Venom (Junior Library Guild Selection) [Hardcover]

Marilyn Singer (Author)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Darby Creek Publishing (October 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581960433
• ISBN-13: 978-1581960433
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides, and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories, and in 1976, her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over eighty books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling that says, "Hi. How are you? Sweet Birdie. Okay!" Her interests include ballroom/Latin dancing, dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, playing computer adventure games, and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Marilyn is the former host of the AOL Children's Writers Chat and currently co-hosts the Poetry Blast at various conferences. Visit her web site: www.marilynsinger.net.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: Venom, January 8, 2008

By 

T. Jonker "http://100scopenotes.wordpress.com" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Venom (Junior Library Guild Selection) (Hardcover)

I can see the pitch for this book now...

(Author walks into a room. Sitting at a desk in a large leather office chair sits a skeptical publisher)

Publisher: An entire book about things that have venom? Sorry, but I don't think you've got the makings of book here.

Author: There are more venomous animals than most people realize, I think.

Publisher: (Slightly Annoyed) Right, snakes. Look, we have enough snake books at the moment. If you don't mind, I'm very busy now-

Author: Wait! There are more. There's snakes, sure, but there's also spiders and frogs and -

Publisher: Okay, so there are three animals. Still, it seems like a stretch.

Author: And bees, and salamanders, and -

Publisher: Hmm. I guess I never thought of those other ones.

Author: And ants, and scorpions, and -

Publisher: Alright! I was wrong. It seems that there are a ton of animals that kids find fascinating, that also happen to be deadly. You got me. Tell me more.

Author: Here's what I'm thinking: tons of quality information, plenty of color photos of the venomous animals in action, and a healthy dollop of weird/crazy sidebar stories to grab readers' attention. What do you think?

Publisher: Yes, Yes, it's genius! Those pesky reluctant readers will love it for the exotic animals, exciting pictures, and crazy facts. Teachers will love it for the high quality information. I think that we've got a hit on our hands! A quality non-fiction selection if I've ever seen one.

Author: (Polishing fingernails on shirt) You're welcome.

5.0 out of 5 stars Venom Junior Library Guild Selection, May 15, 2011

By 

ladyblue - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Venom (Junior Library Guild Selection) (Hardcover)

The boys had already checked this book out of library several times, and wanted their own. I should have got two as they both want it at the same time.

Great Book! Very informative about things to avoid that can kill you, or make you very ill.
Illustrations are very good.

4.0 out of 5 stars If It Was A Snake It Would Have Bitten You, November 25, 2010

By 

Roscoe - See all my reviews

This review is from: Venom (Junior Library Guild Selection) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book for the young scientist or adventurer in your family. Don't let the cover fool you, it's not just about snakes. Venom is chocked full of facts and trivia about the venomous critters around us and those that inhabit other parts of the world. Whether it is on the ground or under it or in a tree over it, in the water or in a desert, on an island or a continient, this book covers them all. No child should miss having this book read to them or read it themselves and the pictures are amazing.