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Sarah Allen’s Fairy Tale Physics Review
I was intrigued when I heard about the Fairy Tale Physics series and was asked if our family would like to do a review. These magical stories are written by Sarah Allen, and they blend complicated scientific principles and fun adventures.
As a lifelong fairy tale lover who dreaded the mere mention of “physics” as a child (but who now loves science and teaches science camps), this concept had my full attention. As a homeschooling mom, I was eager to explore this uniquely educational fantasy trilogy with my daughter.
My daughter, by the way, is 8 and loves fairy tales and science. Our homeschool journey’s goal is to make STEM subjects just as accessible as literature-based ones, and I think this is a trend for many parents and educators today.
When I heard about the Fairy Tale Physics 3-book series, I couldn’t help but think about how the concept lends itself beautifully to integrating literature and science for today’s learners. I also couldn’t help but think about how this might be useful for the kids who -like I once did- find science intimidating by default. If there had been well-written and enjoyable fairy tale books about physics when I was a kid, I am sure they could have sparked my interest in science at an earlier age. Science camp wouldn’t have done it, and I probably could not have been prompted to try STEM kits. But “FairyTale Physics?” That would have been the hook for my fantasy-loving self.
Therefore, as I write this Fairy Tale Physics review, I’m thinking about two different types of young learners: the ones who are like I was (loved fairy tales but intimidated by science) and those who are more like my daughter (young and unabashed scientists.)
As a result, here are a few questions I’m keeping in mind while reviewing this series:
- Does blending fiction and scientific/mathematical principles make science more accessible to children who may otherwise find it intimidating?
- Does the series excite children who love science, deepen understanding, and invite further learning?
- Is it well-written, engaging, and fun to read? (Do the stories read like homework, or are they captivating in their own right?)
I also want to keep an open mind to other ways this series might benefit older and adult students looking to understand these concepts better, teachers and tutors looking for effective analogies and explanations, etc. While I’m a homeschool parent approaching this series from that perspective, I also want to consider other contexts where this series might be enjoyed and used!
This review will explore the content and quality of each book, discuss how different ages may approach and benefit from the series, share more about the extra resources offered, and offer ideas about what different ages may appreciate about – and gain from- Sarah Allen’s Fairy Tale Physics series.
About the Author
Let’s discuss the author, the books, and the concepts explored in Fairy Tale Physics in a few more details.
I always like to know a little bit about the author of a series, especially when they seem particularly passionate or knowledgeable about a specific topic. Sarah Allen has a diverse background strongly grounded in physics, cognitive psychology, and teaching. Her website explains that she discovered her love of teaching early in high school by tutoring other students.
Sarah graduated (with honors) with a physics degree from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in cognitive psychology from Columbia University. Today, Sarah uses tutoring and writing to share her love of physics with students through unique resources. This includes her self-published books, games, and interactive activities created for learners. These are all available on her website and through her Patreon account, which includes access to everything she’s made and ongoing new releases. It’s clear from this author’s Website and biography that she is deeply passionate about helping people understand and enjoy physics and math by presenting them in a fun and hands-on way!
About Fairy Tale Physics & the Triology
This 3-book series introduces complex physics concepts through fairy tales. The books and topics in the series are Newton’s Laws: A Fairy Tale, Fluid Mechanics: A Fairy Tale, and Light: A Fairy Tale.
Each book has a fairy tale story that is about 30-40 pages in length, with a few colorful illustrations throughout, followed by many additional pages of extra resources that include historical background of scientific discoveries in the books, more in-depth explanations of concepts covered, graphs and illustrations, Youtube videos to watch and experiments to try, and even sample word problems with answers! In Newton’s Laws and Light, the Additional Resources make up about the same portion as the story part of the book. In Fluid Mechanics, the Additional Resources section is shorter than the other two, but I loved how it connected the history, science, and story altogether for younger readers.
The books are extremely well-written, with complex and quirky characters that will catch children’s interest. My daughter really enjoyed the characters and the humor woven throughout the stories.
Now, here are just a few spoilers to give you parents and educators an idea of the stories in this series! These are funny, adventurous tales that each follow a very distinctive “fairy tale pattern.” As a lifelong fairy tale enthusiast, I recognized and appreciated the use of certain classic tropes in these stories. At the same time, the books have a distinctly witty and fun tone and some seriously laugh-out-loud dialogue.
