A thorough, accurate, and attractive effort that’s useful for quick reference as well as for a deeper examination of the...
Anatomy and physiology books for older grade schoolers are not especially rare, but it’s worth taking a close look at this new one.
This effort, on first glance, ever so closely resembles a textbook, which may serve to drive off potential readers and might especially daunt those interested in just browsing. Although it appears quite long, it is composed of heavyweight pages and has numerous spreads that are nearly devoid of text. It is remarkably comprehensive, not even glossing over reproduction and the reproductive system as many nonfiction works for the elementary-age group tend to do. Each chapter includes numerous clear, attractive photographs of people of all races, clear descriptions of the forms and functions of organs and systems, and sidebars entitled “What the Heck” that briefly describe surprising aspects of the various topics. Other sidebars called “Try This” offer very simple science experiments. “Ewww It’s True” boxes offer just enough somewhat-disgusting trivia to amuse the intended audience. Finally, there are also “Fact or Fib” sidebars that present short, amusing true-or-false statements with explanations. Challenging words are followed by pronunciation guides usefully embedded in the text. Well-organized and systematic in its approach, this is an especially desirable work.
A thorough, accurate, and attractive effort that’s useful for quick reference as well as for a deeper examination of the topic. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-62336-889-0
Page Count: 264
Publisher: Rodale Kids
Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2017
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
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