《书目》(Booklist)书评

School library media specialists and children's librarians will be delighted to know that The Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia (RISE) is now in its third edition. The first edition appeared in 1979 and the second in 1984 [RBB Ag 84]. During the past 12 years, the encyclopedia has gone from 20 volumes to 18, from 1,920 pages to 2,085, and has doubled in price. Originally a British import, it has been adapted well for an American audience. A broad range of disciplines is covered, including mathematics, psychology, and geography. There are also many biographies of famous scientists. At the beginning of each volume are directions on how to use the set, a pronunciation key, and a list of measurement abbreviations. In the body of each volume, entries are followed by the phonetic pronunciation. Following each entry are the initials of the writer and at least one (and often two or three) subject consultants, most of whom are affiliated with universities. Their names are listed in volume 1, with credentials given for the consultants. The articles range from one paragraph (Fathom, Femur, Filter Feeding) to many pages (Eye and Vision, five pages; Elements, seven pages). Many current topics of interest to children are covered: Electronic Music, Facsimile Machine, Space Travel. Throughout the set, metric measurements follow standard measurements. Volume 18 contains 34 one-page suggested projects. The projects list the materials needed, the procedures, how to draw conclusions, and suggestions for sharing the results. Topics range from volcanoes, surface tension, and refraction of light to distillation. Throughout the set, some entries carry a symbol to note that there is a related project in volume 18. Following the projects is a bibliography with books listed in broad categories such as Animals, Biography, and Medicine/Health Science. Suggested grade levels are given for each title. Publication dates range from 1970 to 1989, with most of the books published between 1982 and 1987. In the 72-page index, main entries are in boldface type, with secondary entries in regular print; illustrations are noted in italics. Volume and page numbers are given. The index is important, since some terms a child may be looking up are not main entries. For example, there is no entry Pigeon, but the index leads to the entry Dove and Pigeon. Illustrations are numerous, consisting of color photographs, drawings, and diagrams, and most pages have at least one illustration. The type used is appropriately large for children. The attractive set is bound in brightly colored paper over board with a plastic finish, and a colorful photograph appears on the cover of each volume. The volume number appears on the spine along with three-letter designations of contents. Unfortunately, sometimes the same three letters are used as both the end designation of one volume and the beginning of another. Previous editions have been criticized for their sparse cross-references. A serious attempt has been made in the current edition to correct this. In the 21/2-page article Accelerators, Particle there are 12 internal cross-references plus six see also references at the end of the entry. In the 250-word entry Dormancy there are internal cross-references to Metabolism, Hibernation, Metamorphosis, Deciduous Tree, and Herbaceous Plant. RISE continues to enjoy a lack of competition. The 25-volume Growing Up with Science is aimed toward a slightly older audience and has not been updated since 1984. The six-volume New Book of Popular Science (Grolier, 1992) is designed for an older age group. The 12-volume Macmillan Encyclopedia of Science [RBB O 15 91] is aimed at children grade 6 and up and is even more heavily illustrated than RISE. RISE has done a good job updating its material, listening to its library critics, and providing a colorful, appropriately written science reference tool for the 8- to 14-year-old. It will be heavily used in elementary and middle schools and by some reluctant readers of high school age. It is appropriate for home, school, and public library use. (Reviewed Jun. 1, 1992)