Habitats

Gr 4–7—This ambitious series explores various ecology-related topics, making it a good starting point to introduce concepts like biodiversity, food chains, and ecosystems. Due to page constraints, volumes such as Habitats, Adaptations, and Life Cycles can only briefly introduce subjects that are covered more in-depth in other series. More focused books such as Inheritance, Natural Selection, and Interdependence pack in material related to genetics, mutations, survival mechanisms, symbiosis, and evolution. Scientists' contributions are noted, particularly the influence of Darwin. Humans' disruptive impacts, including pollution and habitat destruction, and the need for conservation, are stressed. Photos, drawings, and diagrams appear throughout. Curiously, some are identified as "primary sources," without explanation. Many are archival, but two cite Shutterstock as a source in Natural Selection.