Materials matter in our daily lives With lucid text, many colorful photos and illustrations, and educational end matter, this fascinating series introduces a wide variety of materials and the methods that transform them from raw materials to finished products. The dynamic presentation and wealth of surprising facts will spark the curiosity of all young readers and inspire budding engineers.Plastics are everywhere -- from cups to computers to clothing You may know that plastics can be molded into any shape, but did you know that most plastics come from oil? Discover the many kinds of plastics and how they can be made to look like everything from glass, to leather, to rubber.