THE FANTASTIC BODY

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.