Sick! draws the reader immediately into the huge world of the tiny, examining the fascinating diversity of the microscopic critters with which we share the world, and the magnificent animals that they infect. The wide diversity of animals and diseases covered in this book is like a tour of the animal kingdom between its covers. The facts presented are fascinating, and many of the experiments and findings are well off the beaten path of average children’s science books. The author has a way with words. Her prose is filled with alliteration that makes the text flow in an almost poetic manner, and the vocabulary in the book is rich, and some of it is accompanied by definitions in sidebars, which young readers will find helpful. The author shows her understanding of the middle grade audience by including plenty of gross details, written in a humorous and colorful style that elevates even “poop” jokes, while maintaining their fundamental appeal to middle grade humor. This book’s wit and engaging knowledge are as infectious as its tiny subjects.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Note: The word “bugger” is used in a humorous way to describe a pathogen/bug twice. Not tallied.

Violence/Gore: All of the violence/gore in this book is within a non-fiction/scientific context and is told in a colorful way appropriate for young readers, including: Several descriptions of disease symptoms, some of which are gross; insects killed as part of a science experiment; an animal bites another’s limb off (not graphic); brief discussion of flesh-eating bacteria; a few reports of people or animals killed by disease; animal blood is used in experiments a few times; a scientist uses animal corpses in an experiment (short mention of “blood and guts”); animals eat other dead animals; report of birds killed by people.

Sex/Nudity: Mention of animals mating.

Mature Subject Matter:

The word “suicide” is used in describing a cell that destroys itself to prevent spreading and infection to other cells, evolution from single-celled organisms to present-day animals and humans is discussed.

Alcohol/Drug Use:

None