Each book in this series is as expansive as the habitat it covers. Just shy of one hundred pages of reading text, each volume does a thorough job discussing the complexity of forces that have endangered these habitats and the legal and scientific work being done to rehabilitate or restore them. Early chapters are devoted to defining the habitat, explaining its precarious condition and the causes of that condition from within and without. Later chapters cover rescue efforts and what the future might hold. The text is dense, but made more easily digestible by being broken down into a half dozen subheadings in each chapter. Large, full-color photographs feature captions while smaller images often accompany information boxes that supplement the text. Each volume ends with a selection of “essential facts” and a two-page visual representation of “cause and effect” associated with each habitat’s decline and recovery. The publisher identifies the reading level as eighth grade, but upper elementary students with an intense interest or strong reading skills should have little trouble. Definitely make a place for these books on middle school media center shelves, and consider for purchase in upper elementary school classes with intense interest or a need for in-depth resources. Additional Resources. Bibliography. Index. Glossary. Websites. Richard Parker, Media Specialist, Fox Chapel Elementary School, Germantown, Maryland.
Recommended.