Deserts

August 1, 2004
Gr 4-6-This title has little child appeal, but the information and activity ideas could be useful to educators preparing lesson plans. After providing a general overview of the different kinds of deserts and their causes, the author then examines specific deserts in seven regions of the world. Some of the chapters focus on flora and fauna; others devote more space to discussions of the cultures of human inhabitants. The final section gives suggestions for conserving these unique habitats. Castaldo's writing style is colloquial and at times awkward. Some of the projects are interesting, such as making a bead bracelet with the same stripe pattern as a coral snake. Others are impractical for all but those who live in specific regions, such as fossil hunting. Many require significant adult assistance. A lengthy, chapter-by-chapter list of resources is appended and includes unusual and interesting Web sites. Washed-out, black-and-white illustrations add little to the uninviting page layout. The volume is lamentably devoid of maps. Although Discovering Deserts (Chelsea, 1999) has similarly unattractive artwork, it contains experiments with a more scientific focus and reproducible activity pages.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT

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