A valuable—and entertaining—guide to an important subject.
Books on internet safety abound; this title helps young students avoid a more subtle danger—fake news.
Grant has no illusions that today's tech-savvy kids will abandon the internet in favor of print resources. Instead, she sets out to help tweens become media literate. Six chapters, each six to eight pages long, delve into ways kids can separate facts from falsehoods. Chapters build on the information previously presented with specific, understandable examples. An entire chapter is devoted to the tools and techniques of responsible journalism, whether online, on-air, or in print. Grant models good research techniques, citing respected sources within the text. Chapter 3 discusses bias in reporting and ways errors are corrected, emphasizing that “if a mistake is made on social media, it never goes away.” Manageable blocks of text draw the reader’s eye. Sidebars, some mimicking the layout of a tablet or phone screen, highlight important information. Terms defined in the glossary are bolded. Playful graphics featuring a diverse cast of kids clarify difficult concepts. Opportunities to practice critical thinking and test the concepts presented are woven throughout. Grant respects her audience; without judgment nor any patronizing tone, she injects humor into a serious subject. She encourages healthy skepticism when it comes to information posted online and demonstrates ways to fact-check before clicking “share.” Though this one will be useful for language arts and social studies curricula, it’s appealing enough that students may pick it up on their own.
A valuable—and entertaining—guide to an important subject. (author’s note, sources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)Pub Date: June 7, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5253-0322-7
Page Count: 56
Publisher: Kids Can
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
How and when the Western Hemisphere, particularly North and South America, came to be populated continues to be both mysterious and controversial for scientists. Archaeologists plug away with the tools at their disposal but have “more questions than answers.” Harrison does a good job setting the issue in context. He describes the earliest efforts to identify the original inhabitants of the continents, exploring the Clovis culture, believed by many to be the first humans to reach North America. After clearly explaining how scholars decided that they were first, he then lists the arguments against this hypothesis. In the course of looking at both sides, he introduces young readers to “the strict rules of archaeology.” The author demonstrates the precise work of those attempting to understand the hidden aspects of human history and how many of these old questions are seen in the light of new technologies and discoveries. The narrative is aided by both photographs and original illustrations that imagine scenes from both the distant past and the field experiences. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-561-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2010
"A human is a pretty wild thing," argues the author of this collection of curious facts and intriguing studies about human behavior. With a breezy text supported by a lively design, the author of Gross Universe (2004) again presents science in a way certain to attract middle-grade and middle-school readers. Chapters on the senses, emotions, communication and interactions with other human beings cover a variety of topics, each on headlined double-page spreads. Each chapter includes a description of “a cool study” organized into appropriate sections: question, observation, experiment (illustrated with step by step cartoons), results and summary. “Are you an animal?” sidebars describe comparable animal behavior. From dirty diapers to canned laughter to body language, he finds topics that both appeal and enlighten. Directly addressing readers, he invites participation by asking questions—“How are you sitting right now?” “Does smell affect your dreams?” “Does your heart race when….?”—and draws them in further with do-it-yourself experiments. A section on good manners even includes guidelines for behavior at a concert—differentiating between classical and rock. The digital art includes bits of photographs, line drawings, the use of color and shapes to help organize the print and plenty of symbols. No specific sources are cited, but an extensive list of experts is acknowledged. Popular science through and through, you can’t help enjoying this. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-926818-07-8
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Maple Tree Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
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