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Children's Nonfiction Botany

10 Plants That Shook the World

by (author) Gillian Richardson

illustrated by Kim Rosen

Publisher
Annick Press
Initial publish date
Apr 2013
Category
Botany
Recommended Age
9 to 12
Recommended Grade
4 to 7
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781554515202
    Publish Date
    Apr 2013
    List Price
    $12.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554514458
    Publish Date
    Feb 2013
    List Price
    $24.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781554514441
    Publish Date
    Feb 2013
    List Price
    $14.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

Plants might start out as leafy things growing in the earth, but they can come into our lives in unexpected ways. And believe it or not, some have even played an exciting role in our world's history. Discover how:

- Countries went to war to control trade centers for pepper - A grass called papyrus became the first effective tool for sharing knowledge through writing - Europeans in the 1600s cut down rainforests to grow sugar, contributing to soil erosion - Cotton improved the livelihoods of a few, but caused unthinkable suffering for many more - Corn fueled new technologies and turns up in thousands of everyday products - The discovery of rubber revolutionized transportation, making bike and car tires possible - Tea and chocolate became big business, and the race for profits was on - Dependence on the potato caused one of the greatest tragedies in history, while the bark of the cinchona tree saved countless lives from malaria.

The ten plants in this book are the source of profound changes in the world, both good and bad. Through vibrant illustrations and astonishing facts, you'll discover that without them, our lives today would be vastly different.

About the authors

Gillian Richardson has written seventeen books for children, including 10 Ships That Rocked the World, 10 Plants That Shook the World, and Kaboom! Explosions of All Kinds. She lives in the British Columbia interior.

Gillian Richardson's profile page

Kim Rosen has illustrated for magazines and newspapers including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, TIME, The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mail, as well as corporate clients including Starbucks and American Express. She illustrated the three previous books in the World of Tens series. Kim lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Kim Rosen's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Eureka Honor Award, California Reading Association

Editorial Reviews

(starred review) With bold, lively caricatures from Rosen throughout, it's an intriguing and well-designed study of the ways plants have helped start wars, cure diseases, and advance technology.

Publishers Weekly

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