Middle-Grade Non-Fiction

AGE GUIDES: these are approximate recommendations:

• Middle Grade Books-7-11 years old

REVIEWERS: Alida Allison, SarahEllen Hickle, Mark Janssen, JoAnn Jonas, Emily Moore, Ellen Nef, Carole Scott, Marie Soriano

* denotes San Diego writer and/or illustrator
** Age levels, when provided by the publishers, are included in the bibliographical information. Otherwise, category placements are our best approximations.

• Adams, Simon. The Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World. Illus. Katherine Baxter, Boston: Kingfisher , 2006. $15.95
• Adams, Simon. The Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World. Illus. Katherine Baxter, Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. $15.95. ISBN 978-0-7534-5946-1.
• Behnke, Alison. The Conquests of Alexander the Great. Pivotal Moments in History series. Minneapolis: Twenty-first Century Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-5920-7.
• Beller, Susan. Roman Legions on the March: Soldiering in the Ancient Roman Army. Soldiers on the Battlefront series. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Children’s Books (Lerner), 2008. B&W and sepia illustrations. 112 pp.
• Corbishley, Mike. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. ISBN 0-89236-705-9. 160 pp., large size, map, full color throughout.
• Harpur, James. Warriors. NY: Atheneum Books for Younger Readers, 2007. ISBN-978-1416939511. $21.99. Pop-Up Book. Ages 9-12 Historical non-fiction
• Long, John. Dinosaurs. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4169-3857-6. $16.99.
• Markel, Rita. The Fall of the Roman Empire. Pivotal Moments in History series. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-5919-1. 160 pp., generous use of color illustrations.
• Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forests of New Guinea. Photos by Nic Bishop. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. $18. ISBN 978- 0618-49641-9.
• Nardo, Don. A Roman Gladiator. The Working Life series. Farmington Hills, MN: Lucent (Thompson Gale), 2004. ISBN 1-59018-480-7. B&W illustrations.
• Rubin, Susan Goldman. Delicious: The Life & Art of Wayne Thiebaud. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8118-5168-8. $15.95. Ages 10 and up.
• The Concise Nature Encyclopedia. Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. 14.95. ISBN 978-07534-5949-2.
• Villios, Lynne W. Cooking the Greek Way. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2002. ISBN 0-8225-4131-9. Ages 10 and up.
• Walker, Richard. Human Body. Foreword by Dame Nancy Rothwell, neuroscientist. Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. ISBN 0-7534-5972-0. $12.95. 64 pp.
• Woodside, Martin. Thomas Edison: The Man Who Lit Up the World. New York: Sterling, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4027-49955-1. U.S. $12.95/ CAN. $14.95. Ages 10 and up.

 

Adams, Simon. The Kingfisher Atlas of the Ancient World. Illus. Katherine Baxter, Boston: Kingfisher , 2006. $15.95

This is the kind of book I loved as a child, full of maps and fine illustrations, facts and stories of ancient worlds. Civilizations rise and wane on these large-sized, pastel pages; photographs alternate with meticulous, minute illustration; paragraphs and insets add to each 2-pp. spread. Layout and color are especially attractive. Cultures from 10,000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. are depicted, and Adams’ paragraphs of information make lively reading

A. Allison

Adams, Simon. The Kingfisher Atlas of the Medieval World. Illus. Katherine Baxter, Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. $15.95. ISBN 978-0-7534-5946-1.

Beautifully put together, this fine book uses many methods to depict the medieval world, from precise, lovely watercolor maps to photos of places, art, and documents, with a time line running down one border. The book’s a pleasure to look at. Adams’ prose is straightforward and well focused on major events and trends; lengthy, informative captions accompany the illustrations. And the overview is really of the world; not solely Europe. The span is useful too, all the way from 400-1500. Don’t limit this or others in Kingfisher’s Atlas of series offerings the book’s readership to certain ages; it’s a resource for all.

A. Allison

Behnke, Alison. The Conquests of Alexander the Great. Pivotal Moments in History series. Minneapolis: Twenty-first Century Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-5920-7.

By 326 B.C., Alexander of Macedonia was conquering India. He had already conquered Greece, Egypt, Babylon, Afghanistan—and everything in between. His brief life (he died at age 33, possibly from malaria though the cause is unknown) is one of the most remarkable and influential in history. He inherited his father’s throne when he was 20; already well-regarded by the soldiers and courtiers he had grown up with, it was natural for him to take over where his father had left off conquering the world. By the time he died, Greek civilization had been introduced from the shores of the Black Sea to the mouths of the Indus: one of the most phenomenal mitary feats in all history.

