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Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood Review: Engaging STEM Nonfiction for Curious Tweens
Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal and Launching a Rocket with Science Activities for Kids by Matthew Brenden Wood, illustrated by Tom Casteel and published by Nomad Press (August 2018), is a part of the Technology for Today series aimed at readers ages 10–15. It explores the forces governing projectile motion — from ballistics and gravity to the arcing paths of rockets and field goals — and pairs that conceptual grounding with hands-on science activities. Barnes & Noble describes it as "an extremely readable yet factually accurate account of mechanics and its applications to projectiles," squarely hitting its target audience.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Curious preteens and early teens (roughly ages 11–14) encountering projectile physics for the first time who want a context-rich, activity-supported introduction grounded in real-world examples like football field goals and rocket launches.
Worth it if
The reader is in the middle of the stated 10–15 age range and wants to move from physics concepts to hands-on experimentation, ideally with access to basic materials and a classroom or guided home setting.
Skip if
Older teens who have already encountered formal physics instruction will likely find the conceptual content more introductory than challenging, and readers without access to materials or a structured setting won't get full value from the activity component.
What readers & critics say
Barnes & Noble describes the book as "accurately aimed at its intended audience and complete with vivid and informative graphics," calling it "an extremely readable yet factually accurate account of mechanics and its applications to projectiles." The Curious Reader similarly notes that readers fascinated with potato cannons, slingshots, and rocketry will enjoy applying what they learn about the laws of physics through its hands-on approach.
Sources: Barnes & Noble, The Curious Reader Books4.6from 46 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What It Covers
- Significance and Series Context
- Strengths: Readability and Scientific Accuracy
- The Activities Dimension
- Who This Book Is For — and Where It Has Limits
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Barnes & Noble describes it as 'extremely readable yet factually accurate,' a balance that is genuinely difficult to strike in middle-grade science nonfiction.
- Grounds abstract physics concepts — forces, ballistics, arcing trajectories — in immediately recognizable real-world contexts like field goals and rocket launches.
- Integrated science activities are built into the book's structure, giving readers a path from concept to hands-on experimentation.
- Tom Casteel's illustrations are described by Barnes & Noble as vivid and informative, directly supporting the explanatory content.
- Part of Nomad Press's Technology for Today series, making it a natural fit for curriculum-aligned supplemental use alongside peer titles.
What Doesn't
- The stated age range of 10–15 spans a wide developmental gap; readers at the older end with prior physics exposure may find the material introductory rather than challenging.
- The hands-on activities presuppose access to materials and, in some cases, a structured setting — making the activity component less self-contained than the reading portions.
A focused, activity-driven nonfiction title that demystifies the physics of projectile motion for middle-grade and early high school readers, this book earns its place on school and home science shelves.
What the Book Is and What It Covers
Activity page showing projectile motion exploration exercises with children playing soccer and a digital game link.
Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal and Launching a Rocket with Science Activities for Kids is a nonfiction science book by Matthew Brenden Wood, published by Nomad Press in August 2018 and illustrated by Tom Casteel. It is part of the publisher's Technology for Today series, which also includes titles on industrial design and big data. The book's central subject is projectile motion — specifically, the forces that act on projectiles such as kicked footballs and launched rockets, and the physics principles that explain why those objects travel in arching paths rather than straight lines. According to the publisher's description, readers learn why projectiles follow the paths they do, what factors influence those paths, and how to calculate forces in order to make educated predictions about where a homemade rocket or other projectile will land. Essential questions designed to promote critical examination of the science are woven throughout, as are references to primary sources.
Significance and Series Context
The book's placement within the Technology for Today series signals a deliberate editorial philosophy: anchor abstract scientific concepts in real-world technology and everyday experiences that young readers already find compelling. Framing physics through the lens of a football field goal or a rocket launch gives the subject matter immediate cultural relevance for the 10–15 age range. This approach distinguishes it from purely textbook-style treatments of mechanics, positioning the book as a bridge between classroom physics and the kind of applied, hands-on curiosity that drives genuine STEM interest. The series structure also means the book is designed to stand alongside peer titles as part of a broader curriculum-adjacent resource, making it a natural fit for supplemental classroom use or independent enrichment reading.
Introduction page explaining ballistics through illustrated examples of basketball, roller coaster, and crowd scenes with physics concepts.
