It’s Spit-acular!

The Secrets of Saliva

by Melissa Stewart

Benchmark Books, 2010

for Grades 3 to 5

ISBN 978–0‑76144–163‑2

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

The lively, conversational tone and blend of photos and cartoon-style art make It’s Spit-Acular: The Secrets of Saliva perfect blend of fun facts and serious science learning about how much humans and other animals depend on the watery stuff swishing around in our mouths. 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

“Come on, admit it. The title of this book is so intriguing that you’ve been waiting to hear about gas. Did you know that you inhale about 1.6 gallons of air a minute (2,300 gallons per day)? Did you know that your lungs work hardest in the late afternoon between 4 and 5 p.m.? Do you know how cows’ burping contributes to global warming? Which foods make you fart the most? Answers to all these questions are inside. [The books in this series] are wonderful human body titles for elementary schools.” (School Library Journal’s Practically Paradise blog)

“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

“This is the book that started the Gross and Goofy Body series. At first, I planned to write just one book about spit. The idea came from an article I read in Natural History magazine in 2004. It describes some of the amazing ways animals use spit — to build homes, to attract mates, to heal wounds. I was fascinated and knew kids would be too.

“There are so many straightforward kids’ books about health and the human body. I saw the topic of spit as a way to draw upon kids’ natural curiosity about themselves and other creatures. After doing tons of research and writing a sample manuscript, several publishers rejected the idea. A friend suggested that I create a whole series that looked at all the major body systems in a whole new way. I revised my proposal and editors immediately started to get interested.”