Behnke’s informative and well-written book provides fascinating, useful background on the history of Greece and the relation of its city states to the vast Persian Empire to its east. Facts about Alexander’s famous horse Bucephelas, his more famous tutor Aristotle, and his doomed young wife and son only are presented along with other biographical data that help make Alexander seem… human, rather than iconic. Certainly, he is the latter. Though his legacy was divided kingdoms and a good deal of battling for power within the empire he left behind, his name remains as synonymous with great achievements.
This book provides not only clear and engaging text and ample illustrations but also valuable research and reference data, making all the books in this series excellent for school and public libraries (and for the history-minded individual child as well).

A. Allison

Beller, Susan. Roman Legions on the March: Soldiering in the Ancient Roman Army. Soldiers on the Battlefront series. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Children’s Books (Lerner), 2008. B&W and sepia illustrations. 112 pp.

For those fascinated by things Roman, and most of us are, this is a meaty addition to our libraries. The author comprehensively presents Roman history, with a focus on the military aspects of Roman society from the citizen militias to the legionnaires. Facts are provided that we usually don’t get in books without a particular focus. For example, Roman soldiers paid for their own equipment, the idea being that they would care better for their equipment if they had paid for it. They were reimbursed when they left the military. Some of the side benefits of Roman occupation are well known: those roads and bridges and aqueducts. Other benefits included the Romans cleaning the seas of pirates, introducing a lingua franca that lasted until the early Middle Ages, and the army’s emphasis on superior medical care for its troops. The book includes maps, a timeline, and a substantial bibliography.

A. Allison

Corbishley, Mike. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome. Los Angeles: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003. ISBN 0-89236-705-9. 160 pp., large size, map, full color throughout.

This tome, fittingly, is a work of art in itself. It’s published by The Getty Museum and is a superlative resource and pleasure for all ages. The glory of Rome is richly represented with fine photographs of statues, mosaics, ruins, and artifacts like coins, pottery, and jewelry. The entries cover topics like “Lighthouses,” “Meals,” “Provinces,” and “Tarquin the Proud,” accompanied by detailed descriptions of the illustrations. Historical sites are pictured, such as the Hagia Sophia and Masada. A real treasure of a book to read, study, and consult.

A. Allison

Harpur, James. Warriors. NY: Atheneum Books for Younger Readers, 2007. ISBN- 978-1416939511. $21.99. Pop-Up Book. Ages 9-12 Historical non-fiction

From the impressive Knight in Armor on the front cover to the extensive graphics, sidebars, and 3-D pop-ups revealed inside, this book proves to be a visual treat for all ages to explore. There are maps, envelopes full of secret ninja moves, mixed media pictures of archaeological treasures, and enough gruesome facts to keep children coming back time after time.

Beginning with the Biblical Assyrians straight through to the African Zulus, Harpur probes history to reveal its greatest warriors. We learn of the warring Spartans, born and bred to fight; of the Wild Celts, the human sacrificing Aztecs, and the tactical genius of Rome. It is a great springboard into the hallowed halls of antiquity, even providing a few female examples of the warrior spirit, as well as a list of resources for those who hunger for richer, more in-depth information on these titans of war.

A fabulous experiential read with information literally oozing from every corner of each page; highly recommended.

Ellen Nef

Long, John. Dinosaurs. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4169-3857-6. $16.99.

Dinosaurs fascinate children of all ages. This literate and informative book provides a concise introduction to their study. The text begins by placing the rise and decline of saurian species on a geological timeline. Next, general anatomy, survival and reproductive strategies are reviewed. Following a brief discussion of the fossil record and its bearing on our current knowledge, a series of focused descriptions examines various representatives of carnivorous and herbivorous species. A chart detailing the main dinosaur families and their representatives is presented at the end of the discussion along with a glossary of terms.

John Long manages to present a useful and cogent introduction to dinosaurs without giving the impression of an abbreviated treatment. In part, this owes to the excellent illustrations and sidebars which provide focused complementary information as well as attention-grabbing eye-candy. There’s plenty of data here and it’s remarkably accessible. The text is aimed at children between 10-12 years of age and offers both entertainment and learning in nicely articulated balance.

M. Janssen

Markel, Rita. The Fall of the Roman Empire. Pivotal Moments in History series. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0-8225-5919-1.
160 pp., generous use of color illustrations.

