Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After receiving a 28-piece microscope kit for Christmas that had a plastic scope that broke within 5 minutes, we were in a dilemma: Our son decided he really wanted a microscope, but we didn't want to get burned again. After much research, a science teacher at my school said she bought this for her child. She said the quality was great and that it does things some of the scopes in her high school lab didn't do. We bought it for our son's birthday and it's a huge hit! It is made of very durable materials, is easy to use, and is an extremely high quality for the price. My sons are 7 and 9 and we've had a blast with it! The fact that it's a duo allows you to view slides and objects they pick up around the house. The were amazed when we put different types of print under it to see the difference. I bought a book that Amazon recommended to go with it, and the box of extra slides they listed, and I see us having hours of educational fun. If you don't get a book of experiments and activities, you might run out of ideas quicker. With the great bargain you're getting on the scope, another $10 on a book isn't a huge deal. We haven't used any of the slide-making tools that came with it, but there's a nice bag of goodies. This is a great product that will allow the family to enjoy together and learn in the process. I seriously see this as something we'll use through high school, and will help immensly when the dreaded science projects start being assigned! Don't spend any more money than this. It's just not necessary! From personal experience, research before buying anything cheaper. You'll be compromising on quality and possibly trying to explain to your child why his Christmas present needs to go in the trash.