Misses the mark.
A reprise of the 2013 adult book of the same name, now for young readers.
When author Warren gets a German shepherd puppy, she wants a dog that will lie under her desk quietly as her former dog, the gentle Zev, did. So she is horrified to discover that puppy Solo is a “jackass”—a no-manners, bullying, uncontrollable bundle of energy. But Warren loves research, and her investigations lead her to a group of people who train dogs to sniff out missing dead people—a task it seems Solo’s personality traits are tailor-made for. Warren details the training she and Solo undergo to achieve certification, and she does a commendable job of conveying to readers the perseverance needed to achieve goals. The narrative flow isn’t seamless, though, containing odd, jerky segues. Additionally, despite the promise of the subtitle, the story is heavily focused on the use of dogs in law enforcement and war, which becomes both tedious and a downer. The machismo culture subtly filters into the narrative (“Teaching him to not be a wimp helped me not be a wimp”), which gives it all a dated feel. Sidebars offer occasional adjunct information, more or less successfully (DNA, physiology of smell), and there are plenty of black-and-white photos of dogs, trainers, and handlers (all the humans seem to be white). The lasting impression, however, is one of human aggression, not the dog’s amazing nose.
Misses the mark. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5344-2814-0
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2019
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
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