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Kirkus Reviews
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Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




Series: Inside...

Cover art for INSIDE STARS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2011
INSIDE STARS
by Andra Serlin Abramson, Mordecai-Mark Mac Low
"A steady look into the high frontier, well above average in both content and design. (Nonfiction. 10-13)"
This slender survey of the observable universe spreads itself a little thin but features plenty of foldouts and dramatic sky art. Read full book review >
Cover art for INSIDE VOLCANOES
CHILDREN'S
Released: Sept. 1, 2011
INSIDE VOLCANOES
by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Cynthia Shaw
"A good starting-place for volcano explorations. (glossary, bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)"
Unidentified explosions on the cover and title page are the hook for this latest entry in the Inside... series. Read full book review >
Cover art for INSIDE TORNADOES
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Star INSIDE TORNADOES
by Mary Kay Carson
"Impressive. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)"
Extreme storms never cease to appeal. Read full book review >
Cover art for INSIDE HUMAN BODY
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2010
INSIDE HUMAN BODY
by Aron Bruhn, illustrated by Joel Ito, Kathleen Kemly

This survey of body systems tries too hard for a broad audience, mixing paragraphs of lines like, "Without bones we would just be bags of goop," printed in slightly larger type, with brief but specific discussions of osteoblasts, myofibrils, peristalsis and like parts and functions. Read full book review >
Cover art for INSIDE DINOSAURS
CHILDREN'S
Released: Oct. 1, 2010
INSIDE DINOSAURS
by Andra Serlin Abramson, Jason Brougham, Carl Mehling, illustrated by Jason Brougham
"New York's American Museum of Natural History gets several plugs in the main narrative and the closing, multimedia resource list (two of the authors are employees), but that won't limit the audience for this above-average series entry. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)"
Aimed directly at confirmed young dino-fans, this pleasantly specific overview covers not only the dinosaurs' distinctive physical characteristics (the authors include modern birds in the group) but the work of paleontologists in both field and lab, the types and typical life cycles of what are carefully dubbed "non-avian" dinos within each "clade," the mass extinction of 65,000,000 years ago (properly noted as likely due to several causes, not just an asteroid impact) and how new discoveries have refined theories about wings and feathers. Read full book review >