  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 01/01/2014 A smart smack in the head with a soccer ball launches this easy reader nonfiction discourse on how we see what we see. Given the set-up, the first topic is pretty obvious: sockets in the skull, surrounding fat, and six muscles that “keep your eyeballs from popping out” are the first line of defense for the delicate organ. Explanation of how vision actually works is then divided into two parts. First Macaulay traces the passage of light through the cornea and pupil, past the lens and vitreous body, and onto the retina. After pausing for a review in a kid-styled diagram, he proceeds on to the transmission and processing of information to the brain and how corrective lenses correct common problems of vision associated with misshapen eyeballs. Discussion of complicated brain function is admittedly reduced to an illustration of a hypothetical thought process, but otherwise, material is presented in a well-paced text appropriately geared to newly independent readers. A glossary will assist readers retrieve or clarify concepts and the humorous illustrations readers have come to expect from Macaulay (the eyeball under construction in the closing spread is not only clever, but a great tool for recalling details) will not disappoint. Lists for further print and online reading are included. EB - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 03/01/2014 Gr 2–4—Macaulay did groundbreaking work beginning in the 1970s, bringing information to older children with such innovative works as Cathedral (Houghton Mifflin, 1973) and "The Way Things Work" series (Houghton Harcourt). This book is geared to newly independent readers who like a challenge. The material is placed within the humorous story framework of a coed soccer game. As the match proceeds, the text explains what "you" are observing at each stage and how your eyes are transferring the information to your brain. The book is formatted in an easy-reader style, with short sentences on each page. Macaulay does not shy away from sophisticated vocabulary and concepts appropriate to his subject, but both are supported by copious, clear diagrams. As the author states, this series "is intended to stimulate both verbal and visual literacy." This book will be a boon to libraries seeking informational titles on this level to support the Common Core.—Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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