SUPERMARKET

A behind-the-shelves look at the inner workings of supermarkets offers readers an in-depth examination of how the myriad foodstuffs come to be available in the grocery store. From the laborers in the fields and delivery trucks racing across town, to an overview of each section of a modern grocery store, readers observe the many steps required to provide the ultimate conveniences. Krull skillfully distills a huge morass of information into palatable, bite-size morsels of information. However, the text lacks definite linear progression. Rather, it has a tendency to jump back and forth among the topics. She moves from describing the farms that produce our staples into a discussion on the economic development of early communities and then on to a description of the food pyramid—all fundamentally interconnected, but presented in a dizzying whirl of information. Greenberg’s meticulously detailed illustrations are like grocery stores themselves: a kaleidoscope of sights and colors. Included in the pictures are intriguing tidbits of trivia: how potato chip companies know when to send product out, favorite ice cream flavors, etc. The end result is a tremendous amount of information, both visual and textual, for readers to assimilate. Yet after wading through it all, readers—both young and old—will never look at a supermarket with such innocent complacency as before. A fascinating peek into an amazingly complex industry that is virtually taken for granted by most of us. (Nonfiction. 4-8)