Earth by Elaine Landau

Earth. by Elaine Landau. Children's Press, 2008. 48 pages.

Review/Personal thoughts:  This book is packed with information about planet Earth and would serve as a great resource for tween research.  Reader’s attention is captured immediately with satellite images of our planet where 6.6 billion people live. Using the photographs taken from space, the predominately blue hue of the earth is attributed to the majority (70%) of its surface being covered by water, but did you know that only 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh water?  Not only does the book focus on the Earth’s makeup, it also describes its place in the solar system.  Do you know how fast the Earth travels in its orbit around the sun?  The answer is 66,700 miles per hour!  Gravity, astronomy, asteroids and other planets are described.  It is life, in all of its forms, that sets the Earth apart as unique among the other planets. And it is water that is the requirement for all life on Earth - plants, animals and other living things.

The “centerfold” of the book is about global warming - what it is, what causes it, an what we can do to fight it.  Some of the suggestions include driving less, using less energy, planting trees and recycling.

The full color illustrations are very appealing. Earth’s three layers; the crust, mantle and core (which can reach temperatures of 11,000 degrees F.) are clearly displayed. Interesting features of the Earth are revealed like Crater Lake which formed 7,700 years ago when water filled a collapsed volcano and Meteor Crater formed 50,000 years ago when a meteorite crashed into the Earth!  There is a chapter dedicated to the moon.  There are cool statistics and great resources.  An excellent resource for tweens.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Reading Level: 4.2 Interest level: Ages 8 to 11.