Wolf Spiders: Mothers on Guard (Arachnid World)

Gr 5-7--Markle follows her "Insect World" series (Lerner, 2008) with a similarly designed overview of spiders, ticks, and scorpions. She presents a mix of common and less-common facts (not all arachnids have eight legs), and her commentary accompanies a particularly strong suite of illustrations featuring large, clear, labeled outside and inside views that display typical body parts. Photos go beyond the standard portraits to show, for instance, harvestmen mating and multiple shots of ticks feeding. Each volume also includes multimedia resource lists and a science activity designed to provide insight on the arachnid world without actually involving any live animals. First-rate.

"Markle follows her 'Insect World' series (Lerner, 2008) with a similarly designed overview of spiders, ticks, and scorpions. She presents a mix of common and less-common facts (not all arachnids have eight legs), and her commentary accompanies a particularly strong suite of illustrations featuring large, clear, labeled outside and inside views that display typical body parts. Photos go beyond the standard portraits to show, for instance, harvestmen mating and multiple shots of ticks feeding. Each volume also includes multimedia resource lists and a science activity designed to provide insight on the arachnid world without actually involving any live animals. First-rate." —School Library Journal, Series Made Simple