk Drawer Chemistry: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing, p. 39; May 1, 2017, Angela Leeper, review of Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don’t Cost a Thing; December 1, 2018, Sharon Rawlins, review of Junk Drawer Geometry: 50 Awesome Activities That Don’t Cost a Thing, p. 45.
Children’s Bookwatch, October, 2015, review of Junk Drawer Chemistry; November, 2015, review of Junk Drawer Chemistry; August, 2017, review of Junk Drawer Engineering; December, 2019, review of Junk Drawer Algebra: 50 Awesome Activities That Don’t Cost a Thing.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2012, review of The Flying Machine Book: Build and Launch 35 Rockets, Gliders, Helicopters, Boomerangs, and More; March 15, 2017, review of Junk Drawer Engineering; December 1, 2021, Junk Drawer Ecology: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don’t Cost a Thing.
School Library Journal, December, 2006, Janet S. Thompson, review of Smash It! Crash It! Launch It!, p. 167; May, 2007, Marcia Kochel, review of The Leaping, Sliding, Sprinting, Riding Science Book, p. 160; May, 2012, John Peters, review of The Flying Machine Book, p. 131; May, 2014, Trina Bolfing, review of Junk Drawer Physics, p. 156; November, 2014, Amy M. Laughlin, review of The Robot Book: Build and Control 20 Electric Gizmos, Moving Machines, and Hacked Toys, p. 136; winter, 2018, Erica Thorsen, review of Junk Drawer Geometry, p. 78; January, 2022, Ashley Larsen, review of Junk Drawer Ecology, p. 85.*
Bobby Mercer has been a high school physics teacher for over two decades. He is the author of Junk Drawer Chemistry, Junk Drawer Physics, The Flying Machine Book, The Robot Book, and The Racecar Book.
MERCER, Bobby. Junk Drawer Ecology: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don't Cost a Thing. 272p. (Junk Drawer Science: Bk. 7). Chicago Review. Dec. 2021. pap. $16.99. ISBN 9781641605496.
Gr 5 Up--This collection of 50 low-cost, hands-on educational activities covers a broad range of ecological concepts, such as food chains and food webs, landfill design, air and water pollution, and the mechanics of ocean currents. Each activity includes a supply list, step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos, an explanation of the scientific concepts being demonstrated, and a description of how the activity could be modified for students of different ages. The book is divided into four sections: "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" covers solar energy and alternatives to plastic; "Animals and Plants" explores biodiversity, food chains, and pollination; "Water and Land" covers sink holes, melting polar ice caps, acid rain, and wildfires; and "Air" examines smog, carbon capture, and air pollution. Activities range from engineering challenges, like creating a miniature greenhouse from a plastic salad container, to different methods of modeling food chains on paper. One major strength of the book is that it relies on inexpensive and repurposed supplies, like plastic water bottles and paper clips. The activities are informative and filled with kid appeal, such as using goldfish crackers to model ways to design more sustainable fishing practices, or asking students to "mine" the chocolate chips in a muffin to model strip-mining. A glossary is included at the end. VERDICT This clever, hands-on guide to ecological science is an excellent resource for classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and community groups.--Ashley Larsen
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
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Larsen, Ashley. "MERCER, Bobby. Junk Drawer Ecology: 50 Awesome Experiments That Don't Cost a Thing." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 1, Jan. 2022, p. 85. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A688744278/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=75ec2b91. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.
Mercer, Bobby JUNK DRAWER ECOLOGY Chicago Review Press (Children's None) $14.99 12, 14 ISBN: 978-1-64160-549-6
Easy craft activities teach readers concepts of ecology.
Divided into four sections: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," "Animals and Plants," "Water and Land," and "Air," this immersive and imaginative book introduces readers, through simple craft projects, to the scientific principles that affect and explain the ecology of our planet. Using commonly available household supplies--with an emphasis on repurposing plastic bottles and paper--the activities range from making a solar oven from a pizza box and making "plastic" from milk and vinegar to learning how to estimate population sizes through random sampling. "The Science Behind It," an accompanying paragraph at the conclusion of each project, explains the activity's scientific basis and its broader ecological applications. Activities range from those safe for preschoolers to ones that need adult supervision (e.g., use of a microwave or knives) and are clearly specified in the "Science for the Ages" section after each activity; this paragraph is written for adults and gives additional research ideas. With the book's emphasis on positivity and hands-on science, kids are empowered to learn through doing. Who could resist making "Tasty Soil"--layers of cookies, whipped cream, and sprinkles--to learn about the strata of bedrock, subsoil, and topsoil, or using small fish-shaped crackers to understand sustainable fishing techniques? No frills (but clear) black-and-white photographs accompany the step-by-step text and aid in understanding each craft step.
Highly recommended for educators, home-schoolers, and any curious kid. (glossary) (Nonfiction. 4-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Mercer, Bobby: JUNK DRAWER ECOLOGY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A684108461/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8d98be6c. Accessed 3 Apr. 2022.