Here is a quick summary of each tale and the science covered:
- Newton’s Laws: A Fairy Tale follows Kip, the youngest of 3 sons, who inherits only an apple from his father (the other two sons got the good stuff.) Nevertheless, Kip makes the best of things by heading out in search of greatness (with this apple). Along the way, he meets a wizard – Newton the Great- who shares a great plan with Kip. To become the kingdom’s new rulers, the pair must devise three laws that no one can disobey. With a little creative thinking, they plan to uncover unbreakable laws that already exist, resulting in their discovery of Newton’s Three Laws of Motion!
- Fluid Mechanics: A Fairy Tale centers around a hardworking and wise Queen Elise, as she goes on a journey to save her beloved husband, fulfill a promise made by her father, and solve a seemingly impossible problem posed by a wizard. On Elise’s journey, she receives help from the wizards Archimedes and Bernoulli, who help her harness the concepts of buoyancy, flow rate, Archimedes’ principle, and pressure. This is all presented in the form of “magical gifts,” which fits perfectly into the fairy tale genre while teaching about fluid mechanics!
- Light: A Fairy Tale was perhaps the most cerebral, but also maybe the funniest, of all three stories. This story follows a young King (John XV) who is terrible at being king. On his quest to learn how to “light the way” for his people, he becomes a light mage under the tutelage of masters like the “mages:” Einstein, de Broglie, Snell, and more. To understand light, King John must become light itself, uncovering riddles about how it works. Only after this can he uncover dark secrets that have impacted his kingdom.
What Ages is This Series For?
What Age Is This Series For?
These stories are crafted at a level that is accessible and enjoyable to my 8-year-old daughter. Although we initially read them
aloud together, she later revisited them independently (by choice!). Both times, there was a lot of laughter. The narratives are straightforward, making them easy for young children to follow. While there are periodically some challenging vocabulary words, these provide talking points and learning opportunities.
Overall, I recommend this series for ages 8 and up. However, younger children would still enjoy these stories with parental guidance, although some of the witty humor might elude them. I also think that older students (in high school or college) and even adults looking for a fresh perspective on teaching would enjoy and learn from this series. I did!
Will Older Children Enjoy and Learn from Them?
When it comes to “Age Range,” the additional resources section in each book provides more adaptability. Some illustrations, experiment ideas, and videos are great for younger kids, while some practice and conceptual problems require more advanced knowledge and understanding. (See the photo below with advanced problems)
As a homeschooling mom, I like the flexibility this offers for a family reading these books together. You can enjoy the stories together and tailor the additional resources to meet the needs of each child. For my own purposes, I liked that there were some really simple experiment ideas included, like the one in Fluid Mechanics explaining how to demonstrate atmospheric pressure by using a straw and plugging up the top end. We definitely had to give that one a try right away!
Additional Resources
Beyond the many additional resources at the back of each fairy tale, the author has also provided extra learning resources on her website. These are particularly great if you are a parent or teacher working with advanced students, a private tutor, or a homeschool parent looking to create a more tailored approach to science and math. I’ll post a link to each of these below!
- Physics Worksheets (for Advanced Learners) If you have a more advanced student ready for a challenge, these wonderfully illustrated fantasy-quest worksheets with AP-level physics questions are perfect.
- Links to other valuable math and science learning tools/sources The author’s website also contains a list of links and resources to help broaden math, science, and critical thinking skills, from lists of fiction books like The Math Detectives to specific classes, to fun hands-on activities to try at home.
- Interactive Stories I was excited to see that this author created some interactive stories and learning games! The link above will take you to the download for a science story about significant figures. This one is free to play! She’s working on a new one about electricity that will be out very soon.
- Sarah Allen’s Patreon If you would like to make this author’s creative and hands-on methods part of your homeschool curriculum or a supplementary resource, she also has a Patreon, which includes access to her books, games, new resources each month, and anything else she creates. It’s pretty affordable at just $5 per month!
Overall Impressions of the Fairy Tale Physics Trilogy
If you can’t already tell, I am extremely impressed with this entertaining series and with the author’s creative and effective approach to teaching physics.
