Wildfires (Wild Earth Science)

Crisp, full-color photos appear on nearly every page, helping to clarify the text. Large font, short sentences, and brief chapters make for an attractive layout and accessible text.

Gr 2-3--For readers curious about the past and present of natural disasters, this is a series that looks at the intricacies of different types of wild events. These titles serve as excellent introductions to the current climate crisis, extreme weather, and disaster preparedness. Of course, there is neat information on things like how hurricanes are named and the different types of tornadoes there are, but the lived perspective is incredibly valuable. Readers have the opportunity to look back to Pompeii and Katrina as well as to present conditions like wildfires on the North American west coast. VERDICT Libraries will find these titles are very relevant with applications in the classroom as well as at home.

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This offering from the Wild Earth Science series (8 titles) introduces younger readers to these large, unplanned conflagrations that destroy habitat for both humans and wildlife. Jaycox addresses causes (lightning, campfires, utility lines), characteristics (the ability to spread quickly, create their own weather, and prevalence in drought-stricken areas), location (anywhere in the world), mitigation (water and chemicals), aftereffects (mudslides and flash floods), and safety (debris removal and preparing emergency kits and escape routes). She also details wildfires in Australia and California, citing climate change as a likely contributing factor. Crisp, full-color photos appear on nearly every page, helping to clarify the text. Large font, short sentences, and brief chapters make for an attractive layout and accessible text. A table of contents and standard back matter will further assist researchers.—Kay Weisman "Booklist"