The World in Your Lunch Box: The Wacky History and Weird Science of Everyday Foods - Hardcover

Eamer, Claire

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554513936 ISBN 13: 9781554513932

Publisher: Annick Press, 2012

Synopsis

A ham sandwich on white bread. Macaroni and cheese. Peanut-butter-and-banana roll-ups. They may sound like ordinary items, but they take us on an amazing journey through the rich history and astonishing science of food. Explore a week of lunches—from apples to pizza—by taking a romp through thousands of years of extraordinary events. Some are amusing, like the accidental invention of potato chips. Others are tragic, such as the Spice Wars, which killed thousands of people. Consider that ham sandwich: Ancient Romans first made ham by curing meat with salt and smoke to kill microbes, while yeast (which burps gas) produces the fluffy texture of bread. Aztec farmers bred tomatoes from small, bitter berries into plump, sweet fruit, and watermelons sustained travelers 10,000 years ago in the Kalahari Desert. With a vibrant design and quirky illustrations, The World in Your Lunch Box is like the perfect lunch: satisfying, well-balanced, and totally delicious.

About this title

About the Author

Claire Eamer lives in Whitehorse, Yukon, and has written several books on science and history for kids.

Sa Boothroyd is an illustrator who lives in Gibsons, British Columbia.

Review

This quirky offering reads like a diary of school lunches. Punctuated by silly jokes and colorful artwork, the book presents information on the historical implications of certain foods and the science behind what we eat.... Elevating the mundane into the realm of fascinating science and pop history, this book also offers a successful formula for encouraging students to enjoy nonfiction texts and to think a bit every time they open their lunch boxes. (Erin Anderson Booklist 2012-07-01)

This book would make an excellent resource for anyone studying food and nutrition from the primary grades right up to high school. (Sandra O'Brien Canadian Children's Book News)

A smart and savory feast sure to prompt discussion and debate among readers eight to twelve years. (ForeWord Reviews)

Serve it on an otherwise boring summer afternoon, and this book becomes a treat kids will relish. (Gloucester-Mathews Gazette-Journal 2012-06-14)

The authorial tone is light, but there is a surprising amount of nourishment here. (Kirkus Reviews 2012-03-21)

Author Claire Eamer's delivery is friendly and witty, and Sa Boothroyd's spot-on, comical illustrations help make the text even more accessible. (Cynthia O'Brien Quill and Quire)

Everyday foods become interesting subject matter, which should promote lively classroom discussions. (Carolyn Cutt Resource Links)

As the introduction promises, this title includes a lot of exciting history, amazing science, and some very strange stories. (Heather Accero School Library Journal 2012-07-01)

So you've got a growing gourmand in the house? Think you're raising the next Food Network superstar? Then make mealtime even better with The World in Your Lunch Box. (Terri Schlichenmeyer Tri-State Defender (Memphis) 2012-06-14)

It's . . . interesting just how many foods are found in a week's worth of food, and how much history can be learned, and how many cultures are represented. (blog.SchoolLibraryJournal.com 2012-05-18)

About this edition

• Publisher: Annick Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1554513936
• ISBN 13: 9781554513932
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Boothroyd Sa