THEY CAME FROM DNA
by Billy Aronson & illustrated by Danny O'Leary
Bright and curious teens will find this offbeat introduction to genetics a refreshing change from dry-as-dust textbooks. Fast- paced, theatrical, tongue-in-cheek, this first book by an author who has written for PBS's Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego? uses puns, groaners, and cartoons to explain some heavy-duty science concepts. The instructor is the alien Skreeg 402, who beams down to earth and uses letters, news stories, ads, rock songs, and trips to the school library to research and explain human evolution and genetics. For less able readers the humor may overwhelm the science, but for teens who enjoy Scientific American this title in the Scientific American Mysteries of Science series is a winner. Brief glossary; three titles for further reading; index. (Nonfiction. 12+)