BOOKS
Reviews of microbe and science-themed books for adults and kids.
ADULT
The Perfect Predator – A gripping memoir detailing the development of phage therapy to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in the U.S.
Your Baby’s Microbiome – Excellent book on the importance of birth and first foods for the infant microbiome
Let Them Eat Dirt – Good book about the first few years of life and the microbiome, though I feel some of the recommendations are premature.
I Contain Multitudes – Excellent book on microbe-host interactions, from insects and squid to humans, and the scientists doing the research.
The Hidden Half of Nature – A book comparing the beneficial microbes in the soil around plant roots and those in our guts and their importance for human health.
Welcome to the Microbiome – An excellent crash course on general biology, microbiology and the human microbiome.
Missing Microbes – An interesting discussion of how the overuse of antibiotics has influenced human and microbiome health.
The Science of Mom – An evidence-based book on the first year of infant life.
The Good Gut – THE book on nurturing a healthy gut microbiome by scientists doing the research. Includes kid-friendly recipes.
Follow Your Gut – A TED-talk style book that tells engaging stories of microbiome research.
HIGH SCHOOL
The Invisible War – Graphic Novel for high school aged and up about World War II and the war between bacteriophage and the bacterium that causes dysentery
CHILDREN’S
Tiny Creatures – Excellent kid’s book on the microbial world from environmental to human-associated microbes. Nice visuals and great analogies.
The Squid, The Vibrio, and The Moon – Awesome children’s book about the bioluminescent partnership between squid and the bacterium Vibrio.
Zobi and the Zoox – The second amazing children’s book from Scale Free Network. This one is about corals, their dinoflagellate, and bacterial partners.
Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles – The third of the Small Friends book series. Amazing story of how tiny nematodes (round worms) and their microbial partners save a huge tree from gnawing grubs.
The Forest in the Tree: How Fungi Shape the Earth – For those of you who love chocolate – learn how fungi and bacteria help the cacao tree survive. Book four of the Small Friends series.
The Microverse Series – A cute series featuring different microbes that can be found in the environment as well as hanging out with human and other animal hosts.
Do Not Lick This Book – Hands-down one of my favorites. I love the interactive nature of the book and the microscopy.
June Almeida, Virus Detective! The Woman Who Discovered Coronaviruses. – Another favorite picture book of mine. The reader is walked through the life and science of June Almeida, but also the process of science!
A Garden in Your Belly Whimsical illustrations transport young readers to the “river of your gut” that waters your gut microbiome “garden” teaching the importance of eating fruits and vegetables to feed your microbes.
Gut Garden: A Journey Into the Wonderful World of your Microbiome. An excellent reference book for understanding your gut microbiome. Each topic is featured on a double-page spread making it easy to browse or read through.
The Good Germ Hotel: Meet your Body’s Marvelous Microbes. A cartoon gut bacterium educates his 9 year-old human “hotel” about the many ways that digestive system bacteria are helpful not harmful.
Inside Your Insides: A Guide to the Microbes that Call You Home. Another excellent human microbiome reference book for kids. With a table of contents and detailed index, it’s easy to find information that is clear and understandable. Cartoons and microbe jokes lighten up the main scientific information. Sidebars provide additional fun facts or history.