November 1, 2019
Gr 6-8-High-interest topics in technology, science, and sport, are comprehensively explored through this new series. Alongside occasional infographics and "Fast Facts," each title thoroughly examines the history and current topics surrounding each issue with accessible and concise explanations. This is done most successfully when the series takes on contemporary issues like cryptocurrency and virtual reality, providing straightforward explorations of complicated topics that are relevant to today's students. This, combined with attractive layouts with graphics and photographs, will appeal to middle school readers. These titles are written at a second and third grade reading level and use a controlled vocabulary; however, they are quite long for hi-lo nonfiction at over 60 pages each. VERDICT Chock-full of information, these books are excellent choices for reluctant readers, particularly for research purposes.
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