Here We Grow

The Secrets of Hair and Nails

by Melissa Stewart

Benchmark Books, 2010

for Grades 3 to 5

ISBN 978–0‑76144–172‑4

Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com.

The lively, conversational tone and blend of photos and cartoon-style art make Here We Grow: The Secrets of Hair and Nails a perfect blend of fun facts and serious science learning about hair, fur, nails, claws, and more. Here at last — a book that’s irreverent enough to captivate young readers, yet authoritative enough to win the praise of teachers, librarians, and parents.

Honors and Awards

Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrator/Anna Cross Giblin Nonfiction Research Grant

Reviews

“The Gross and Goofy Body [series of books] enlivens physiology for kids, offering humorous yet scientific surveys of body functions in just under 50 pages each. Kids in grades 2–4 will find [these books] appealing and fun. Each blends photos with fun cartoons and photos of kids, along with plenty of basic physiology.” (Children’s Bookwatch)

“Despite its irreverent moniker, the Gross and Goofy Body series offers detailed science facts in a fashion approachable enough to make it a welcome supplement to school textbooks. Each volume takes on a part or function of the body and then goes through the paces of description, metaphor, examples, data, and, most extensively, comparison to our animal counterparts. … the layout is fresh, clean, and colorful, sidebars keep things conversational, and the back matter is solid.” (Booklist)

Behind the Book

“By the time I tackled this book, I was getting pretty good at scouring medical books and journal articles for fascinating facts. And I had a long list of experts in every medical field you can think of. So researching this book was simply a matter of digging in to see what I could find. And I found some great stuff. For example, a fingernail’s appearance can be used to diagnose some diseases. Fingernails grow faster than toenails, especially during the day and in the summer. Animals use whiskers in all kinds of ways, and a fur’s color and patterns can help animals stand out from the crowd or blend in to the background. This book is really chock full of great information.”