China: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

Gr 4–8—Most kids haven't heard of Ferret leggers. And it's unlikely that they know that in China, street vendors sell fast food such as scorpions on a stick or that young koalas eat their mother's poop. Full of unique bits of history, information, oddities, tales, etc., these titles will surely pique the interest of middle-grade readers, especially since this age group tends to enjoy the gross, the far out, and unusual. Each spread focuses on a well-known characteristic of the featured country. The busy page layout splatters a variety of black-and-white snapshots, bright and colorful photos, drawings, cartoons, and amusing text bubbles on slick paper with vibrant background colors, while offering a variety of uncommon historical and cultural facts and events. In Australia, there are facts about sharks, kangaroos, vegemite, snakes, bush living, sailing and yachting, the outback, and more; Great Britain covers unusual contests and traditions, Bobbies, the royals, dogs, etc., while China includes the massive population, dynasties, the emperor's palace, tea, the Chinese zodiac, kites, the Great Wall, and much more. With such a wide variety of information, presented with numerous font styles, colors, and pictures, the pages seem a little chaotic and tough to follow, but they're still fun. Websites and even a few more tidbits of information run along the lower part of the right page. Entertaining resources.—Susan Shaver, Hemingford Public Schools, NE