The New York Public Library Incredible Earth: A Book of Answers for Kids
Grade 7 Up.  This book uses a question-and-answer format to present facts and theories about the planet, including the origin of the universe and of life, the structure of the Earth, volcanoes, earthquakes, oceans, fresh water, and weather. The viewpoint is scientific and objective, but there are numerous poor word choices and small errors, e.g., "that's how whales and humans can be of the same species." Interesting details are presented in graphically attractive text boxes. Although the language is colorful, the dense writing style slows inexperienced readers to a crawl. Clear diagrams and cartoonlike line drawings are adjacent to the text they illustrate. There is no reason given for including the New York Public Library in the title, as there are no footnotes and the bibliography is quite general. No attempt is made to tie the questions and answers together; it's simply a collection of information. Other books in this format include 101 Questions and Answers About Our Planet Earth (Facts on File, 1995), Tom Stacy's Earth, Sea and Sky (Random, 1991), and Bridget and Neil Ardley's Arco Book of 1001 Questions and Answers (Arco, 1984; o.p.). The scattershot approach makes this new title useful for students doing reports on the specific topics covered, but does not provide the overall perspective necessary for true understanding.?Jonathan Betz-Zall, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Edmonds, WACopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.