SLJ Review of Paranormal Life Cycles

A hilarious and gross introduction to the science of life cycles. Each book in this series begins with an explanation of real-world life cycles and then introduces a fantasy creature as a thought experiment. Each book goes through the life cycle from reproduction, birth, aging, and death of these creatures, treating some as human victims of a disease and others as separate organisms. Key terms like habitats, predators, and instinct are used in context and then covered in a glossary at the end of each title. Real-world science knowledge is included in this creature feature, including rabies, spores, algae, and other biology facts.

VERDICT: Hand this series to emerging readers who can’t get enough of the paranormal world, or use them for a fun day in science class.