It is clear that Sarah Allen is gifted in education, keenly familiar with how young learners’ minds work, and has a lot of fun sharing her passion for physics! Sarah Allen’s Fairy Tale Physics series uniquely combines the fairy tale formula with complicated scientific principles in a seamless and natural way, using humor and relatable characters to connect with readers of all ages!
You’re supposed to have critiques on reviews like this. And the truth is, I don’t really have any significant ones!
Here Are Some of Our Favorite Things About the Fairy Tale Physics Series
- They are full of quirky humor and lots of laugh-out-loud moments!
- The stories offer very clear scientific explanations/easy-to-picture concepts to enhance learning.
- The main characters were complex and relevant to kids. I liked how they thought about and questioned things that kids might wonder about. Similarly, they often modeled the creative thinking process through their thoughts.
- The diversity of main characters: optimistic Kip in Newton’s Laws, wise Elise in Fluid Mechanics, and lazy but well-meaning John in Light. They each brought something unique to the premise of their story.
- I loved the incorporation of famous scientists and mathematicians as “wizards” or “mages!” This offers such an excellent opportunity for extended and historical learning, too.
- These were very creative and unique stories, yet they felt like real fairy tales.
- This series is enjoyable and offers good science education at various levels. It’s a great resource for many different ages and contexts.
- The plentiful resources at the back of the book and on the website make this series adaptable to a variety of ages, which is perfect for homeschooling families.
- You can tell that the author has plenty of experience teaching children and a very solid understanding of how they think. This is so important in both children’s literature and in teaching!
Going back to my original hypothetical students:
- Does blending fiction and scientific/mathematical principles make science more accessible to children who may otherwise find it intimidating? Yes! As I’ve mentioned throughout this review, the blending of story and science feels incredibly natural in each story. This makes these stories fun and easy to read, while allowing science to play an active role in the plot. I would have read and enjoyed these stories as a child, even though I was hesitant about science. I think this is a great resource for children who feel intimidated by “science!”
- Does the series excite children who already love science, deepen understanding, and invite further learning? That was my experience with my daughter! She has touched on some of the topics in this series in our homeschool, co-op, and science camps. However, this series tackled a lot of complicated material in a very clear way that created more interest. This is particularly true of the light fairy tale. She wanted to talk and learn more about light and color immediately after reading it!
- Is it enjoyable and fun to read? Yes! As you can tell, we thought this series was so much fun. These stories are well-written and hilarious. I feel most of the kids I know would really enjoy them, and I’d recommend it to homeschool families with kids in multiple age brackets.
Overall, my daughter and I give this series a rave review! I will share about it in my homeschool community and with anyone I know who gets excited about having fun with education. This unique series meets a big need in education, particularly when it comes to STEM subjects. I’ll be looking forward to any other content this author creates in the future!
What do you think? Have you ever tried teaching subjects like math or science through stories? Will you read the Fairy Tale Physics series in your homeschool?
Where to Purchase the Fairy Tale Physics Trilogy
To read more about Sarah, the books (read a sample!), view the worksheets, and join her Patreon at ww.mathwithsarah.com, https://www.mathwithsarah.com/physics-worksheets and Sarah Allen’s Patreon.
Fairy Tale Physics Giveaway
We are excited to be giving away two sets of the Fairy Tale Physics trilogy! Two winners will each win a set. These make a wonderful summer study or get a jump start on the next school year’s science. Enjoy them as a family read aloud too!
Simply enter using the contest widget below. Must be 18 years and older. US residents only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 10 calendar days to respond to the notification email. On day 11 the prize will be forfeited, and a new winner will be randomly selected.
Date of birth is not required.
Fairy Tale Physics Trilogy – 2 Winners
Katie is a Christian, wife, writer, and homeschooling mother of two. She and her husband are both homeschool graduates who now homeschool their children. Katie is passionate about literature, the arts, STEM, and education. Katie has a MA in English and literature, and she works with her local STEM organization and Classical Conversations community to help create hands-on learning opportunities for children. She teaches NASA Astro Camp every summer, and she loves to read and paint whenever she can. She believes that the arts and sciences have much more in common than many people realize!