Joanne Mattern

Review also posted on my blog: https://bennilovesbooks.wordpress.com/2018/02/16/arc-review-the-cat-encyclopedia...

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was the kind of kid who would read cat encyclopedias from cover-to-cover multiple times because of my love of cats, so the fact that this book caught my eye is not at all surprising. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to my expectations for a number of reasons, and I didn't finish it with the best impression.

I largely show more didn't like the book because of ethical reasons. This book described a handful of cat breeds in detail, and then after each one told the reader that the best place to get these particular cats was through breeders and pet stores, and it had an "elitist" air around it when it came to mentioning animal shelters. This book had a large bend towards cat show culture, and while there's nothing wrong with describing breeds of cats based on show requirements, it was rather uncomfortable reading someone tell a targeted 9 to 12-year-old audience that they should be buying cats instead of adopting them because purebred cats are superior and are "less likely to have health problems" when the likelihood of a 9 to 12-year-old actually being able to show their pet cats in a show is extremely low. With the overpopulation of shelters as it is, we shouldn't be teaching kids that shelter animals are inferior to purebred ones when that flat-out isn't true.

Additionally, the book had an incorrect definition of de-clawing, stating that it "either remove[s] part of the claw or keep[s] a cat from retracting the claw" when the actual act of declawing removes part of the cat's fingers. While the book says that organizations "disapprove" of de-clawing it doesn't actually take a firm stance against it, and the misleading definition of de-clawing can lead people into believing that de-clawing isn't as harmful as it is. Note that this is the text from the ARC and not the final copy and this is something that I hope gets fixed in the final text, but it's a large concern of mine.

The pictures are really beautiful and did make me smile -- the book is FILLED with large, colorful pictures of adorable cats, and they by themselves are delightful.

The pictures in this book are worth looking at for cat lovers, but the writing wasn't very engaging and left me concerned about the motivations behind writing the text. It's not the worst book I've ever read, but I would advise approaching it with caution.

Final rating: 2.5 of 5 stars show less

Overall, I felt this was a very well done biography and depicted the life of Jobs appropriately. The first element that I enjoyed were the illustrations throughout the book. They were carefully chosen and were of significant events throughout his life. This included his house, family, and inventions. My favorite picture was of Jobs sitting behind the first computer invented by Apple. The second element that I enjoyed was the content of the book. The author included meaningful information and show more interesting facts. I specifically liked the fast facts on some pages that included very unique details. The third element that I enjoyed was the design of the book. The publisher organized the book well and had a variety of ways to introduce information. I really enjoyed the timeline near the end of the book that highlighted all of the key events in Steve Jobs life and when they happened. In the end, I felt the main message of this book was explain to students about the life of Steve Jobs and the tremendous impact he had on the technological industry. show less

This is a unique book designed for intermediate readers. The main plot tells the story of a family who undergoes the immigration process from selling their home and things in their heritage country, to traveling across the sea, to finding work in America in hopes of having a better life. Intertwined with the story are historical facts on factors of immigration, such as why people came to America, what sicknesses were spread, and what kinds of ships they traveled on. Lots of vocabulary is show more included!

Students with an interest in history or historical fiction as well as students who are immigrants may particularly connect with this story. show less

I hold non-fictional works published by DK in high regard; they combine well- written, accurate text with excellent illustrations. Books of the DK Biography series uphold the publisher's standards, as indicated by this short (128 page) book. Like others in the Biography series, it is published in small format (5" x 7.5"). Its target audience appears to be at the middle- school level; accordingly, words and concepts that might be unfamiliar to readers of that age often are defined, in small show more textboxes.

As a biography of Diana Spencer, this work is quite serviceable. The text is accurate (with no noticeable errors) and presents a fair, if sympathetic account of Diana's life, including the difficulties in Diana's marriage to Charles and the aftermath of their divorce. Photographs appear on every page or two, and serve to hold the interest of the reader. Further, while the work is aimed at younger audiences, it does not condescend; adults would find the book informative and enjoyable as well. For those who might like to learn more about the life and legacy of the late Ms. Spencer without tackling a full scale biography, this book is an ideal choice. show less