Reviews have started to come in for my young-readers adaptation of Charles Darwin’s most important book, On the Origin of Species. So far, so fantastic!

Publishers Weekly says, “With valuable modifications and enhancements, Stefoff preserves the richness of Darwin’s content for contemporary young readers.” Read the full review here.

Booklist says, “The strength of this attractive volume is that it gives them direct access to
Darwin’s words on the topic of natural selection, along with informative updates and explanations.” (This review has not yet been published online.)

Kirkus praises the adaptation for being “so handsomely presented and so close to the source” and says, “Stefoff’s frequent glosses and boxed side essays unpack major concepts, add historical context, explain how later scientific discoveries modify or support Darwin’s broad picture, and even studiously point out where the author went wrong.” The full review is here.

I loved writing the four books in my Animal Behavior Revealed Series. Scientists have made many new and important discoveries about how and why animals do the things they do, and it was a thrill to be able to share their discoveries with my readers. That’s why this outstanding review in School Library Journal made me very happy:

STEFOFF, Rebecca. How Animals Communicate. ISBN 978-1-60870-510-8; ISBN 978-1-60870-612-9. LC 2010036706.

––––. How Animals Feel. ISBN 978-1-60870-511-5; ISBN 978-1-60870-613-6. LC 2010053239.

––––. How Animals Play. ISBN 978-1-60870-512-2; ISBN 978-1-60870-614-3. LC 2010053241.

––––. How Animals Think. ISBN 978-1-60870-513-9; ISBN 978-1-60870-615-0. LC 2010040550.

ea vol: 80p. (Animal Behavior Revealed Series). bibliog. diag. further reading. glossary. index. photos. reprods. websites. Cavendish Square. 2013. lib. ed. $34.21; ebk. $34.21.

Gr 5-8–Lively, informative scientific writing explores animal behavior in this excellent series. Engaging sentences smoothly define terms within the texts and develop concepts with logic and clarity. By describing a behavior, then examining human efforts to analyze and understand it, the author brings readers right into the world of science and inquiry, making this set a great vehicle for Common Core concepts. Numerous examples reveal commonalities and differences between species, as well as multiple research approaches used by scientists. The quality of the photographs is average, but many images effectively depict described behaviors (e.g., a baboon opening a car door and the courtship dance of two blue-footed boobies). The indexes are limited; animals such as kangaroos and elephants are not included, but specific creatures such as Koko the Gorilla and broader categories like birds and primates are. Despite this minor flaw, the set is a strong example of high-quality nonfiction. . . . For older readers, Cavendish Square’s “Animal Behavior Revealed” meets high nonfiction standards with lucid prose and well-organized presentation of information.

The books were issued in the fall of 2013 by Cavendish Square Publishing.

If you’ve ever read any books or stories by horror-master Stephen King, or seen any of the many television shows and movies based on his work, you might like to know more about his life . . . his difficult childhood, his early love of all things weird, and how his powerful imagination made him one of the most successful writers in the world.

I chronicled King’s life and career in Stephen King. You can read a starred review of it here.