Sumita Mukherjee

STEAM ahead is an activity workbook for kids focusing on projects that bring together aspects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Projects are arranged in four sections, the first being projects for a party, the second focusing on building, the third on toys to make and the last on arts activities. Each project features a picture a of the final product, what materials you will needs, a difficulty rating which is explained in the introduction, approximate time the project will take, how it factors into STEAM and step-by-step instructions with pictures of the steps if necessary.

I am an informal educator and am always looking for more fun ways to integrate STEAM concepts into lessons. This workbook offers fun, hands-on activities that kids want to do! I do regularly use a few of the projects in class such as Squishy Circuits, Scribbling Bots and Absorption Art, however, the rest of the projects were new to me or things I hadn’t thought to integrate into a STEAM Lesson. So far I have tried out the LED card in class since we have all the material and it worked well with the holidays! I did this project in a lesson about electricity and circuits. The directions were easy to follow and a group of 8-10 year olds were able to understand as we went along. They had a lot of fun designing the card. One thing I do wish that the book would include is a little more information about the science behind each project, if you are not a science educator or have a strong science background, you may not be able to explain to children how exactly the circuit is working. I do look forward to trying the shoebox projector, lava pen and light up dance pad as well.
At the end of the book there is a materials checklist for every project in the book, which is handy. I do wish that there was also an index for project by concept such as which projects integrate circuitry, which projects integrate sound, properties of light, etc.

On a side note, the e-copy I received had a typo in one of the titles of a project. The Glowing Cloud project is titled Gel Notebook. The Glowing Cloud does look like a super cute Halloween costume to try out!
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.… (more)

This is a wonderful children’s adventure story set in Beijing the capital of China.

The stars are Keiko, her brother Kenzo and their pet squirrel Eji. The brother and sister are very lucky because their father Mr Kimura is a brilliant scientist and his genius has rubbed off on Kenzo.

Kenzo is naughty, and always up to mischief, however he is also very clever, and his inventions help to solve mysteries, like the one in this book.

In this adventure Miss Tyra, the history teacher has arranged to take a small group of children on an outing to Beijing. Kenzo and his Sister Keiko, their squirrel Eji, Aki (Kenzo’s best friend), and Keiko’s friends Midori and Sakura are chosen and are very excited.

They travelling around by bus, and their guide is called by Xiao. First, they visit the Forbidden City, where they have a lovely time discovering many interesting facts about the largest ancient palace in the world. Then, whilst they are in one of the Emperors chambers a scary thing happens, Miss Tyra sees a ghost!

That night Keiko starts to hear voices in the kitchen of their guest house, so she, Kenzo and Eji go to explore, but no one is there…

The next day they visit the Great Wall of China, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and they have to get on it by taking a cable car ride. However, sinister things are at foot, and Midori nearly has an accident, but she is saved by one of Kenzo’s inventions, a very handy glue gun.

The city is amazing, and the decorations and celebrations at Gong Xi Fa Cai, (Chinese New Year), are very exciting. The children even see a traditional lion dance, and the Beijing National Stadium, however the ghostly presence is still around.
Back at the guest house, the children are determined to discover where the voices are coming from, and so they wait in the dark... and then they make a discovery.

So, what do they find?

Do ghosts really exists?

Who can they hear talking, what are they saying, and what are they trying to do?

Well, all I can say is that in the end all the questions are answered, more than once Kenzo’s glue gun saves the day, and they all agree Miss Tyra is the best teacher in the world.

A wonderfully informative children’s mystery adventure, with lots of surprises and a happy ending. It is beautifully illustrated by Subhajit Das and has amazing graphics by Loo Ng Pek Mun.

I downloaded this book using my Kindle Unlimited membership and enjoyed reading it with my grandchildren.… (more)