Plant Sciences

This four-volume encyclopedia is aimed primarily at middle and high school students and is the first of projected similar treatments of other science fields (biology, math, computer sciences, animal sciences). Alphabetically arranged entries, written in accessible language, range in length from a few paragraphs ( allelopathy, anthocyanins ), to several pages ( biogeography, cells . Along with entries about the fundamentals are biographies and information about careers and related fields such as agribusiness, conservation, and ethnobotany; generally the content is tied to what's studied in middle and high school introductory classes. Each entry has bibliographical references. The pages are laid out with single column text and wide margins; color photos are included, but the reproduction is somewhat flat. Each volume includes a glossary, a listing of entries according to subject area, and its own index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)