Our Wildwood, Summer 2019, Volume 45

BOOK SHELF by Michelle Simon, Head Librarian Middle and Upper School

IN THE TRADITIONAL DEWEY DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION, THE 500S ARE DEDICATED TO SCIENCE, which becomes as specific as Celestial Navigation (527) and Pteridophyta (587). Yet science is everywhere. Science shows up in Social Sciences (300s), Technology (600s), and the Arts (700s), and don’t forget about Fiction (FIC). Here, find three different fiction book reviews covering the science genres of space, insects, and time travel.

SPACE CASE by Stuart Gibbs

WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead Reviewed by Brendan G., 5th Grade Student

CHILDREN OF TIME by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Reviewed by Bobby R., 6th Grade Student

Reviewed by Steve Bayes, 8th Grade Science Teacher

Living on the moon is harder than you think. It’s even harder for Dashiell Gibson, who has to find out who killed a top scientist in Stuart Gibbs’ Space Case , which is the first book in the Moon Base Alpha series. Dashiell’s parents are scientists chosen to live on the moon. On the ship, the top scientist, Dr. Holtz, is killed and Dashiell suspects foul play, but no one else does. He works with an alien to find out who killed Dr. Holtz. Stuart Gibbs lives in Los Angeles and even visited the 6th graders at Wildwood this year. He was upbeat, fun, and kind. He is known for the Spy School series, which is my favorite. He writes page- turning chapters that always end on

If you like science fiction with a bit of time travel and mysteries with puzzling plots, then this book is for you. The main character, Miranda, receives mysterious notes that seem like nonsense to her until little by little

Spiders, ants, and the Habit of Perspective! This book has it all. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky draws attention to the little things that run the world (arthropods) and sets them as the main protagonists in this science- fiction novel. The book is set in the future after humanity has destroyed Earth. A group of humans sets off for a new terraformed planet and find that it is already occupied. If you are interested in insects, biology, spiders, evolution, alternative methods to achieve

she figures out their meaning. It takes place in the 1970s, so there are no smartphones, iPads, Bird scooters, or Ubers. The book has many

diverse characters with complex relationships that you must figure out along with the clues. Because of the time-travel elements, if you don’t pay attention, you can get confused by how the plot zigs and zags. The author also sprinkles in many metaphors. The one I liked the most was the one that Miranda’s mom uses. She believes in an invisible veil that we all have. “And when the veil lifts, we can see the world as it really is, just for those few seconds before it settles down again. We see all the beauty, and cruelty, and sadness, and love.” When You Reach Me is an intriguing time-travel-filled mystery about changing friendships. I give it five out of five stars!

space flight, manipulating insects with smell, or exploring issues of what

a cliffhanger and keep me reading late into the night. He writes from a child’s perspective. Even though he’s a grown- up, it feels like

it means to be human, I would highly recommend this book. The science in this novel is well- researched, and you stand to learn a good deal about our little friends on Earth (arthropods), too. This book also won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for science-fiction literature in 2016. So it is not just the insect guy (me) that enjoyed it.

he understands kids very well. I think anyone who loves humorous, crime- solving books will enjoy reading Space Case or any other work by Gibbs.

31

OWW SUMMER 2019