The World's Worst Germs: micro-organisms and disease

Anna Claybourne (author)

Harcourt Education, Raintree Publishing, UK: 2006; 32pp

ISBN: 1844214958

Genres: biology, factural text, information text,non-fiction, science

Issues: health, hygiene

This is a relatively simple text that introduces basic terms such as bacterium, germs and disease, as well as providing a minimal outline of nine of the world's deadliest infections.

Clear photographs, some from electron microscopes, provide plenty of revolting images to thrill the young microbiologist.

More curious readers may find the text's information too limited but wider reading texts and websites are recommended at the end of the book. A glossary provides definitions of terms boldfaced in the text and other simple definitions are provided at the bottom of most pages. Although brightly coloured and visually appealing, this is very definitely only an introductory text.