“High interest topics, “superhero” culture, and unusual facts about plants and animals tie together to form the backbone of this series about mutations and adaptations found in nature. Each two-page spread has one full-page color photograph representing the subject on the opposite page. Readers will pore over the quirky and unusual animal photographs. In Super Powers, super senses, abilities, and tools are emphasized. In Mutants, the emphasis is on mixed-up parts, color changes, and microscopic mutations. Photo captions and trivia questions emphasize the content and make reading fun. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Websites. Recommended.”—Marion Mueller, Library Media Consultant, Rawhide Starr Academy, New London, Wisconsin
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Mutants in Nature
9781681520315
Kirsten W. Larson
This photo-illustrated book for elementary readers describes the types of mutations that can happen to animals and plants. Highlights how outside forces or random genetic mishaps can cause extra or missing limbs, color variations such as albinism, and other abnormalities.
retail $9.99 your price $9.99
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Super Powers in Nature
9781681520322
Kirsten W. Larson
This photo-illustrated book for elementary readers describes animals with amazing speed, strength, and senses. Explains how these adaptations benefit them as defenses against predators or as ways to find and capture prey.
retail $9.99 your price $9.99
Vampires in Nature
9781681520339
Kirsten W. Larson
This photo-illustrated book for elementary readers describes animals that drink the blood of other animals and even people. Explains how these “vampire” animals find their hosts and which ones usually spread diseases when they feed on human blood.
retail $9.99 your price $9.99
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Zombies in Nature
9781681520346
Kirsten W. Larson
This photo-illustrated book for elementary readers describes animals that seem to take over the brains of other animals. Explains how parasites can alter their hosts' behaviors to use the host for their survival.
retail $9.99 your price $9.99
Freaky Nature (paperbacks)
Truth is stranger than fiction, right? Find out where you can uncover real-life vampires and zombies. Learn about crazy mutations, and discover animals with amazing super powers. Pop culture tie-ins and freaky facts hook readers into learning about animal and plant science. They may seem like stories from comic books, but you might find these freaky plants and animals in your own backyard.
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Complete Series of 4: your price $39.96
School Library Connection,
May 1, 2016
School Library Journal ,
November 2015
“This series draws parallels among animals and superheroes and monsters, with limited success. A few sentences of text, accompanied by a photograph, explore unusual features or behaviors. Some connections, such as the blood-sucking practices of mosquitoes and vampire bats, fit neatly. Others are more tenuous, such as when the platypus’s sixth sense is compared to Spider-Man’s. At times analogies are stretched to the point of inaccuracy: a honey badger’s skin is not “as tough as Iron Man’s armor.” Jumping quickly from one animal to the next results in some lack of clarity. Though many photographs are visually impressive, several are standard full-body photos that don’t highlight the animal’s featured ability. Added facts appear in a question-and-answer format at the bottom of some spreads. VERDICT There are plenty of fascinating bits of animal information throughout the series, particularly in Zombies and Super Powers, but the sometimes scattered presentation limits its general usefulness. ”
NSTA Recommends,
October 6, 2015
“If you are looking to capitalize on students’ excitement about Halloween or the latest superhero movie through books about real–life zombies, vampires, and animals with amazing powers, Kirsten W. Larson’s Freaky Nature books should be part of your school or classroom library. Zombies in Nature, Vampires in Nature, and Super Powers in Nature all depict amazing feats of creatures that will leave students in awe of the grossness, and greatness, of some incredible species. Full–page photos of organisms such as a highly magnified image of microscopic head lice, a wasp emerging from a cockroach’s body after eating its way out, dung beetles rolling their home of (what else?) dung, a fungus sprouting from an ant’s head, and a deer tick engorged with blood will engage even your most reluctant readers into wanting to read more about these unique creatures. Each book contains a glossary, print and web resources for additional information, and an index. These books are excellent for providing intriguing examples of adaptations and physical characteristics for primary and intermediate level students with clearly written text, captioned full–page photos, and contextual vocabulary. ”—Kristin Reardon
Booklist,
October 1, 2015
“No, not the magically reanimated monsters, although the origin of the word is acknowledged here. These zombies are parasites, mostly worms and spores, that infect other living creatures and take over their bodies. The examples are numerous: a fungus infects a carpenter ant and sends it to the damp ground. The ant dies, and the fungus grows from its head, spreading spores that will infect other ants. Elsewhere, a snail eats bird droppings containing worm eggs that hatch; the worm takes over and forces the snail to climb up high, where it is eaten by a bird. The worm lays eggs, and the cycle starts again. Sound like science fiction? It gets weirder. A type of wasp hatches inside a caterpillar, eats its way out, and builds a cocoon, while, mysteriously, the caterpillar stays to stand guard. This is a very effective look at basic biology and the way parasites operate, and the detailed photographs, often gruesome, effectively highlight and validate the examples they accompany. ”—Maggie Reagan