Ticks

April 1, 2011

Gr 5-7-Markle follows her "Insect World" series (Lerner, 2008) with a similarly designed overview of spiders, ticks, and scorpions. She presents a mix of common and less-common facts (not all arachnids have eight legs), and her commentary accompanies a particularly strong suite of illustrations featuring large, clear, labeled outside and inside views that display typical body parts. Photos go beyond the standard portraits to show, for instance, harvestmen mating and multiple shots of ticks feeding. Each volume also includes multimedia resource lists and a science activity designed to provide insight on the arachnid world without actually involving any live animals. First-rate.

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011
Markle, an award-winning science writer, is also a former elementary teacher, and in this title in the Arachnid World series, she clearly draws on her past classroom experience in a clear, conversational text that will draw young people into the zoological facts with gripping, even gruesome examples that are well matched with unsparingly detailed photos. An introductory chapter entitled An Arachnids World includes labeled, anatomical diagrams of a tick, complete with microscopic views of the clawlike chelicerae, which scissor open a hosts skin. Later chapters introduce tick varieties and their typical life cycle, which can involve a variety of hosts. The chapter on tick prevention doesnt include a visual of the telltale target rash that signals Lyme disease, one of the most notorious tick-borne diseases, but it offers basic tips on avoiding and coping with ticks, as well as interesting examples of symbiotic relationships among animals to manage the tiny pests. The handsome design, featuring crisply magnified photos, and the approachable text from an experienced writer combine into a strong offering for both personal and classroom reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
These volumes discuss the title animals' physical characteristics, life cycles, and danger to humans. Markle's clear and detailed narratives, along with instructive close-up photographs of the exterior and interior anatomies of the title arachnids, will fascinate readers and make them instant experts on the creatures. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)