Scholastic Book of World Records
Published by Scholastic India Pvt. Ltd.

World records almost always make interesting reading. And if there are vivid pictures to make it more interesting, the tidbits get digested faster. The Scholastic Book of World Records is such a book. It makes you want to pick it up and create a new global map based on the foundations of superlatives: the world’s largest and the smallest; the shortest and the longest; the fastest and the slowest?..

An excerpt from the book on the world’s largest moth:

The atlas moth of New Guinea and Australia has a wingspan of almost 12 inches. That’s about the size of a dinner plate. In fact, atlas moths are often mistaken for birds when they are in flight. Because they have no mouthparts to eat with, the only nutrition they get is from the fat deposits in their body.

The book contains little packets of surprises that are enough to arouse a child’s curiosity. From the world of nature to human feats, each of these records is simply written and easy to understand. The best part is that there are more than 600 pictures illustrating the facts.

An excerpt from the book on the country that consumes most sugar:

In Israel, about 216 pounds (98 kg) of sugar is consumed by each resident in just one year. That’s the average weight of a 6-foot-tall person. Sugar can be found in many different types of foods. Junk foods like candy, cookies and fast foods are loaded with sugar. Healthier foods, like vegetables and fruit juices also contain high levels of natural sugars.

Record Tidbits
Record Tidbits

As the book is published in North America, a special section on American records is included. Wouldn’t it be interesting to gather similar information on India and other countries too?

302 words | 3 minutes
Readability: Grade 6 (11-12 year old children)
Based on Flesch–Kincaid readability scores

Filed under: book reviews
Tags: #india, #sugar

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