Encased in vinyl with a snap cover, this handy little book is more than just a fill-in-the-blanks logbook. The first half of this spiffy little book explains how weather works. There are short chapters on such things as atmospheric pressure, air masses, wind, jet streams, fronts, and the climate (including the various zones). The engaging but short paragraphs teach all about extreme weather, including hurricanes, tornados, tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, and monsoons. This section also mentions the greenhouse effect, global warming, and the ozone hole; and, unfortunately, it presents "causes" that may not line up with true science but with the current political thinking.

A section on weather forecasting covers the history of weather forecasting, modern forecasting, and professional weather stations. Then comes the fun part--setting up your own weather station and reading the clouds and sky. This chapter teaches you how to set up a weather station and how to keep a weather log with the well-laid-out log pages in the back of the book. It covers all the different types of clouds and how to read and make predictions from them. In this section of the book, you will learn how to use all the types of weather equipment, including the barometer and anemometer. After you have kept your log for a while, you begin to learn how to make predictions based on the information you are collecting.

A good reader could easily use this little book independently. (The child would need help setting up the weather station.) Reading and compiling the information would be easy enough for the average 10-year-old, yet the information is engaging enough for the teenager and adult.

We really like the book and felt that it gave thorough hands-on experience along with plenty of great information. Our only warning is in regards to the aforementioned "politically-correct" statements concerning the greenhouse effect, global warming, etc.

Product review by Tamara Dumont, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June 2007