Gr 5-8–The surprising starts and failures that launched entire industries and fields of study are highlighted in this series. Through history many experiments and inventions have had moments of disaster and triumph, from ­Play-Doh that was originally supposed to clean wallpaper (Favorite Toys) to how complaints about mushy fries made potato chips a reality (Delicious Food Mishaps). Longer paragraphs with short sentences are generally written at a third grade reading level. Each title has bolded vocabulary words, and some have a “Behind the Scenes,” and “Success Story” section, along with at least one “Flopped” section per book describing where an experiment or invention went wrong. End pages have a list of resources for additional reading, a glossary, and an index. Although the text can be dense at times, the paragraphs are informative. VERDICT Inspiring historic successes and failures for middle grade readers.

Inspiring historic successes and failures for middle grade readers.