Nadia Higgins

Having been to some of the missions in this book and having lived in an area with missions that are crucial to the history of the region, I have to say this book is very accurate. I've read up on the topic a decent amount more than the average person and I like the way that this book is setup. The quotes from different historic accounts and involved figures add an extra element of connection to the information. The representation of everything is fair and unbiased in all regards (some show more missions existed peacefully and others had harsher methods). Only critique I have is that Pope's revolution isn't listed by name as the Pueblo Revolt (or really even Pope's Rebellion---even though that's exactly what it is), but that's a generally minor detail, since this book doesn't discuss the movement of the Pueblo people to El Paso as far as the Ysleta del Sur, and other EP missions are concerned. Those missions are barely mentioned (despite one having been the site of the ACTUAL first Thanksgiving---step aside Plymouth, you're late to the party). Otherwise, this book is to the point, covers the basic necessary information, and has a lot of well chosen images to represent the material. show less

The Solar System Through Infographics by Nadia Higgs is a visual introduction to the solar system.

The book uses appealing drawn infographics to explain the basics of space: distances, the speed of light, the effects of black holes, etc. Everything is clearly labeled and presented in a way that would be useful alongside a classroom lesson.

The book also includes a handy glossary. It is basically what it says it is and it does it very well.

(96) Kids love cool facts. Teachers love infographics as a hot new presentation modality. Both love exploring the solar system, fresh layout, bold color pairings, and visually-appealing content. In other words, this book meets everyone's needs. If you've ever want to know what your dog would weigh on each of the planets or what dark matter is, this may be the book for you. Highly recommended.

This is a new series called "Shock Zone, Deadly and Dangerous" and it definitely aims for the wacky/scary facts audience. Each spread features an adorable animal on the left and its deadly skills on the right with lots of eye-popping freaky facts.

The reader will learn about cute dolphins...and their serial killer behavior. Sweet little kittens...and the deadly diseases they spread. Some of the animals, like puffer fish and poison dart frogs, are ones kids will probably expect. Others, like show more giant otters and swans, are a bit different.

There are lots of eye-catching photographs and splashy colored graphics. Reluctant readers will scoop this one up, as will most kids who like facts, especially scary or gross ones. There are additional websites and books to peruse and a brief index.

Verdict: This is one of those books that kids will gobble up, but is it worth it? It's a very short title - only 36 pages. It's definitely not worth $20 for a library bound volume, but a paperback might easily vanish on the shelf. I will probably buy this and a few others from the series in paperback, but I think they'd make better summer reading prizes or browsing collection books.

ISBN: 9781467705981; Published March 2013 by Lerner; Egalley provided by the publisher through Netgalley; Added to the library's wishlist [updated - bought the library edition for super cheap at ALA Midwinter!] show less