Markel is able to present the Roman history the outlines of which are familiar to most of us in an exciting way by focusing on details of progressively less capable emperors and how decisions they made affected the empire. She mentions the theory that Augustus’ decision not to decisively vanquish the Germanic tribes may have ultimately been the cause of the empire’s downfall centuries later. After the Pax Romana ended with the reign of Marcus Aurelius, subsequent rulers raised taxes, military discipline grew lax, and the divide between the rich and poor actually became a matter written into Roman law. Around 300 A.D., Diocletian instituted major reforms, but, in the long run, unsuccessfully, and Celts and Germans began amassing along the northern and northeastern borders, succeeded by Goths, Franks, and Huns. He also persecuted Christians unwilling to worship him as a god. Even dividing the empire into west and east did not help preserve the Romans’ power, and, ultimately, in 476 Rome was overrun, though, by then, there was little that hadn’t already been sacked.

Markel does a fine job, too, of discussing the aftermath and legacy of the Roman Empire. The illustrations are varied and excellent; a Glossary, Bibliography, and Timeline are included.

A. Allison

Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forests of New Guinea. Photos by Nic Bishop. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. $18. ISBN 978- 0618-49641-9.

This engrossing and delightfully-presented book is both about tree kangaroos and the science of finding them, learning about them, and recording data about them. They are not easy to find. Readers will find the composition of the team to be of interest: both scientists from around the world and local experts. For the two-week expedition, supplies, gear, shots, pills to prevent disease, veterinary goods are needed. The author provides a list, bringing abstract ideas like “being a scientist” into concreteness for budding future researchers; one item is “3 five-liter containers of ethanol, to preserve scientific specimens like kangaroo dung.” Flying into one of the most remote regions on earth, the New Guinea Cloud Forest, is an adventure in itself. Much information is provided about the singular island of New Guinea with beautiful photographs of parrots, snakes, waterfalls, and tropical flowers. Yes—the team finds the tree kangaroos, way up high at 80 feet in the forest canopy. A scientist’s and photographer’s written and visual odes to these remarkable animals follows—close-ups of their claws, for example. The placing of radio collars on some of the kangaroos is explained as a conservationist’s method of keeping track of their movements to protect them.
Something of a tour of New Guinea and an album of photos of New Guineans is an admirable aspect of this handsome book, as is the reference data at the back of it. Author and photopgrapher are a publishing team with similarly outstanding books to their credit. This one is a delight.

A. Allison

Nardo, Don. A Roman Gladiator. The Working Life series. Farmington Hills, MN: Lucent (Thompson Gale), 2004. ISBN 1-59018-480-7. B&W illustrations.

By approaching the Roman gladiator as a working man, Nardo is able to provide details about the motivation, daily life, aspirations, and survival techniques of the Roman gladiator. Most were slaves, captives of war, or poor freedmen who saw hope for a better future if they managed to stay alive in the arena—not an easy thing to do. The occasional female fighter was likely not there by choice. The author describes a typical day at the arena: the pre-show, the ritual presentation of the fighters, and then the battles: different kinds of gladiators, different weapons and combat styles, and different opponents—people or animals. Nardo writes exciting prose, well researched, and illustrated in b&w with contemporary material or by scenes from modern movies such as Gladiator, Spartacus, and Barabbas. Additional features of the book are a Glossary, Timeline, and bibliography.

A. Allison

Rubin, Susan Goldman. Delicious: The Life & Art of Wayne Thiebaud. San Francisco: Chronicle, 2007. ISBN 978-0-8118-5168-8. $15.95. Ages 10 and up.

Delicious is the biography of painter Wayne Thiebaud, best known for his paintings of food—hamburgers, pies, cupcakes, hence, the title. Thiebaud grew up during the Great Depression and began drawing cartoon when he was in high school. Then he went to college and became an art teacher himself. It was some years before a gallery finally agreed to showcase his paintings. Thiebaud clearly became successful because he worked hard and persevered. This biography is a great anecdote to the American Idol craze.

In upbeat and engaging prose, Rubin writes mostly about his career and education, and she discusses where his work fits into art history and his art in relation to that of his contemporaries. The cool thing is that, while she provides a bibliography, Rubin didn’t get all her information about Thiebaud from books; she interviewed him! She includes some of his quotes that give a lot of insight into his work and what inspires him. Also, the book contains many full color pictures of his paintings. There’s a great sampling of his work, not just what he’s most known for, but the whole range of his talent.

Marie Soriano

The Concise Nature Encyclopedia. Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. 14.95. ISBN 978-07534-5949-2.

