Werewolves

Gr 7-9 These volumes examine paranormal phenomena throughout history using anecdotal evidence, scientific testing, and theories from leading experts. The books are extensively footnoted and boast a wealth of further resources and detailed indexes. However, the texts are often dry and difficult to read, given the sensational topics. The "Did You Know?" boxes sprinkled liberally throughout highlight interesting facts, but they are taken verbatim from the main texts. "Crop Circles"is weakened by the paucity of pictures-with so visual a subject, one would expect many more images. Of those included, few are actually of crop circles, and they rarely coincide with the text. Heavy scientific jargon further muddles the concepts. "Werewolves"is a marginally better read, with its gleefully macabre (especially the chapter about stopping werewolf attacks) and less-visual content. Overall, the volumes sag under the weight of too much material, rendering them as dense as academic journal articles and fairly useless to middle schoolers looking for a thrilling read.-"Rebecca Dash, New York Public Library" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.