Non-fiction

The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers

The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers

A Tour of Your Useless Parts, Flaws, and Other Weird Bits

By Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Greystone Kids

A perfect STEM resource: This illustrated tour of our "leftover" body parts (like the appendix, or even goosebumps) introduces readers age 7-11 to the bizarre and fascinating science of evolution.

Welcome to the weirdest museum you'll ever explore--the one inside your body.

Did you know your amazing, incredible body is a walking, talking museum of evolution? In The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers, tour guides Wisdom Tooth and Disappearing Kidney lead readers through a wacky museum dedicated to vestigial structures: body parts that were essential to our ancestors but are no longer useful to us--even though they're still hanging around.

From goosebumps and hiccups to exploding organs and monkey muscles, each room in the museum shows us that these parts have stories to tell us about our past. By the time we make it to the gift shop, we'll understand that evolution is not only messy and imperfect, but also ongoing. Our bodies are constantly changing along with the environment we live in--and there's so much that is still unknown, just waiting to be discovered.

Engaging, hilarious, and a visual treat, The Museum of Odd Body Leftovers is a place you'll want to visit again and again.

 

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Trending

TRENDING:
how and why stuff gets popular

Written by Kira Vermond

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Owlkids Books, 2020

Fads and trends: How do they start? Why do they spread? And how deep can their impact be? Although trends might seem trivial, if you dig deeper, you'll find that our desire to chase the next big thing can have an even bigger impact than expected.

Established middle-grade author Kira Vermond and cartoonist Clayton Hanmer team up in this fun and accessible nonfiction look at fads. In four short chapters, the book explores what a fad is, how the latest crazes catch on, and what makes us jump on the bandwagon. Finally, it looks at the fascinating and even frightening effects of fads both modern and historic. Who knew the beaver pelt craze in 17th century Europe would change ecosystems, start wars, and disrupt life as people knew it?

Comic-strip illustrations, an upbeat tone, and reader-friendly text make this a fun and timely tool for young readers who are building critical-thinking skills in the age of fake news and a world gone viral.

Forest of reading: Yellow cedar award, 2021

A JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION, 2020

 
 
“Praise for Half-Truths and Brazen Lies, also by Kira Vermond and Clayton Hanmer: “[An] intuitively clear survey of the good, bad, and ugly manifestations of lying.”
— Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“An excellent, well-written, and comprehensive purchase for school and public libraries.”
— School Library Journal
“Hanmer illustrates the text with energetic and sometimes amusing cartoon-style drawings, which appear singly or, occasionally, in a page of connected panels tracing a process through time. An entertaining, enlightening book on an unusual topic.”
— Carolyn Phelan, Booklist (Starred Review)

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Half-Truths and Brazen Lies

Half-Truths and Brazen Lies:
An Honest Look at Lying

Written by Kira Vermond

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Owlkids Books, 2016

Do you believe in telling the truth? Sure you do. But even that’s a lie — because we all lie. Whether to protect a friend, to make someone feel better, or to avoid telling even bigger lies later, lying is actually central to human nature. Usually we’re taught that lying is bad, and that’s that. But in reality, it’s rarely so black and white.

Kira Vermond’s latest book answers questions like: Why do we lie? What types of lies are there? What are the consequences of lying? What methods are used to detect lies? And when is it okay or even good to lie?

From forgeries and hoaxes to plagiarism and placebos, Half-Truths and Brazen Lies offers historical anecdotes, scientific studies, and sociocultural analyses to help unpack the complex world of untruths. Told in a witty, conversational tone with an index and full-color illustrations, the book takes a thorough, nuanced approach to a fascinating aspect of human behavior.

Nominated for the 2017 Silver Birch Nonfiction Award, 2017

Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens

Shortlisted for the 2017 Children's Literature Roundtables of Canada's Information Book Award

Red Cedar Award Nominee, 2017-18

New York State NYC Reads 365 List Selection

Grade 4-6 Diamond Willow

Red Dot Student’s Choice Book Awards

 
 
“I enjoyed this book because it made me feel better about myself, knowing that everyone lies.”
— Murphy, age 10, Kids' Book Buzz
“An excellent, well-written, and comprehensive purchase for school and public libraries.”
— School Library Journal
“Vermond’s [and Hanmer’s] new book about lying is really good... Despite the glum subject, the book ends on a positive note about how trust and honesty build better, happier communities. Recommended.”
— Canadian Review of Materials

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The Secret Life of Money

The Secret
Life of Money:
A Kid’s Guide
to Cash

Written by Kira Vermond

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Owlkids Books, 2013

Available in multiple languages.

