Review: Masters of Disguise, by Rebecca L. Johnson

Okay, first of all: ewwwww!

9781512400878

$31.99

See that bug on the cover? With what looks like a mound of dead ants stuck to its butt? 

That's an assassin bug. With a mound of dead ants stuck to its butt.

I'll stick to sunglasses and a hat if I want to disguise myself, thank-you very much. That isn't an option for most animals, however, and in this title Johnson explores some of the ways animals go about hiding themselves from each other - beyond the old camouflage and mimicry. 

From the butterfly larvae that makes ants think it is their queen, so that they will feed it their best - even ant larvae! - to the spider that builds a large puppet spider to scare predators away, this book left me wondering why animals haven't taken over the world yet and made us their slaves. Some of them sure do seem a lot smarter than us*! 

Then I thought about how pampered our animals are at home - both the 'domesticated' and the wild - and I realized maybe they already have. At any rate, I am glad they haven't designated me as their prey (yet), and I look forward to passing this title on to the next reluctant reader who walks into the library. Solid information presented in fascinating narratives, followed up by research from scientists in the field.


*Srsly. Does this video remind anyone of a certain Indiana Jones scene? They are smarter than us, and they cooperate a whole lot better!

Give this as a gift to that kid who thinks he doesn't like to read. Pair it with an ant farm (preferably not filled with those giant ants that eat people from the aforementioned movie), or a magnifying glass to go check out what the tiny critters in your own yard are up to!

93 Shopping Days Left! Review: When Lunch Fights Back, by Rebecca Johnson

*Please check out my post from 9/12/14

9781467721097

Sometimes, it's really good to be a human. Unless you want to try some really exotic quisine, your food is relatively harmless. Well, except for all the chemicals, GMOs, preservatives, hidden fats...hmm...

Well, at least our food doesn't poke its own bones through its skin and rake them across our mouths as we try to eat it.

Yeah, I'm not hungry now, either. This is definitely one of those highly sensational, extremely disgusting, gory and gross books that...what's that? You already know who you are going to give it to? That's what I thought. My problem is, will my kids take turns with it, or will they fight over it?

Fortunately, along with the exciting/disgusting stories of animals defending themselves from would-be predators, there is quite a bit of science. Equal space is given to "the science behind the story", introducing various scientists who have spent time studying the creatures in question. The last few pages include copious resources for more information, as well as glossary and index. This is actually a pretty good book, definitely worth the shelf space in a library, classroom, or home.

Should you choose to give it as a gift this holiday season, you can pair it with a gift certificate to any ethnic restaurant near you, to try out some foods that might be new to your child (but which hopefully won't try to kill him). If you are lucky enough to be near an aquarium or zoo, you could give them a pass, along with a promise to go check out the animals there and see what you can learn about their defenses.

After-Halloween Reviews

In case you didn't get enough scare on Halloween (or courtesy of Sandy), we have a few titles for you to check out while you still have electricity:

With a few books I have read lately, I have been hopeful that there would be a sequel. Sometimes, however, it is just nice to have a complete story from beginning to end. I'm beginning to feel like publishers just won't print anything of the sort, as evidenced by these first two. I enjoyed both quite thoroughly, until I came to the last chapter or two, and it became clear things were not going to be wrapped up any time soon. Having said that, I do wholeheartedly recommend all three of these:



978-006-210-2904
review copy from publisher

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa's talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation called AMRF threatens his life in no uncertain terms.

But what Noa and Peter don't realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who'd stop at nothing to silence her for good.

Not knowing what is going on with your own body/life, discovering the everyone-is-out-to-get you feeling isn't paranoia after all: definitely scary. Good, solid writing, fast-moving plot, enough predictability to make you feel smart, enough surprises to keep you riveted, and the tech-speak was just enough to make everything plausible to my non-techie brain. A good one to hand to teens who want something that isn't fantasy or future, or to adults who don't yet realize YA fiction is so much better than the pulp that is published for them.



978-159-990-7253
borrowed from library

I was so looking forward to this one, and was very happy with the way it met my expectations. In Abby's world, those with magical abilities are the normal ones, and those without - 'Ords' - are shunned. The youngest of a family that includes some pretty gifted members, the discovery that she is an 'ord' is shattering. Unlike many ords, whose families dispose of them as quickly as possible, Abby's parents and siblings are fiercely protective and supportive of her. This does not change the way the rest of society sees her, however, or the fact that she needs to learn how to cope in a world where everything is stacked against her. Scary? You betcha.

The basic premise, and many comments throughout, reminded me of the way people with mental and physical disabilities are treated throughout the world. Rubino-Bradway does an excellent job, however, of expressing the unfairness and hurt without losing the book's comfortable, middle-grade appeal. Any images of Nazi social policies came into my mind strictly from other parts of that same organism! Abby is both charming and real, as are the other characters - human and other. I would have liked to see this wrap up at the end, yes, but I am also looking forward to getting to know everyone - even the 'bad guys' - better.



978-076-138-6339
review copy from publisher

Are zombies big in your house? Because, they are HUGE in mine. When S. turned 2, she told our physician that her favorite food was brains. We own several zombie survival guides, and didn't bat an eye when L. started gbawing on people the second he got teeth. M. has a bumper sticker that says, "The hardest part about the zombie apocalypse will be pretending I'm not excited." As you can see, we are a little confused as to which side we are on.

I am constantly referring people to Scott Westerfeld's Peeps, which intersperses its vampires-could-be-real storyline with examples from nature. You can imagine my excitement, then, when this gem came in the mail!

Each chapter of this - yes, nonfiction - book starts with a zombie trait: "Stares vacantly ahead. Moves slowly and mechanically. Behaves oddly." It then proceeds to outline how a particular fungus or parasite can create this trait in its host.

Warning: THIS BOOK IS REALLY GROSS. It's not sensationalized, it's good, straightforward science: but, boy, is it straightforward! Two pages into Chapter One, I was done eating for the day. A few more pages, and I was looking for the hand sanitizer, and I hate that stuff! I could barely bring myself to touch the pages of the book as I read. Why didn't I stop reading, you ask? Hello!!! Zombies! Real ones! Utterly fascinating, just...really, really gross!

I'll leave you with that. Be happy I didn't leave you with an image of a zombified carpenter ant with a spore stalk slowly growing out of its head.

Oops.