This is a really interesting book, grouping together what might seem a lot of disparate subjects with the common theme of night.
It starts with a brief introduction of all the exciting things that happen at night, and then jumps into the science of sleep. There's a brief comic strip telling the story of a teenager who broke a world record for staying awake - and why that world record no longer exists! With colorful charts, graphs, and blocky chunks of colors, readers will learn about different kinds of sleep, what your brain does while you're sleeping, dreams, and more.
The next section tackles nocturnal creatures and how they adapt to life at night. Bonus, it also includes a definition of crepuscular, one of my favorite words! Readers learn about night vision, echolocation, and how different animals sleep. There's a section on light pollution, and then the book moves on to plants. This was really fascinating. It talks about how plants "sleep" and I learned a new word, nyctinasty!
The last section features the night sky and covers the auroras, the light of stars and planets, and ends with "last thoughts before bed" summarizing the book. Back matter includes a glossary, sources, and an index.
Verdict: A unique and intriguing offering the succinctly covers a subject not often seen in children's literature. Recommended for middle grade nonfiction buffs who like science.
ISBN: 9781525301094; Published September 2020 by Kids Can Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium
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