Romanek, Trudee. Zzz…The most interesting book you’ll ever read about sleep. Kids Can Press (2002). ISBN-10: 1550749463

Plot Summary

Romanek’s sleep book is an entertaining accumulation of facts related to the “mystery” of sleep. The health benefits of sleep, the effects of sleep loss, yawning, and brain activity during sleep are explained in short and simple paragraphs. Also of interest are details regarding the sleep cycle, the biological clock, and the different sleep stages. The sections devoted to dreaming and memory, interpretation of dreams, remembering dreams, and reasons why we dream are particularly intriguing. Problematic issues related to sleep such as insomnia, snoring, sleepwalking and talking, nightmares, and narcolepsy are also discussed. A list detailing suggested amounts of sleep is provided for reference.

Critical Evaluation

Most interesting to the target audience, young children (age 8), are the “you try it” sections, which enable readers to apply the newly learned information. There are even a few pages dedicated to “sleepers” in history like Thomas Edison, Napolean Bonaparte, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein. A useful index of sleep topics and page numbers is provided for quick answers to burning questions related to the topic of sleep.

Reader's Annotation

Colorful pages, eye-catching titles, and connections to animals make the entire book highly interesting.

About the Author

Trudee Romanek was born in Barrie, Ontario. While growing up, Romanek spent much of her time reading, singing, and playing. Although she loved books, her passion for writing did not begin until she was an adult. Eventually, she moved to Toronto where she attended the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Drama. Interestingly, while she was in college, she spent time working for an educational publisher, and it was during that time that she learned the art of editing. After graduating, she worked for a few years at both Houghton Mifflin and Harcourt Brace as an editor of school math, language arts, and science books.

Romanek’s experience as a textbook editor, trade editor, and freelance editor over time lead to short writing projects. Eventually, writing became her main focus, and at present, her books have been nominated for a variety of awards. She enjoys spending time with her family, singing, and arranging music.

Genre

Nonfiction: Science and Nature

Curriculum Ties

Science and Social Studies

Booktalking Ideas

Insomnia...snoring...sleepwalking...dreaming....are all explained in the book Zzz...The Most Interesting Book You'll Read About Sleep. Especially cool are the sections that explain how to figure out what dreams mean, how to remember dreams, and reasons why dreams are so interesting. Check out the "mystery" of sleep in this awesome book written by Trudee Romanek.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 9-12, Grades 3-6

Reason for Book Selection

I especially enjoyed the connections to historical figures in this book. A few pages are dedicated to what Romanek calls the “sleepers” in history, like Thomas Edison, Napolean Bonaparte, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein. This helps students make real-world connections to the reading.