Underworld: Exploring the Secret World Beneath Your Feet

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 29, 2014

Review

This nonfiction book is engaging and interesting. Covering such topics as Volcanoes, Caves, Underground Animals, Buried Treasure, and Underground Living, the book uses a mix of facts, photographs, and cartoon-like illustrations to provide the reader with a window into the worlds under our feet. There is little depth here, but I can see young people poring over a book like this since every page is chock-full of tidbits and facts. Who doesn't want to know more about naked mole rats, or the creepy catacombs of Paris? The thought bubbles on the pages with puns and (what I'm sure were supposed to be) pithy comments are distracting, and the pages are busy (the chapter dividers are double-page spreads that are the best use of illustrator Hancock's talent). This doesn't matter much since you can read the info on a page out of order without losing it - order is not essential. Readers of Guinness Book of World Records will love a book like this and I can definitely see elementary- or middle school-aged readers picking it up and getting lost in the pages. Recommended.

Overall Book Score: excellent