An interesting take on a subject not often covered in books for middle school and teen readers.
The plant world includes many curiosities whose “sneaky” adaptations help ensure their survival and reproduction.
This slim introduction to botany offers an interesting and unusual invitation to young readers to look closely at the plant world. Chapter by chapter, Blevins describes plants whose smells repel, that eat insects, use stinging or poisonous defenses, imitate something else, or survive in extreme environmental conditions; plants that can move and even catch fire. The ninja comparison—"stealthy, fierce, and sometimes deadly”—is unevenly but perhaps too frequently made. It wears thin, but the variety and unexpectedness of Blevins’ examples will keep readers’ attention. The exposition is clear and broken up by well-captioned photographs and pullout sections describing further oddities (Mexican jumping beans, rainbow eucalyptus bark, the jabuticaba tree’s crying fruit, parasitic figs), varieties of mimicry, thermogenesis, and more. An introduction covers the basics of plant evolution, survival, and reproduction, and the concluding chapter discusses plant-human relationships, including human causes for global climate change and its effect on the plant world. Specialized vocabulary is defined in context. Although the author includes new information on horizontal gene transfer, many of his examples are not plants but fungi, now said to belong to a separate kingdom.
An interesting take on a subject not often covered in books for middle school and teen readers. (glossary, selected bibliography, further information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-17)Pub Date: March 1, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-5124-1013-6
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a...
Will the world end in a bang or a whimper? Unless pre-empted by human-induced disaster or one of many scientifically possible catastrophic scenarios, life on Earth will end a billion years from now in a sizzle.
Predicting the end of the world is an old story, argues the author, presenting evidence in brief surveys of eschatologies from the world's major religions and mythologies of ancient civilizations. Miller also notes how end-of-world scenarios have captured humanity's imagination in their frequent appearances in science-fiction novels and motion pictures. (Disappointingly, the reasons for this ongoing fascination are not explored.) A chapter about imminent predictions for 2012 explains the Mayan prophecy and a theory about a phantom planet called Nibiru crashing into Earth. Another chapter examines pseudoscientific end-of-world theories such as planetary alignment and pole shifts. The primary focus is on scientifically plausible scenarios: self-destruction through nuclear war or continued environmental exploitation; humanity wiped out by a pandemic; an asteroid or comet strike destroying Earth.
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a high-interest topic that should inspire many to further explore the subject. (chronology, glossary, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7396-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
A chilling look at a timely topic.
The rapid melting of Arctic ice has opened a new frontier for international competition or cooperation.
The book opens with a dramatic scene, as three men in a submersible search for a hole in the ice above the North Pole location on the ocean floor where they’ve just planted a Russian flag. McPherson goes on to describe the changes in polar ice cover that are encouraging exploration and allowing access to previously inaccessible energy resources. Subsequent chapters describe new, shorter ocean passages, the jockeying for territory as nearby nations lay claim and others look for ways to get involved, and the likely difficulties of development. Native peoples, whose livelihoods and cultures are inextricably connected to this harsh environment, have to make difficult choices, and the melting of the ice sheet over Greenland offers new opportunities as well as potential for disaster. McPherson’s clear explanations and balanced approach encourage reflection; there are no easy answers. Given that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming, should the newly accessible oil and gas be extracted and added to the world’s supply? Does the North Pole belong to one or another nearby nation or to the world? Is it even possible to develop this area without spoiling it? Maps, photographs and a thoughtful design add to the package.
A chilling look at a timely topic. (source notes, glossary, bibliographies, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-2043-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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