February 1, 2018
Gr 3-6-A series of fun, silly, and unbelievable facts are presented in these books, which deal with a range of high-interest nonfiction topics. The titles are extremely child-friendly with astonishing facts and statistics-"There are more kangaroos in Australia than people" in Geography and "There are about 16 million thunderstorms on Earth each year" in Weather. Bright, eye-catching graphics and color photographs fill each page. The text is highly readable with approximately three short sentences per page. Facts about relevant current events are also included such as information about devastating natural disasters and climate change. This amusing series is intended for entertainment as opposed to academic use; for example, facts are loosely organized by topic without chapters. Each book contains a glossary, index, and additional resources to learn more. VERDICT "Mind Benders" is bound to entertain and amaze upper elementary students with interesting facts, making this series particularly appealing for reluctant readers.
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2018
This compilation of browsable, interesting statistics about geography is loosely organized by largest to smallest continent. Each spread contains bright, varied graphics and photos. Facts include comparisons ("Five Eiffel Towers stacked on top of each other would fit inside" Lake Baikal in Russia) and some perhaps-unknown stats for trivia buffs, though unfortunately all are unsourced. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)