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It's Catching: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes Paperback – April 15, 2014

by Jennifer Gardy (Author), Josh Holinaty (Illustrator)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
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Don’t be afraid to delve into the good, bad, and sometimes truly ugly world of germs. Microbiologist Jennifer Gardy, who calls herself a disease detective, picks up her microscope to bring expert insight to the microbes that are all around us but are too small to see. Irreverent, playful, and contagious in all the best ways, It’s Catching discusses a range of germs and the diseases they cause, from the common cold to food poisoning to the Ebola virus. Young readers will be enticed — and pretty grossed out — while becoming immersed in information about pus, bacteria, DNA, genomes, and more. They will learn how germs have shaped human history and also about the individuals who are working to hunt them down. Additional elements, like trading card–style profiles of a variety of diseases, a board game, and a detailed index, make this infectious read both useful and entertaining.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    64 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    2 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    1150L
  6. Dimensions
    7 x 0.3 x 9.3 inches
  7. Publisher
    Owlkids
  8. Publication date
    April 15, 2014
  9. ISBN-10
    1771470534
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1771470537
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gardy and Holinaty have a good sense of the ideal delivery for a middle-grade audience... The combination of clear, matter-of-fact text and lively design makes this a slender study that's big on information."
— Kirkus Reviews

"This book is so interesting and filled with so much valuable information that it will be read cover to cover."
— Library Media Connection

"A fascinating, illustrated introduction to microbes – good and bad – and the scientific field devoted to tracking and managing them."
— Shelf Awareness

"There's plenty to offer in this complex but comprehensible work ... an entertaining and informative eye-opener."
— School Library Journal

About the Author

Jennifer Gardy, PhD is a self-described disease detective. Currently deputy director, Surveillance, Data, and Epidemiology for the the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's malaria team, she has worked at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control and hosted science documentaries for CBC Television and Discovery Channel Canada, in addition to research and teaching. She splits her time between Seattle and Chicago. Josh Holinaty's works include book, magazine and newspaper illustrations and public art commissions. Also the illustrator of A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars and the Ira Crumb books, Josh lives in Toronto..

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Owlkids; 1st edition (April 15, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1771470534
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1771470537
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1150L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 0.3 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

LFOD
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
My kids (8 and 10) both enjoyed this book. Perfect for homeschool. Topics are thoroughly and scientifically explained, but in an easy to understand manor. The author knows how to grab the attention of children and keep them interested. The information given is complete so this book can easily be used alone for this topic. It is also a book that I am glad to own as I know we will look back on it for information and likely read again. I feel that this book would be best suited for a child 10-14.
One person found this helpful
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Jennifer Dee
5.0 out of 5 stars Talks about rabies and ebola
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
My child wanted to learn about diseases, and there aren’t any books I could find out there that catered to 10 year olds. Text books were too advanced and text heavy. So glad this book talks about two diseases my son wanted to learn about: rabies and Ebola. The book also discusses colds, the flu, stomach bugs, vaccines/meds, and it differentiates bacteria from viruses. It also gives some history on hygeine and how germs spread. The pages are broken up with illustrations, and the addition of color and a change in font sizes makes the page more inviting. I recommend this book for children ages 7-13. It’s easy to read but isn’t too juvenile. Older teens will find it childish. But regardless, it’s still informative. Most lessons are contained to 1 or 2 pages.
2 people found this helpful
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Madison Spence
5.0 out of 5 stars My son loves this book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
We got this book for my 8yr old son for his birthday and he LOVES it! He actually stopped opening all of his gifts at his party once he opened this so that he could go sit down and read through it. He loves learning about infectious diseases and this is perfect for him!
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kinta m culton
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
Great for older kids; very informative
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
My kids 10 and up, love this book. Full of odd diseases. We bought it when ebola was in the news and this book talks about ebola, so it was timely for us. We bought it a year ago and my kids are still reading it.
3 people found this helpful
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Jorge L
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Author
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2019
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Great info for the uneducated. Easy read, very comprehensive.
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Amber Garner
5.0 out of 5 stars Bought for my son for Christmas because he is very ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
Bought for my son for Christmas because he is very into Biology and microscopes. He loves it and has read it multiple times. Very informational, but also enjoyable for a kid to read.
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momto4
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FOR CURIOUS MINDS
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
FOR MY GERM LOVING SON ;) THIS WAS PERFECT, EXPLAINS GERMS IN A YOUNGER VERSION YET VERY TRUE TO FORM.
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Top reviews from other countries

Dave Rosborough
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read for young (or not-so-young) scientists
Reviewed in Canada on May 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
I teach Biology at the high school level, and I have two children of my own in the under-10 age group. When I heard that Dr. Gardy (who works at the BC Center for Disease Control, and has also hosted episodes of Nature of Things on CBC) had written a book about germs, I pre-ordered it immediately. Well, the book has arrived, and I couldn't be happier.

The book is packed full of information about microbes - different types of germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites), examples of different diseases (complete with a handy threat-meter for each to tell you how worried you should be about them), and what we can do about them. It's extremely well-written - intelligent, uses just the right number of big words (and uses them well, explaining or defining when necessary), and funny. The illustrations are fantastic - cleverly personified cartoons of various well-known viruses and bacteria. There's even a "try-at-home" activity or two. It's very engaging - my daughter regularly reads a few pages at a time when she comes home from school these days. I've been known to pick it up and "brush up" on some of my knowledge as well - it doesn't cheat on depth of content in order to be simply entertaining.

Overall, this is a "best-of-it's-kind" sort of book - the sort of book that not only appeals to the already-interested (like me), but that catches the interest of less-experienced audiences (like my kids). I've seen to it that our school library has ordered a copy, and would happily recommend it to anyone from elementary school and up.
3 people found this helpful
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LeKevoid
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for any age group really...
Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
Got it as a X-Mas gift for a 5 year old girl who's already passionate about biology, along with the cartoon series "Once Upon a Time: Life" ; she can't get enough of it and constantly asks her mom to read it to her like a bedtime story.

Certain concepts obviously are hard to grasp ; a child who can't even count beyond 100 can hardly imagine what it means to be 5,000 times smaller than a hair's width... But for a book on biology, the language is as simple as can be, the information is accurate, and they even propose a few experiments that can be done at home (prepare to have your kids ask you to let food rot in a container just to see what kind of mold forms on the surface !)

As long as the parents are willing to take the time to explain and/or research certain concepts in their kids' company, this is a marvelous gift for any child or pre-teen, one that will still prove resourceful way into their high school years !
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in Canada on December 30, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love this book. So fun to read. Funny pictures. Packed with info and a great inspirational tool.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The parents loved it. Said the level is perfect - not ...
Reviewed in Canada on May 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
Bought it as a gift for 2 different 9–10 year old girls. The parents loved it. Said the level is perfect - not to easy or too hard.
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Matilda
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book for children of all ages
Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book is a must for children to learn what may be lurking in their world and how it could affect them. While it does explain in some depth many of the common microbes and germs, it was entertaining and simple enough for my 8yr old grandson to understand. Wonderful book for children of all ages!
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