If discussing money is a difficult task for adults, it’s doubly so where kids are involved. Not only is the subject loaded with cryptic jargon (mortgages? Bull markets? Huh?), but it often fails to click with how a kid sees his or her world. Many preteens and young teens do not yet have a job, and even if they do, their responsibilities with their earnings are miles away from grown-up money issues. In other words, not only is money a little overwhelming and mysterious, it’s also seen as something they can't do anything about. The Secret Life of Money is written to address this last point in particular. Its central message is that money affects us deeply and that even kids can have an effect on it, too. This book uses odd anecdotes, engaging comics, and a wealth of surprising everyday connections to help young readers see and understand cash from an entirely different angle. From the history of different currencies to why we buy what we buy, from how charities and credit cards work to saving and investing, and a whole lot more, readers will gain not only an appreciation for the myriad ways that money changes, influences, and (even) betters their lives, they will arrive to an understanding of the control they have over it.

Ontario Library Association, Red Maple Award, 2013

Canadian Children's Book Centre, Best Books for Kids and Teens Selection, 2012

Childrenʼs Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award, 2013

British Columbia Library Association, Red Cedar Information Book Award, 2013

VOYA's Nonfiction Honor List, 2013

 
 
“Comprehensive, easily read, engaging, and approachable segments...show respect for children as intelligent learners capable of understanding concepts many adults find confusing. In fact, adults might consider reading the book not only to foster dialogue with their kids, but to learn a few things themselves.”
— Quill & Quire
“A perceptive and timely publication on financial literacy for a new generation.”
— School Library Journal
“The Secret Life of Money makes a significant contribution to the current demand in our society for young people to receive education in financial literacy...Highly recommended.”
— CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials

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Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun

 

Catch the Wind,
Harness the Sun

Written by Michael J. Caduto

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Storey Publishing, 2011

Get charged up about energy! With more than 20 fun activities and experiments that will have children ages 8 to 12 enthusiastically engaged with making and using renewable energy, Michael J. Caduto takes a hands-on approach to fighting climate change. Step-by-step instructions for projects range from using the sun to make fires to charging electronic devices by peddling your bicycle. Additional energy case studies encourage kids to think about the basic tenets of resource management. Change the world — one miniature windmill at a time.

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The Lowdown on Denim

 

The Lowdown
on Denim

Written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Annick Press, 2011

How a humble work pant got on everyone's backside and
took over the world.

In The Lowdown on Denim, narrators JD and Shred take readers on a trip through the history of jeans, demonstrating that, whatever their style, jeans have always driven and reflected popular culture. They use their interest in denim to escort readers from wartime to the rodeo circuit and from environmental concerns to the rock and roll stage.

When blue jeans were invented in the 1870s, they were utilitarian -- baggy, only a single pocket and held up with suspenders.

In the 1960s, they were bell-bottomed and embroidered, symbolizing the rebellion of the Woodstock era. Punks in the '70s held them together with safety pins, while '80s metal bands wore theirs acid-washed. Then the low-riding style worn by prisoners inspired '90s hip-hop fashion. Today, denim can be as personalized as an iPod playlist.

With humorous comic-style illustrations throughout, this fun, fascinating social history will make readers think each time they pull on their jeans.

 
“This cleverly designed book engages the tween to adult market with fun facts, catchy titles, witty responses and action-packed comic strips. ”
— Lara Chauvin Resource Links

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Not Your Typical Book About the Environment

 

Not Your Typical Book
About the Environment

Written by Elin Kelsey

Illustrated by Clayton ‘CTON’ Hanmer

Published by Owlkids, 2010

We live in a time of heightened environmental awareness, and the stress of this pervasive alarmism is creating a generation of kids with feelings of eco-anxiety — the world is doomed, isn't it? Maybe not. Not Your Typical Book about the Environment aims to allay some of these fears by showing how all is not lost. Young readers will learn about the remarkable time that they are living in: the Anthropocene era where humans are the dominating environmental force on Earth. This is a time of amazing possibilities as smart technologies, innovative ideas, and a growing commitment to alternative lifestyles are exploding around the world. Each chapter begins by taking everyday objects from a kids' world — T-shirts, video games, bikes — and using these as launching pads to delve into related environmental issues and information. Profiles of unexpected personalities, like Catherine O'Brien, a happiness researcher, are featured throughout. These profiles enforce the overall message that this time of crisis can instead be seen as a time of great opportunity!

CYBILS, Non-fiction Middle/Teen Category, 2010

Green Book Festival Awards, Children's Category, Honor Book, 2010

Moonbeam Children's Book Awards, Environmental Issues Category, Gold, 2010

Newton Marasco Foundation, Green Earth Book Award, Non-fiction Category, 2011

Ontario Library Association, Silver Birch Award, 2011

Ontario Library Association, Top 10 Canadian Children's Books, Non-fiction Category, Best Bets List, 2010

ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award, Juvenile Non-fiction Category, 2010

Skipping Stones Honor Award, Nature and Ecology Book Category, 2011

 
 

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