Reviews
Meat-Eating Plants
“The insect doesn’t know it, but it has just made a big mistake.” Yep, that fly just got suckered by the oldest trick in the book, the Venus flytrap’s nectar. This entry in the Plant-ology series uses every inch of its wide trim to show the brilliantly colored,… View →
John Cena
For young WWE fans, John Cena is the man. A reigning champion in the world of wrestling, Cena’s becoming equally familiar outside the ring, especially for his blossoming film career. This entry in the Wrestling’s Tough Guys series gives a brief… View →
Cooking with Sunshine
Amazing Plant Bodies and Cooking with Sunshine were recommended in Booklist’s October 2012 Spotlight on Series Nonfiction. View →
Weather Wise
These brief books emphasize the hydrological component of weather in simple, clear prose. Captioned photographs and drawings are bright and appropriate; each book includes a question for the reader and a “Science Lab” exercise. View →
Acts of Courage
These books identify individuals from the five military service divisions who have been recently honored for heroic deeds. Brief vignettes tell the stories of the recipients’ heroism and identify the medals awarded. Readers will appreciate the photographs of the honorees that… View →
Weather Wise
These brief books emphasize the hydrological component of weather in simple, clear prose. Captioned photographs and drawings are bright and appropriate; each book includes a question for the reader and a “Science Lab” exercise. View →
Signs of the Season
Brightly colored, kid-friendly photos illustrate this series introducing the seasons; information includes the change in amount of daylight, effects on living things, typical weather, and other signs of the seasons. Suggestions for observation, questions for critical thinking, and… View →
The Hole Truth!
Simple, well-placed text combined with labeled diagrams, thoughtful discussion questions, and attention-grabbing photographs will hook beginning researchers into this series about animal burrows and dens. A “Science Lab” activity at the end of each book offers more… View →
The Horn Book Guide Review for Animal Diaries: Life Cycles
These easy-to-read books discuss the stages of development, dietary habits, and habitat of the [featured animal]. Bright, close-up photographs and kid-friendly text, presented as observations in a child’s notebook, make the information accessible. Text boxes with questions and… View →
What is Weather?
[Starred review]. One of my fondest childhood memories is of sitting on my father’s lap on our front porch during a thunderstorm, watching him draw the clouds and lightning formation while the flashes and booms surrounded us. What Is Weather? would well serve parents or teachers in View →
What is the Water Cycle?
[Starred review]. What Is the Water Cycle? is a simple, well illustrated guide, with straightforward language and solid information about the visible and invisible stages from clouds to precipitation to surface water to evaporation and back to clouds (note that groundwater is not… View →
What is the Water Cycle?
[Starred review]. What Is the Water Cycle? is a simple, well illustrated guide, with straightforward language and solid information about the visible and invisible stages from clouds to precipitation to surface water to evaporation and back to clouds (note that groundwater is not… View →