Reviews
Peculiar Pets
These accessible… texts include personal anecdotes, trivia (e.g., “Some potbellied pigs can be taught to paint”), and recommendations for successful pet/owner relationships. Each volume includes an “at a glance” section with facts about physical… View →
Emerald Boas
Emerald Boas and Green Tree Frogs were recommended in the April 2010 Spotlight on Series Nonfiction. View →
Emerald Boas
Emerald Boas and Green Tree Frogs were recommended in the April 2010 Spotlight on Series Nonfiction. View →
Going Green
These books describe different ways we can address environmental issues, on a large scale (e.g., building environmentally friendly skyscrapers) and in everyday life (e.g., riding bicycles or walking, being aware of food growth practices)…. Accessible diagrams and attractive… View →
Devastated by a Volcano
This entry in the Disaster Survivors series sandwiches an introduction to the tectonic forces that cause volcanoes and a survey of the most destructive eruptions in the past two centuries between glancing encounters with two survivors of 1997’s blast on the Caribbean island of… View →
World's Biggest
Large photographs and statistics about size and speed dominate each spread, which… highlights one kind of vehicle or coaster. The images best capture the drama when shown in context or alongside people for scale. Vehicle lovers will enjoy learning specific names such as the Caterpillar… View →
Toco Toucans
The naturally camouflaged animals found in the Disappearing Acts series include such usual suspects as katydids and tree frogs. But in this volume, it’s the toco toucan who is revealed to be adept at vanishing into its surroundings, despite its bright beak and feathers. The… View →
Devastated by a Volcano
This entry in the Disaster Survivors series sandwiches an introduction to the tectonic forces that cause volcanoes and a survey of the most destructive eruptions in the past two centuries between glancing encounters with two survivors of 1997’s blast on the Caribbean island of… View →
Seizure Alert
These volumes showcase the work done by dogs serving in active military units (Combat) or assisting people with disorders such as epilepsy (Seizure). Double-page spreads feature facts about the characteristics dogs need to function in these specialized roles, how they are trained, and… View →
The Horn Book Guide Review for Spectacular Animal Towns
These volumes provide informative looks at the title animals. While focusing on the creatures’ habitats and homes, the texts also provide decent overviews of what makes each animal unique and interesting. The information is selective, but there are enough facts to fulfill basic… View →
Disaster Survivors
Students with a penchant for the extreme will relish the dangerous situations described in these fact-filled works, whose first-person accounts add nail-biting immediacy. The books describe some of the same threats as those covered in ABDO’s “Weather Watchers,” but here View →
Afraid of the Water
Providing a variety of reasons to stay out of the water, these vivid texts explore different dangerous ocean dwellers. Each volume begins with a description of how someone was bitten and/or poisoned by the title creature. The texts continue by explaining each animal’s anatomy and… View →