Strengths: Readability and Scientific Accuracy
Barnes & Noble's review characterizes the book as "accurately aimed at its intended audience and complete with vivid and informative graphics," calling it "an extremely readable yet factually accurate account of mechanics and its applications to projectiles." That combination — accessibility without sacrificing accuracy — is a meaningful achievement in middle-grade science publishing, where the two goals often pull against each other. Tom Casteel's illustrations are credited throughout, and according to that same assessment, the graphics are both vivid and informative, serving the explanatory content rather than functioning as mere decoration. The inclusion of essential questions throughout the text further supports active engagement, prompting readers to think critically rather than passively absorb information.
The Activities Dimension
A defining structural feature of the book is its integration of science activities for kids — a commitment flagged in the subtitle itself. Readers are not only taught the concepts behind projectile motion but are also guided through exercises involving homemade rockets and other projectiles, with instruction on calculating forces and predicting outcomes. This hands-on component is central to the book's design intent, reflecting Nomad Press's broader approach to STEM publishing. For readers who want to move from concept to experimentation, the activity framework provides a structured path. It is worth noting that this design works best when a reader has access to basic materials and, ideally, adult supervision or a classroom setting — the activities are an asset, but they presuppose a degree of preparation that purely reading-focused titles do not require.
Who This Book Is For — and Where It Has Limits
The book is written for readers ages 10–15, spanning roughly grades 4–10, which is a notably wide developmental range. A motivated ten-year-old and a fifteen-year-old with prior science exposure will bring very different levels of background knowledge to the same page. Readers at the older end of that range who have already encountered formal physics instruction may find the conceptual content familiar, while younger readers tackling the force-calculation sections may benefit from a guiding adult. The book's greatest value is likely concentrated in the middle of that range — curious preteens and early teens who are encountering projectile physics for the first time and want a context-rich, activity-supported introduction. For that core audience, Projectile Science delivers exactly what it promises.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood any good
It's a strong pick for its target audience — Barnes & Noble calls it "an extremely readable yet factually accurate account of mechanics and its applications to projectiles," which is a genuinely hard balance to strike in middle-grade science publishing. The real sweet spot is curious preteens and early teens encountering projectile physics for the first time, and for that core reader it delivers exactly what it promises. Older teens who've already had formal physics instruction may find the conceptual ground familiar.
what is Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood actually about
It's a nonfiction science book focused on projectile motion — specifically the forces acting on things like kicked footballs and launched rockets, and why those objects follow arching paths rather than straight lines. Matthew Brenden Wood frames the physics around real-world examples (field goals, rocket launches) to give abstract concepts like gravity and ballistics immediate cultural relevance for young readers. Hands-on science activities, including building homemade rockets, are woven into the structure alongside essential questions designed to promote critical thinking.
what age is Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood appropriate for
Best for ages 10 and up — the book's abstract physics concepts, force calculations, and activity-based experiments suit confident middle-grade readers, but younger or less experienced readers may benefit from adult guidance on the technical sections. There's no concerning content in a mature-themes sense; the challenge is purely intellectual, as the force-calculation portions can be demanding for readers at the younger end of the stated 10–15 range.
does Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood have hands-on activities or is it just reading
Hands-on activities are actually central to the book's design — the subtitle flags it right up front, and the review notes that readers are guided through exercises involving homemade rockets and other projectiles, including instruction on calculating forces and predicting where a projectile will land. That said, the reviewer points out that this works best when you have access to basic materials and ideally adult supervision or a classroom setting, so it's not quite as grab-and-go as a purely reading-focused title.
is Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood good for a 10 year old
A motivated ten-year-old can get a lot out of it, but the reviewer is clear that younger readers tackling the force-calculation sections may benefit from a guiding adult. The book is officially written for ages 10–15, and Tom Casteel's illustrations are described as vivid and informative rather than just decorative, which helps make the concepts accessible — but the youngest readers in that range are working at the harder edge of the material.
is Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood good for classroom use
Yes — it's part of Nomad Press's Technology for Today series, which is explicitly designed as a curriculum-adjacent resource, and the reviewer describes it as a natural fit for supplemental classroom use or independent enrichment reading. The integrated essential questions and activity framework suit a structured learning environment well, and the reviewer notes the hands-on components work best with adult supervision or a classroom setting anyway.
how does Projectile Science: The Physics Behind Kicking a Field Goal by Matthew Brenden Wood compare to a regular physics textbook
The reviewer specifically positions it as a bridge between classroom physics and applied, hands-on curiosity — not a textbook. By anchoring concepts like ballistics and gravity in experiences like kicking a field goal or launching a rocket, Matthew Brenden Wood gives the subject immediate cultural relevance that a standard mechanics textbook typically doesn't attempt. The inclusion of Tom Casteel's vivid graphics and woven-in essential questions further separates it from a dry, purely instructional approach.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
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- 2
- Further reading
- 3
nomadpress.net
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