Tag Archives: nonfiction

Bubonic Panic: When Plague Invaded America

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The book explained the Bubonic Plague, and how it happened really well. The author really went in depth on how the plague affected the world, how the rats had spread the disease, and how the scientists figured out how to deal with it.

The writing style the author had used was really interesting, one thing that confused me was the time jumps. The author skipped to different times in the book. It took me a while to figure out why I kept getting lost. So I had to go back and re-read some of the parts in the book, but I eventually figured it out. If you like science and/or history this book is definitely for you. Watch out for the time jumps though.

Z.S.

Lost in the Pacific, 1942

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Lost in the Pacific, 1942 retells a story of survival at sea during the second World War. The year was 1942, and the US was in heated battle with Japan for control of the Pacific ocean. This nonfiction survival and suspense story retells the events that led to the crash landing of a B-17 bomber into the Pacific ocean and the attempted survival and rescue of the crew and VIP passengers. This page turner provides facts about the aircraft, the crew, and the events both before and after the crash. The book is put together in a manner that makes it easy to follow and understand. Features include: table of contents, cast of characters – complete with photos of crew and passengers, maps and photos for historical context, glossary, author’s note and sources.

Examining Hurricanes

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This book is about hurricanes. It caught my eye to see what could happen how many people die each year. This book was about hurricanes. The author gives how many lives are lost and the costs for each hurricane. I was frustrated when I read that barrier broke because of design faults. If we want to stop the number of people dying from hurricanes, they (barriers) should be made correctly. If you like to learn good information, I recommend this book especially to people who want to learn about hurricanes. 

-J.D.

Examining Shipwrecks

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Examining Shipwrecks by Hayden Wedge is an interesting and entertaining yet  fact filled book.The nonfiction book maintains the theme of shipwreck exploration  while traveling through time in order to tell the reader how and why shipwrecks happens. The book’s text features and fun facts gave the book a nice kid friendly touch while being relevant to the main purpose of the book. The book’s set up makes it hard to become lost and includes an index, glossary, table of contents, and further information page. I personally like ship rides but I don’t care too much to know how they work, yet Examining Shipwrecks maintained my attention the whole time throughout the book and I enjoyed it.This book is perfect for fourth through eighth grade. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you like ships or are curious about shipwrecks, I highly recommend you give this book a try. This book was an interesting yet informative read that left me feeling satisfied.

-N.D.

Examining Pandemics

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The book Examining Pandemics catches attention because of the bright colors on the front and outside of the book, also the variety of pictures throughout the book when looking through. The book talks about the top 10 deadliest diseases and more. The book goes into detail of where they start, and what scientists or doctors are doing to help prevent them.  I liked how the book stayed on the topic, went by smoothly, and was easy to understand most parts. It had a few spots in the context and graphs that were harder to understand for those who do not already know about the subject. I recommend that anyone who is curious about illnesses or wants to become a doctor or scientist reads this. All in all, this book was very informative about the illnesses it included.

-K.B.

Examining Volcanic Eruptions

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This book is about destructive eruptions from active volcanoes. It states some of a few big eruptions around the northwestern area that were devastating to the locals. The book is overall great in describing why and how volcanoes erupt and what affect it can have on the environment. Although it is good in facts, it lacks an introduction to what the book is mainly about. I also feel like the author could have studied a few more eruptions around america, which can give the reader a better idea of how powerful an eruption can be over additional devastating stories. This book can be a great read for people learning about volcanoes or what makes one erupt. It can also be used for science projects. I give it a 3 star rating. It was an informative read.

-E.M.

Examining Bridge Collapses

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Right off the bat I am intrigued by this book and it’s theme of engineering. This book is all about exploring why bridges collapse and how different types of bridges are better than others in certain situations. I personally like this book, the way they explain things make engineering sound fun and exciting. I would definitely suggest this book to a civil engineer needing a quick refresh on bridge terms and vocabulary. Also if you are in middle school wanting to try engineering this would be perfect to get you started. This book is an informational book and I would have to give it 4 out of 5 stars.

-Z.L.

Examining Airplane Crashes

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Examining Airplane Crashes, By: Andrew Hatch, tells the reader how plane crashes occur, and how they can be prevented. The author also includes many of the biggest plane crashes in history. The book really thoroughly explained how plane crashes occur and also how the pilots can prevent the crashes. I really thought the book was great, it was really informative. The author seemed to explain everything that could cause a plane crash. If you are afraid of going on airplanes because you think there is a high chance they will crash, this book will help you get over that fear. More than 8.7 million flights took off in 2013, and only one of them crashed in the United States.

-Z.S.

McDonald’s: The Business behind the Golden Arches

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The book McDonald’s the Business behind the Golden Arches by Cath Senker goes behind the scenes of the McDonald’s food franchise and company. The book talks about the industry of McDonald’s. It goes on about how McDonald’s runs and works with their customers, employees, and products. I do say the book goes over the topic well. I would have liked it if they went over McDonald’s nutrition chart and how it should be more public. I would recommend this book to people who are fascinated in fast food industries. The book was very informative to read, and I rate this book with three and a half stars.

-E.J.

Thoreau: A Sublime Life

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This graphic novel illustrates the life of Henry David Thoreau, the American who “went into the woods because I wished to live deliberately…” Thoreau was a man of many interests – ecology, abolitionism, pacifism, Native American culture. While most people are aware of his life in the woods and his short incarceration for refusing to pay his taxes, fewer might be aware of work on the Underground Railroad and his support for John Brown. The illustrations are incredible; the lush greenery of the forests and ponds are inviting. There are full page illustrations with no words at all, which seems fitting for the story of a man who “wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”  The six page essay at the end provides further information about Thoreau’s philosophy. Highly recommended addition for libraries with a nonfiction graphic novel collection.