Book Review #10: A Nonfiction Book by a Specified Author

1. For our tenth assignment, I chose to review the following book, which was by one of the specified nonfiction authors:

(Book Cover Source: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35686089&referer=brief_results, accessed October 19, 2008)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Simon, Seymour. 1997. The brain: our nervous system. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688146414

2. SUMMARY:
Seymour Simon is the award-winning author of more than 250 science books for children, covering a vast range of topics. In The Brain, Simon takes an extremely complex subject and distills it down to an introductory level. Along with descriptions of the major functions of the parts of the brain and the nervous system, Simon has included interesting facts like, "A human brain is about the size of a grapefruit and weighs about three pounds when fully grown." He also writes, "The human brain is not the biggest brain among animals . . . but a human brain is the biggest compared to body size." Like most of Simon's books, the images and diagrams in The Brain are striking. Many of the 17 images were taken by scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) and offer highly magnified glimpses of the brain and nervous system most readers will have never seen before. There is no table of contents, glossary, index, bibliography, or reference to sources in the book. Rather, each page discusses a different aspect of the brain and nervous system such as nerves and how they signal, the cerebral hemispheres, reflexes, memory, etc.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
According to Sylvia Vardell (2008), "The number one criteria for quality in nonfiction writing is accuracy of information." Thus, it is a bit disappointing to find neither a bibliography, nor sources cited in The Brain. Lacking these, as Vardell suggests, "one might look to reviewers who are knowledgeable" or "the author's credentials and reputation in the field" to help determine the credibility of the information (Vardell, 2008, 253). If one explores along these lines, one learns that Simon was a science teacher for 23 years, has won several prestigious awards for his nonfiction books, and that this particular book is highly regarded by reviewers (excerpts are presented below).

In terms of organization, another disappointment is the absence of a table of contents, glossary, and index. Without the help of reference aids, if one were only interested in learning about memory for example, one would have to page through the entire book before this section would be found. Given the complex nature of the subject, the vocabulary is rather challenging. A glossary would have helped provide clarity for the many difficult words. The book does not lend itself to a read-aloud experience. Rather, this might be a useful introductory resource for a teacher, a student with an extreme interest in the brain, or a resource for a science fair project.

That being said, the design of the book makes up for many of its weaknesses. If one has the stomach for them, the images are riveting. Brightly colored, on a background of black, the photos and diagrams are the best part of the book. The layout pattern of a page of text facing a vivid image, brings both into greater focus.

In terms of style, there is nothing condescending about the text. Glial cells, dendrites, the hypothalamus and cerebellum are all described, along with how they affect everyday life. It is this last part that ultimately makes The Brain a more readable, engaging experience for youth. Explanations about how the nervous system works to quickly pull one's hand away from a hot stove, or the part of the brain that helps us throw a ball straight, make the information interesting and relevant.

Ultimately, a book like this is not for everyone. However, many readers will feel as though they have stumbled upon a gold mine - an excellent summary accompanied by amazing images. On a personal note, in my schooling to become a psychotherapist, I took courses such as Physiological Psychology, in which we had to learn all of the functions of the brain and nervous system. I would have loved to have had a book like this to supplement my learning. It condenses these difficult ideas in a helpful way, with useful examples that help one apply the knowledge, and includes images that are hard to forget.

Source:
Vardell, Sylvia. 2008. Children's literature in action. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
Booklist: "The vivid illustrations catch the eye, but the clearly written text provides a fuller understanding of what happens in various parts of the brain and nervous system . . . Simon's way of explaining what's happening in everyday terms enhances the book's readability."
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "There are some complicated concepts and terms, but they're defined with relative clarity considering their density, and there are some interesting tidbits included . . . overall this is about as entry-level as a treatment of that complicated organ is going to get. Junior MDs will appreciate the look inside."
The Horn Book: "The variety of views and the lucid presentation provide an absorbing introduction to this amazing control system."
School Library Journal: "Simon's clear, concise writing style is complemented by stunning color images."

5. CONNECTIONS:
*As Dr. Vardell suggested in the text for this class, combining this book with some of Simon's other books on human anatomy would make an excellent unit for health studies, national events such as National Health Education Week, or global events such as World Health Day.
Titles might include:
Simon, Seymour. Bones: our skeletal system. ISBN 0688177212
Simon, Seymour. The human body. ISBN 0060555416
Simon, Seymour. Lungs: Your respiratory system. ISBN 0060546549
Simon, Seymour. Muscles: our muscular system. ISBN 0688177204

*Pairing this book with poetry about the brain, thinking, learning and memory would be an enjoyable way to extend the lesson. Possible titles could include:
Vecchione, Patrice. The body eclectic: an anthology of poems. ISBN 0805069356
Wolf, Alan, and Clarke, Greg. The blood hungry spleen and other poems about our body parts. ISBN 0744585236

*Pairing this book with some of the fun and interesting books about illusions would augment a discussion about the brain and nervous system. Titles (including one by Seymour Simon) might include:
Cobb, Vicki. How to really fool yourself: illusions for all your senses. ISBN 0471315923
Seckel, Al. The ultimate book of optical illusions. ISBN 1402734042
Simon, Seymour. Now you see it, now you don't: the amazing world of optical illusions. ISBN 0688161529