Germs Make Me Sick! By: Melvin Berger, Illustrated by: Marylin Hafner (NonFiction)

Germs Make Me Sick! By Melvin Berger is a great book on germs- bacteria and viruses. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the illustrations. Marylin Hafner did a great job at illustrating what was being said in the text in a fun, understandable way. The illustrations show in a kid-friendly way the way in which germs look and how they attack the body and make you sick. This book is a great informative text on how bacteria and viruses can cause illnesses. It discusses what germs look like, how you catch them and what your body does to fight them off. I enjoyed how Berger described what different germs look like, saying that some bacteria for example look lik round balls or straight rods and how some viruses look like loaves of bread or tadpoles. This relates the shapes and looks of these germs to things that children are familiar with which in turn makes it easier for them to comprehend. I also really liked how Berger included that not all germs are bad germs. I think its important for children to know that there are good germs out there as well so they do not perceive any misconceptions. Another great aspect of this book is that the last page includes a list of things that children can do to keep good health and stay away from bad germs. I think this is an important topic that should be discussed all throughout elementary school with students so they can understand germs and illnessess and learn how to live a healthy lifestyle in preventing them.