Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I'm always torn when it comes to books like these. On the one hand, I've criticized kids' project books in the past for having expensive specialty ingredients (the Secrets of Slime Recipe Book comes to mind); on the other hand, a book like this, which uses all craft sticks and rubber bands and paper towel tubes just looks cheap. I didn't mind the "Water Clock" and "Solar Water Distiller" because these are just demonstrations to help solidify concepts. But this is an Engineering Book in particular and when I get to projects where an interested child is trying to build something REAL, I just balk at her approach. Why not do the real thing? With real tools, real wood, and real respect for the child. How does this support a child who has an authentic interest in engineering -- not someone you're just trying to keep quiet by handing over the contents of your kitchen junk drawer -- and truly wants to learn how to design and build? For that child, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air by Walter Kraul is a much better choice. Or you could go with The American Boy's Handy Book (which, since it was published in 1882 can be found online completely for free). I just think this book fills an odd niche, creating projects for kids which are supposed to teach them engineering but actually gives them incorrect supplies and incorrect tools and forces them to just end up creating something that's headed for the trash bin. Do you really think that any of these projects are things that children will keep for years? And, if not, why are you asking them to do them? I have no issue with "Process not Product" in Art. But Engineering is a different discipline and I think this book ends up coming off as disrespectful to the true capacities of children. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and am giving a non-compulsory honest review.