The Horn Book Guide

SCIENCE

Morgan, Sally

From Mendel's Peas to Genetic Fingerprinting: Discovering Inheritance

64 pp. | Heinemann | August, 2006 | Library ISBN 1-4034-8837-1 $34.29

(4) 4-6 Chain Reactions series. This volume explores the history of genetics, from Mendel's discovery of dominant and recessive traits to forensic DNA typing. Though it's unclear why Mendel (instead of, say, Watson and Crick) is the chosen lead-in for genetic fingerprinting and the Human Genome Project, the volume's colorful diagrams and photographs are otherwise informative (although sidebars clutter the pages). Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin