This timely entry in the American Disasters series is a useful introduction to a mystery that has not and may not ever be solved. The author has taken all available data regarding the ill-fated Boeing 747 that crashed into the sea off Long Island in July, 1996, and fleshes it out with the words of those who saw the plane’s flameout, and those who were involved in the rescue. It doesn’t make for a pretty tale, but one that is not sentimentalized or made overly dramatic. However, when the text focuses on the agony suffered by the relatives and friends of those who were lost in the crash, it is almost unbearable to read. The lengthy and tedious process of bringing body parts and pieces of the plane from the sea is examined in some detail, and theories as to how and why the plane blew apart in midair are discussed. For those who want more on the topic, Cole (Apollo 13, 1995, etc.) includes useful, annotated chapter notes, as well as periodical and Internet sources. Grim but informative. (full-color photos, not seen, glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-7660-1217-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Enslow
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
Florian’s seventh collection of verse is also his most uneven; though the flair for clever rhyme that consistently lights up his other books, beginning with Monster Motel (1993), occasionally shows itself—“Hello, my name is Dracula/My clothing is all blackula./I drive a Cadillacula./I am a maniacula”—too many of the entries are routine limericks, putdowns, character portraits, rhymed lists that fall flat on the ear, or quick quips: “It’s hard to be anonymous/When you’re a hippopotamus.” Florian’s language and simple, thick-lined cartoons illustrations are equally ingenuous, and he sticks to tried-and-true subjects, from dinosaurs to school lunch, but the well of inspiration seems dry; revisit his hilarious Bing Bang Boing (1994) instead. (index) (Poetry. 8-10)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-202084-5
Page Count: 158
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
The way-off-road vehicle (The Magic School Bus and the Electric Field, 1997, etc.) tours the ears, eyes, nose, and skin when the assistant principal, Mr. Wilde, accidentally shrinks the school bus and the children on board, commandeering it to deliver a message to Ms. Frizzle. The vehicle plunges into the eye of a police officer, where the students explore the pupil, the cornea, the retina, and the optic nerve leading to the brain. Then it’s on to other senses, via the ear of a small child, the nose of a dog, and the tongue of the Friz herself. Sidebars and captions add to the blizzard of information here; with a combination of plot, details, and jokes, the trip is anything but dull. The facts will certainly entice readers to learn more about the ways living creatures perceive the world. (Picture book. 6-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-44697-5
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
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