Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

Ancient beings transport demon-fighter Kernel to the center of the universe. There he learns the (pre-)history of the Demonata and discovers that the Disciples' mysterious new enemy is actually Death itself. Extended expository dialogue injects some degree of fresh life into the series, albeit clumsily, providing welcome relief from the gratuitously detailed, nightmare-inducing fight scenes.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

For the scientifically and poetically inclined, the 41 poems in Brain Juice: Science, Fresh Squeezed! by Carol Diggory Shields, illus. by Richard Thompson, distill scientific facts into simple formulas via clever rhymes and mnemonics. In the tragic romance, """"Chemical Reaction,"""" Shields writes, """"He was acid, she was alkaline./ He wasn't her type, but he thought she looked fine."""" Political cartoonist Thompson's exuberant drawings combine with the text to supersaturate the pages with wit and levity.

School Library Journal (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Gr 4-7 Following up on American History, Fresh Squeezed (Handprint, 2002), Shields continues her humorous looks at school subjects. This collection of 41 poems is divided into four sections: "Earth and Space Sciences," "Life Sciences," "Chemistry," and "Physics." All of the selections are brief; some are quite clever and others are forced. Some children might find the new words to "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and the Water Cycle" easy to remember and therefore a help with learning about this process. The same is true of "Inside of Old Smokey," which describes the ins and outs of volcanoes. Related tidbits and facts highlighted by green borders run across the tops of most pages. For example, a poem about the levels of the atmosphere is supplemented by a mnemonic device to help youngsters remember what they are called: "Trolls Seldom Take Exams" (Troposphere, Stratosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere). Small, vigorous pen-and-ink cartoons appear throughout the book. The factual content is accurate, and the witty poetry just might draw science-phobic children into learning about these topics. Kathryn Kosiorek, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Brooklyn, OH