What Makes You You?

Gr 5–8—The comical cartoon illustrations immediately reflect the approachable way Arbuthnott has chosen to cover his many diverse subjects. The author keeps things lively with eye-catching, provocative headers, discussions of controversial topics (like the ins and outs of genetic engineering), and lots of hands-on demonstrations. Body is particularly full of "Try It Yourself" activities related to body systems—changing, perhaps thankfully, to "You Can't Try It Yourself!" when he gets to the urinary, reproductive, lymphatic, endocrine, and immune systems. After examining cell function and the seven basic characteristics of life (with a handy mnemonic), Earth goes on to profile nine select animal phyla and the major classes within each. The urging of readers to care for our biosphere, "in all its scaly, slimy, prickly, squishy glory!" is both timely and accurate.