It's Catching: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes

Gr 4-6--An amusing but information-packed look at all things infectious. The cartoon illustrations and chatty text with terms like "tummy" and "cooties" and phrases such as "a quick pit stop in the liver" might lead some to assume this is a lightweight read, but there's plenty to offer in this complex but comprehensible work. Grady describes herself as a "disease detective." Working at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, she has spent years tracking the unfriendly microbes that adversely affect humans. Here she includes various specific diseases (malaria, ebola, rabies, to name a few) and germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, among others) and discusses the scientific research that led to medical breakthroughs like antibiotics and vaccinations. Grady also adds a nice soupcon of how the course of human history has been affected by microbes, such as the Irish Potato Famine in 1845 and Napoleon's army in Syria being struck down by the plague in 1798. Also covered are emerging agents of infection, career offerings in public health, and the importance of personal and public hygiene to prevent the spread of disease. This readable, slender introduction to the world of microbial life is an entertaining and informative eye-opener.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY