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48 pp.
| Dutton
| August, 2006
|
TradeISBN 0-525-47762-4$16.99
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
Nine fact-filled chapters enthusiastically present everything you'll ever want to know about rats...and some things you might not. Focusing on the relationship between rats and humans throughout history, Marrin also covers the rodent's evolution, physiology, social behaviors, characteristics, and habits. Well-placed sidebars contain additional ratty bits of information. The etching-like illustrations--black-and-white pictures accented with pink and dark red--are surprisingly effective. Reading list. Bib.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2006
214 pp.
| Holt
| June, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-7316-7$19.95
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
The authors provide fascinating and often gruesome accounts of eight men and two women who knowingly exposed themselves (and sometimes others) to risks such as deadly diseases, gas inhalation, and radiation. The profiles tend to overemphasize the scientists' selflessness as well as the benefits of their research. Sketches and historical photos illustrate the exploits, and ample documentation is included. Timeline. Ind.
Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2005
48 pp.
| Atheneum/Schwartz
| March, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-689-84145-0$$16.95
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
Dressed appropriately in glossy black and white, this latest diversion from Avi is a tribute to the silent movie. Told only through images and title cards, the story is literal rags to riches, as young Gustave and his mother leave Sweden for the mean streets of 1909 New York and eventual movie stardom for the boy. The terse titles, lettered in an old-movie font, convey no more than necessary and work expertly with Mordan's sleek ink illustrations to keep the story moving.
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2003
32 pp.
| Holt
| June, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-8050-5583-5$$15.95
(3)
1-3
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
A grandmother tells a story to her nine-year-old granddaughter using a cat's-cradle-type loop of string for pictures. In this interesting tale-within-a-tale, woodcut-style artwork illustrates both the story of a girl using her wits to find her dog and get out of the snowy woods, and the grandmother's string designs. Instructions and diagrams are appended to help readers make the figures themselves.
162 pp.
| Avon
| March, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-380-97811-3$$15.00
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
In 1828, the Damron family leave their Illinois homestead and set off for Kentucky. Mama and Papa both die early in the trip, leaving Jesse and her siblings to travel the rest of the way alone. Originally published as a newspaper serial, the fast-paced, present-tense narrative is written in short, cliffhanger chapters, each accompanied by an effective illustration; an author's note contains historical background material.
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
C. B. Mordan.
Headstrong and imaginative, ten-year-old Manda determines to help when she discovers her parents' plan to hide a slave family escaping via the Underground Railroad. Manda eagerly befriends young Hannah, and in doing so discovers a wise and lonely girl who yearns for freedom and literacy. Readers will be engaged by the story's courageous characters and suspenseful plot, despite a few overly sentimental moments.