The book’s cover describes the book as “Thematically arranged; Explores every major plant and animal group on Earth; Stunning photographs and artwork of the natural world.” I heartily agree. At 320 pp., the encyclopedia is an education in itself and has many features one would not necessarily expect from a “nature” encyclopedia. It starts, for example, with a history of the Earth itself, how the planet and the life on it formed; what weather and climate mean, and how the distinct spheres of water and land interact. Evolution, DNA, and extinction are explained and made visual with truly “stunning” photographs and artwork. Then plants and animals are discussed along with their life cyles, their parasites, and their defenses. Ecology is shown to be crucial to survival, and different habitats are depicted, ranging from tundra to coral reefs to towns and cities. Finally, a glossary and web sites are provided for further research.
This new generation of reference books stimulates mind and imagination; full color enhances every page, and the attention paid to lay-out and design all contribute to a book that is one heck of a buy for $14.95.

A. Allison

Villios, Lynne W. Cooking the Greek Way. Minneapolis: Lerner, 2002. ISBN 0-8225-4131-9. Ages 10 and up.

Villios has written a cookbook that kids and parents can enjoy using together. There are six chapters: “Before You Begin,” “A Greek Table,” “Lunch,” “Appetizers,” “Dinner,” “Dessert,” and “Holiday and Festival Food.” She has a section on Greek culture as well, so readers can learn a bit about the place the recipes come from. In addition, each chapter is preempted by a paragraph about meals and eating customs in Greek culture.

For each recipe, the instructions are numbered and easy to follow. For those adults who consider making toast or microwaving frozen food the total of your repertoire, you might want to broaden your horizons with this cookbook. It might be neat to make dinner a family activity using Cooking the Greek Way.

While the recipes are relatively easy for Greek food, these are recipes that younger kids would need help with and supervision for, like when they work with phyllo. Just so you don’t panic, Villios includes instructions on how to work with phyllo. Some of the recipes call for specifically Greek food items like grape leaves, so a trip to the ethnic food aisle in the grocery store or world market is necessary. It may be a tiny bit of a hassle; however, I applaud Villios for presenting authentic Greek cuisine and not watered-down American versions in an attempt to make cooking easier for readers.

Marie Soriano

Walker, Richard. Human Body. Foreword by Dame Nancy Rothwell, neuroscientist. Boston: Kingfisher, 2006. ISBN 0-7534-5972-0. $12.95. 64 pp.

Science books these days are of extraordinary quality, full of information, photos, charts, historical drawings, and, of course, the most current computer, MRI, and CT scans, ultra-close-ups of hair, chromosomes, viruses, embryos, and graphic intrigues like arrows and icons. Human Body is especially well composed, and it’s original in its organization in that its three big chapters are “Past and Present,” “The Body in Action,” and “Supply and Defense” rather than the usual “Skeletal System,” “Respiratory System,” etc. This is a fine, relatively inexpensive book for classrooms or budding scientists.

A. Allison

Woodside, Martin. Thomas Edison: The Man Who Lit Up the World. New York: Sterling, 2007. ISBN 978-1-4027-49955-1. U.S. $12.95/ CAN. $14.95. Ages 10 and up.

Martin Woodside has written a fine, engaging biography about the man we recognize as the inventor of the light bulb, taking us from the time of Edison’s birth in 1847 to his death in 1931. You won’t fall asleep while reading this history book.

This biography is so compelling because Woodside explains what Edison was like as a person. Edison grew from a driven young man to an ambitious and genius inventor as well as a savvy businessman. But he was also stubborn and sometime arrogant, and while a loving father, he was a lousy, mostly absent husband. Woodside paints a three-dimensional portrait of Edison, so we can understand him as a human being. He’s no longer that far-away character in a textbook.

In addition, Woodside explains a number of inventions in clear language, so even those with little gift for science can understand them. Also, he puts Edison in a historical context so that we can understand the times in which Edison lived and invented. It becomes clear that inventing things was not easy, and inventing included more than creating. It included production and marketing, as well.

Many times biographies and history books, especially those found in the classroom, can be dry. How many of us had to stifle a yawn as we read that American History textbook? I am very pleased to say that I did not yawn once as I read Thomas Edison: The Man Who Lit Up the World. In fact, Woodside actually creates suspense at the end of each chapter, so you can’t wait to learn more about Edison’s life. It’s almost like a novel unfolding. For those concerned about accuracy, Woodside’s bibliography is substantial with ten books as sources. This biography would make a great supplemental source in any classroom.

Marie Soriano