It's Catching: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes - Hardcover

Gardy, Jennifer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1771470011 ISBN 13: 9781771470018

Publisher: Owlkids, 2014

Synopsis

Don’t be afraid to delve into the good, bad, and sometimes truly ugly world of germs. Microbiologist Jennifer Gardy, who calls herself a disease detective, picks up her microscope to bring expert insight to the microbes that are all around us but are too small to see. Irreverent, playful, and contagious in all the best ways, It’s Catching discusses a range of germs and the diseases they cause, from the common cold to food poisoning to the Ebola virus. Young readers will be enticed — and pretty grossed out — while becoming immersed in information about pus, bacteria, DNA, genomes, and more. They will learn how germs have shaped human history and also about the individuals who are working to hunt them down. Additional elements, like trading card–style profiles of a variety of diseases, a board game, and a detailed index, make this infectious read both useful and entertaining.

About this title

About the Author

Jennifer Gardy is the head of British Columbia’s Center for Disease Control Genome Research Laboratory and an adjunct professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia. In addition to her research and teaching, she is often found on TV and radio talking about germs and diseases. She lives in Vancouver. Josh Holinaty is an illustrator whose works include public art commissions and book, magazine, and newspaper illustrations. He also teaches illustration at Guru Digital Arts College. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta.

Reviews

Gr 4–6—An amusing but information-packed look at all things infectious. The cartoon illustrations and chatty text with terms like "tummy" and "cooties" and phrases such as "a quick pit stop in the liver" might lead some to assume this is a lightweight read, but there's plenty to offer in this complex but comprehensible work. Grady describes herself as a "disease detective." Working at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, she has spent years tracking the unfriendly microbes that adversely affect humans. Here she includes various specific diseases (malaria, ebola, rabies, to name a few) and germs (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, among others) and discusses the scientific research that led to medical breakthroughs like antibiotics and vaccinations. Grady also adds a nice soupçon of how the course of human history has been affected by microbes, such as the Irish Potato Famine in 1845 and Napoleon's army in Syria being struck down by the plague in 1798. Also covered are emerging agents of infection, career offerings in public health, and the importance of personal and public hygiene to prevent the spread of disease. This readable, slender introduction to the world of microbial life is an entertaining and informative eye-opener.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Edition details

• Publisher: Owlkids
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1771470011
• ISBN 13: 9781771470018
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Holinaty Josh
• Number of pages: 64