Many a teacher, embarking on a “mystery theme” in the classroom, has an underlying curricular agenda that includes science instruction. To such a teacher, Jim Wiese’s Detective Science will be pure gold.

Wiese acknowledges the assistance of forensic police officers and scientists in writing this book, and the 40 activities have the ring of both real science and real police work. Fingerprints? Certainly, but they’re only the beginning. The enterprising young detective can quickly move on to investigate lip prints, voice prints, hair specimens, cloth fibers, paper fibers, and casts. A chemistry-based section allows the sleuth-reader to analyze a range of substances, including blood (of the meat-tray variety). Activities in the biology-based section introduce such concepts as tooth and bone development and DNA testing. The magnifying glass used in many of these activities is Sherlockian, to be sure, but it also carries the underlying message that simple, careful observation – of dirt, seeds, decomposing materials – yields valuable information.

Most of the activities are easy and straightforward, although a few definitely require adult help and a trip to the hardware or drug store. All are followed by thorough explanations of the scientific principles involved. For some kids, these explanations may even be too thorough, but teachers will certainly welcome them.

My only real quibbles are with the book’s design. Ed Shems’ cartoon illustrations are attractive and amusing; adding a few more would have made the pages look less text-heavy. I found, too, that starting new activities in the middle of a page got confusing. I would have preferred to see each activity laid out on its own spread.

Design issues aside, I liked this book. Keen young detective types will finish it with a solid sense of how police go about their work, and teachers will find it a valuable resource. An elementary teacher himself, Jim Wiese proves here that a spoonful of detection can make the sciences go down in a quite delightful way.