Packed With Poison!: Deadly Animal Defenses (On My Own Science)

Grade 1-3–Sousa discusses venomous animals that use their poisons to defend themselves and capture prey. The short chapters have broad subject titles and focus on only a few creatures as examples. Venom in the Sea is devoted to the Australian box jellyfish and the stingray. Tiny Terrors tells about funnel-web tarantulas, black widow spiders, and scorpions. There is no mention of the specific chemicals contained in these venoms. Shipwreck tells about the 1995 underwater expedition off the coast of Charleston, SC, to find the wreck of the H. L. Hunley, a southern Civil War submarine. Walker describes how the ship was located, raised in 2000, and taken to a lab for study by archaeologists. Realistic paintings support the texts well. With its focus on just one subject, Shipwreck is better organized than Poison! Each of these books might be somewhat useful for reports, but, generally, they make interesting reading for newly emergent readers or for small-group sharing. High-interest content makes these titles perfect for reading practice.–Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJ
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