Earth’s Biomes

Earth’s Biomes (Sci-Hi: Life Science)

Donna Latham

$32.65, LB

Heinemann-Raintree, 2009

978-1410933294

January 14^th, 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Age: 12+

Description: An introduction to the different physical elements that make each biome area unique and how these different biomes have influenced the evolution of all living things.

Opinion: The Sci-Hi series of books is awesome and I recommend them for any nonfiction collection aimed at tweens and teens. All books in the series are put together like high-interest magazines but deal with scientific topics. Each book features colorful spreads, visually stimulating photographs and clear artwork, suggested science activities and projects, two-page glossaries, and further information for those interested. Earth’s Biomes presents the information in a logical way where one page builds on the information presented in the previous pages. Topics for this book include defining a biome, adaptation and biomes, threats to biomes, deciduous forests, rain forests, grasslands, savannahs, deserts, tundra, marine regions, and more. It also includes information presented like real newspaper articles. The approach is great for showing the similarities and differences among the various biomes and also in showing how adaptation has affected the species living in the areas. I like the Sci-Hi series because the books are not only visually appealing and stimulating but the spines of the books themselves stick out among the shelves and grab your attention. If a student needs just a basic introduction into a scientific concept this series is great especially for harder things like chemistry and physics. The only downside I saw was a little repetition (sometimes even in the same section) but this is likely because of the method of introducing a general concept (like classification) and then moving into more detailed explanations (such as the seven levels individually) so the information gets more detailed as you continue reading the books.