Engineering Solutions for Wildfires

March 1, 2020
Grades 5-8 The Preparing for Disaster series (6 titles) aims to help readers understand some of the more extreme threats posed by nature, focusing on how STEM fields can help predict, prepare for, and prevent (when possible) these catastrophes. With human activity accounting for 90 percent of the titular disaster, Wildfires focuses on turning science, engineering, and common sense towards prevention. All four authors favor information over entertainment, tackling their subjects through dense paragraphs of dry prose, intercut only by the occasional photograph, sidebar, or infographic. Though a glossary provides definitions for several terms, those words aren't highlighted in the text itself, and while young readers may find the design uninspiring, the text provides a highly detailed introduction to each topic, including examples of real researchers, potential solutions, and tips for preparation and survival. With well-sourced, thorough explanations, a consistent focus on STEM, and an incorporation of climate change into most analyses, this proves to be a highly useful, if tedious, collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)