The Wildly Weird Weather series (6 ttitles) knows exactly what will draw kids to the nonfiction section as it doles out stories of bizarre and extreme weather phenomena. While the series lures in readers with sensational titles, the information within is even keeled, as exaggeration isn’t needed for such naturally charged topics. Each book opens with a short scenario that helps readers imagine the unusual weather event, which is followed by brief scientific explanations for how it operates. Diagrams visually breakdown concepts like the water cycle and air-flow patterns, and dramatic stock photos capture the weather in action. It’s Raining Frogs clarifies that it isn’t only amphibians that are vacuumed up by tornadic waterspouts, but they are frequent fliers—until such anomalies peter out and drop their living cargo back to Earth. Exciting springboards into weather science.

This series offers readers the chance to explore the wild world of weather. Focusing on extreme weather events like volcano tornadoes and snow in warm places, each book describes the science behind these meteorological occurrences, examples of them happening, and what to do if you find yourself in one. The series goes quite in-depth with the scientific aspects, and provides diagrams explaining how these weather phenomena form. Written at a third grade reading level, the text is on the lengthier side for books intended for an upper-elementary audience, and the more technical subject matter may make these less approachable for striving readers. Climate change as a cause for extreme weather is briefly mentioned at the end of each book, but more information would be helpful. Page layouts include photographs alongside bold title text. VERDICT While a promising concept, Wildly Weird Weatherwould benefit from shorter, more accessible text.