Gr. 4-8. Is El Nino really to blame for warm days in winter? Sayre, an increasingly familiar name in middle- and high-school nonfiction, presents the real facts about the complex Pacific Ocean phenomenon and the associated weather conditions that affect not only eastern Asia and the western coasts of the Americas, but also more far-flung regions. Along the way she includes some less familiar aspects of the phenomenon--for example, its role in uncovering dinosaur fossils. There is some repetition (several mentions of deserts bursting into bloom), and a map would have been welcome. The color photographs, including several satellite images, are clear, well chosen, and by and large adequately identified. There's also an up-to-date bibliography, including books and articles, and a list of Web sites. This is more current though otherwise comparable to Caroline Arnold's
El Nino (1998).
Catherine AndronikCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved