Redford, Ruth. The Human Body: An Alien's Guide. 2024. 48p. ISBN 9798887701462.
The Human Body: An Alien's Guide takes readers on an intergalactic adventure with a group of curious aliens who are on a mission to understand the human body. Through well illustrated graphic art, the aliens explores various body systems, including the circulatory, digestive, skeletal, and more. Engaging and informative text introduces key concepts, such as the composition of the human body and its responses to stimuli like injuries and illnesses.
This book presents complex scientific information in a fun and accessible way, making it an ideal resource for young readers. Readers will learn about major organs, different types of blood cells, and how the body defends itself against invaders, whether they be viruses or, in this case, alien spaceships. The humorous and imaginative storyline, combined with the vibrant illustrations, creates a captivating learning experience that will leave readers both entertained and enlightened about the wonders of the human body.
Poleksic, Jelena. A Sick History of Medicine: A Warts-And-All Book Full of Fun Facts and Disgusting Discoveries. 2025. 48p. ISBN 9781684494491.
Readers with strong stomach and a curious mind beware. A Sick History of Medicine offers a humorous and educational dive into the often grotesque history of medicine. The book's wealth of bizarre and fascinating facts make it an entertaining read. Exploring a range of unsettling topics, from ancient surgical practices to peculiar remedies involving leeches and worms, A Sick History of Medicine takes the reader on a gross and disgusting time travel trip through the past. Despite its morbid subject matter, the author's witty tone keep the content lighthearted and engaging.
A Sick History of Medicine is a unique and entertaining book that offers a humorous and informative look at the past. After reading this book, you'll wonder how humans survived this long. Fans of strange and exotic remedies, or those interested in health sciences, will enjoy this short book.
Coverney, Peter and Roger Highfield. Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life. 2023. 332p. ISBN 9780691223278.
The evolution of medical knowledge and of medical technologies has led to something unthinkable even a few years ago. It is now possible to build an exact replica of you digitally, which can then be experimented on to determine best treatment options, as well as model the impact of several decisions, such as lifestyle changes, diet improvement, or therapies that could extend your lifespan or diagnose diseases before they even occur.
Computers, machine learning, and artificial intelligence now combine to analyze and sequence your DNA, allowing the genetic code that makes you to be digitized. It is then simply a question of running your DNA through tests and scenarios to see what happens to you. Virtual You describes the process of creating a digital copy of you, from all of the intricacies of the human body to more philosophical questions, such as the impact that predictive medicine would have on people, especially in its infancy where only those who can afford it would benefit from it. One step removed will be the interaction of your digital twin with the digital twins of other people. Would you like to know you might have colon cancer in your 50s when you are 15? What your child could look like and be like based on the digital twin profile of a prospective lover? Would you change how you live based on a prediction?
Fans of medicine and of what the future will look like will appreciate the latest scientific advances described in Virtual You, and how these will change society in the years to come.
Schwartz, Heather E. Transplant Breakthroughs. Part of the Edge of Medicine series. 2023. 32p. ISBN 9781945564833.
Organs are vital to the functioning of the human body, and once they get sick or are damaged, there wasn't much medicine could do to repair and rehabilitate an organ. Fortunately, researchers and scientists discovered that some organs could be transplanted from one human to another, and even genetically grown in labs or on animals before being transplanted into humans.
From heart transplants to lung, liver, and even cornea, many organs can now be replaced inside the human body, extending life and providing a better quality of care. This short book explores the discoveries that led to more advanced medicine and discusses how modern medicine can successfully heal the human body.
Schwartz, Heather. Medical Invention Breakthrough. Part of the Edge of Medicine series. 2023. 32p. ISBN 9781945564901.
The field of medicine is constantly evolving, but often there have been discoveries that have suddenly changed patient outcomes for the better. Four of these discoveries are detailed in this short book. The discoveries of x-rays, penicillin, pathology cancer rapid test, and rapid anthrax test helped improve patient treatment and helped doctors diagnose previously hard to detect health issues.
X-rays were discovered in 1895 when a scientist bombarded materials with new radioactive material. W.C. Röntgen realized he could see through human skin to the bones and tumors beneath the skin. This discovery helped find problems that were not previously detectable. Penicillin was discovered when mold was left in a dish, and the scientist examining the dish realized the bacteria had been killed by the mold. This led to several medicines that could treat bacterial infections.
In 2001, following the 9-11 attacks, the country was on edge. When letters laced with anthrax were mailed to government offices, individuals were contaminated and some died. It was possible to determine whether the attack was anthrax, but it took long enough for the test that the patient could literally die before results were delivered. A process was derived to speed up testing, allowing infecting people to be tested and treated before death. Finally, cancer can also be difficult to detect. The creation of rapid tests allows for better and more rapid treatment to be delivered to patients.
Fans of medicine will appreciate learning about these medical breakthroughs, and how they improved medical outcomes.
Olexa, Keith J. The Gross Science of Lice and Other Parasites. Part of the Way Gross Science series. 2018. 48p. ISBN 978-1-5081-8171-2. Available at 616.57 OLE on the library shelves.
We all have heard of parasites, bugs that live on or within another species and steal food and shelter while providing nothing back to the host in exchange. Parasites are the bane of human existence, but also affect other animals and plants. Highly evolved to benefit at the expense of another, parasites have successfully adapted several techniques to avoid being noticed.
Sometimes they can be very annoying, like lice. At other times, they can literally be deadly, like the fleas that spread the Black Death in the 1300s. Parasites have overthrown civilizations, and led to massive social upheavals in the past. They continue to play a role in human history today with the spread of pandemics.
Learn how to recognize infestations of these critters, how to avoid becoming their next victim, and how to treat yourself if you are unfortunate enough to become infected.
Cicatelli-Kuc, Katie. Quarantine: A Love Story. 2019. 336p. ISBN 978-1-3382-3291-2. Available at FIC CIC on the library shelves.
Strangers Oliver and Flora sit together on a flight to New York. One of the passengers has caught a virulent tropical mono, and due to the fact that everyone was isolated on the plane during the trip, the CDC orders everyone quarantined for 24 hours. Those with symptoms will need to be in isolation for 30 days to make sure they can't spread the disease. Stressed by her home life, Flora tampers with the thermometer on their last check before release and it registers a fever.
In love with Kelsey but uncomfortable in his own skin, Oliver is surprised to see Flora, a girl he has just met, cheat, and even more so when she proceeds to kiss him. Since they might now be suffering from the same disease, they are isolated together in the same room, with their beds separated only by a thin curtain. As their ordeal becomes known, and their social media presence goes viral, they have to deal with fame and a level of interest neither of them is used to. Despite their nearness and their confinement, and in spite of the world wanting another kiss, can both teens learn how to express their interest to each other?
Together yet separated by a wide chasm, Oliver and Flora are awkward, nervous, and lack confidence in themselves. Their voices are authentic, and their use of social media to share news and communicate with each other even though they are in the same room can be witnessed daily in any school cafeteria. The entire plot centers around “the kiss” and each teen obsessively looks at every facet of each interaction. The premise of physical isolation is well executed, and the lack of physicality and decent language between the characters makes this book appropriate for all levels. Fans of romance will appreciate the efforts, or lack thereof, that Oliver and Flora make to learn to live with each other.
Marrin, Albert. Little monsters: The Creatures that Live on Us and in Us. 2016. 200p. ISBN 978-1-51810598-2. Available as an ebookon Overdrive.
They may be very small, and for many invisible to the naked eye, but parasites of all kinds dwell on us and in us, making us sick, and in some cases, killing us. Some of the most disgusting critters, parasites have always existed, and afflict us in different ways. Even parasites have their own parasites. This book explores several parasites that continue to be the bane of humans, including bedbugs, fleas, mosquitoes, and lice, which all cause itching and irritation. Other parasites, such as worms and leeches, can seriously incommodate humans. Deadlier still are diseases that are transmitted through these parasites, such as malaria and the plague.
This short book describes the impacts that parasites have had on humans, from providing some healing in the case of maggots which eat dead skin, to the death of billions from diseases. It explains how parasites attack us, what their effects are, and how we can get rid of them. Images show each parasite. Fans of medicine and those who enjoy being creeped out will appreciate the content of this book. For everyone else, you're better off not knowing.
Spinale, Wendy. Umberland. Book 2 of the Everland series. 2017. 275p. ISBN 978-0-545-95318-4. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.
In Everland, Gwen and her siblings escaped the heart of London and the Bloody German Queen’s Marauders with Pete and the Lost Boys and found safe haven at Alnwick Castle, where the Queen of England still rules. Unfortunately, the Queen is dying, and the Horologia virus that affects the remaining children is mutating following Doc’s intervention to create a vaccine. Duchess Alyssa is ready to take over the leadership, but Kat opposes this move and plans a revolution of her own. With time running out, Doc can think of only one possibility to stop the virus. Someone must travel to the Black Forest to retrieve a poisonous apple believed to be extinct. Protected by a deadly maze and located deep within enemy territory, the hopes of even finding this apple are slim to none.
Alyssa travels to the Queen’s garden, where she meets Maddox Hadder, a transfuge from Germany. Maddox agrees to help her, and the two of them travel to Germany and enter the maze. Hook, meanwhile, has returned to meet with his mother the Bloody Queen, and she tasks him and his half brother to enter the same labyrinth and find the apple so that Germany can possess an antidote to the virus. Gwen and Peter, meanwhile, face an assault by Kat and her forces. As the three pairs travel their separate ways, the virus spreads even further and a life-threatening situation turns deadly as obstacles litter their journey. Are they willing to pay the cost?
Chack, Erin. This Is Really Happening. 2017. 234p. ISBN 978-0-448-49358-9. Available at 973.92 CHA on the library shelves.
Senior editor at Buzzfeed, Erin Chack begins her memoire with her cancer diagnostic at age 19. She explains that movies and television shows had prepared her for what was to come, including the pain and the chemotherapy, but it had not prepared her to reveal this information to her friends. Over the course of this book, Erin discusses snapshots of her story that were significant and that influenced who she is today. From meeting her boyfriend and soulmate when she was 14, to talking about her trip around the continental United States with two friends, a beat up car and no money, Erin’s remarks are incisive and hilarious, and reflect the experiences that millenials live through every day. Fans of true stories will appreciate how Erin presents both her strong side as well as her vulnerable side, providing a look into her quirky mind and outlook on life.
Perrinato, John. Opioids: Heroin, OxyContin, and Painkillers. Part of the Drug Addiction and Recovery series. 2017. 64p. ISBN 978-1-4222-3607-9. Available at 615.78 PER on the library shelves.
Over the last several years, no health crisis has impacted New Hampshire more than the opioid epidemic. Ravaging every demographic group in the state, this plague has caused countless deaths, numerous overdoses that have required treatment in hospitals, and affected many families that in the past would not have encountered drug abuse. Several discussions have taken place around the state on how to solve this epidemy, but to address the issue it is important to know the origins of this crisis.
Unlike other drugs, such as cocaine and marijuana, most people who are addicted to opioids got there through injuries and accidents when they were prescribed painkillers. This medicine, designed to block pain receptors in the brain, also provided an increase level of euphoria and quickly led to dependence. Most people are able to end their treatment once the pain has subsided, but some become addicted to the benefits they perceive from opioids. When prescription medication ends, they obtain extensions. When unable to do so, they switch to purchasing them illegally, but the high price often lead addicts to jump to heroin, another opioid which happens to be cheaper. The rise of fentanyl and other related drugs have only compounded this epidemic.
Opioids: Heroin, OxyContin, and Painkillers describes how opioids were first discovered and used. A history of treatment is also presented, along with ways to prevent addiction for individuals using pain medicine. What was once considered a criminal behavior is now better understood to be a disease that can be treated, if not cured, but that efforts on the part of individuals and better treatment options on the part of society will be necessary to eliminate needless deaths and social destruction that occur throughout the United States every day.
Bunker, Lisa. Felix Yz. 2017. 282p. ISBN 978-0-425-28850-4. Available at FIC BUN on the library shelves.
Felix Yz (pronounced Is) was spending quality time with his father in his cutting edge laboratory when something went horribly wrong. During an experiment, a rift to the fourth dimension was opened, and an entity fused itself with Felix, provoking intense physical pain and modifying his genetic make up. His father was killed, and Felix was never the same again.
Now thirteen-year-old, Felix does not remember a time before the presence of Zyx, as the family has called the creature. Extremely intelligent and friendly, Zyx can easily communicate with Felix in his mind, but he can only express himself to the outside world through seizures or by using a keyboard to type messages. Zyx’s existence is known to only a few people, and must remain a secret to prevent government agencies from hearing about this new being.
The laboratory where the experiment took place has been rebuilt, and scientists have been working hard on finding a way to separate both entities. Knowing full well that there is a risk he could die during the separation, Felix is nevertheless willing to go through it. He will miss Zyx, but he’s ready to live the rest of his life without another presence in his mind.
So the countdown begins to the Procedure. With only thirty days left, Felix has to prepare for the worst as he hopes for the best. Family truths will be revealed, his interest in another boy explored, he will play chess against a Grandmaster, and he will experience a hint of the fourth dimension where Zyx lives. When it comes right down to it, what are the most important things in Felix’s life?
Written as a blog where Felix document the last thirty days of his life before the Procedure, his feelings and emotions are raw and uncensored. Fans of introspection will appreciate Felix’ outlook on life and his desire to live to the fullest despite his accident.
Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. 2009. 480p. ISBN 978-0-375-89376-6, Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves and as an eBookon Overdrive.
During a trip to Disney World when he was 5, Cameron Smith jumped out of the It’s a Small World ride to join the land of the Innuit. At the time, he and his twin sister Jenna were best friends and did everything together. That trip was the highlight of Cameron’s life. Now at sixteen, Cameron is a loser. He’s failing school, he’s high at least once a week, he has a lame job at Buddha Burger, he doesn’t have a girlfriend and he has no prospects whatsoever, and his sister Jenna hates him. She’s one of the popular and smart kids at school.
His parents are concerned about him, but the only thing that lights Cameron up is the Great Tremolo, a Portuguese singer who uses a recorder. The music is so bad Cameron can’t get enough of it. When Cameron begins to see hallucinations, he first ascribes it to the drugs he’s doing, but soon the fire giants that haunt him feel more real. A series of medical tests later, Cameron is discovered suffering from Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, otherwise known as mad cow disease. Always fatal, Cameron now finds himself in a hospital bed with no hope.
That’s when Dulcie shows up. An angel he saw at Buddha Burger, Dulcie tells Cameron that he must leave the hospital and take a road trip to find Dr. X. Dr. X discovered how to travel to other realities, and he unwittingly unleashed the fire giants on this world. Only Dr. X can provide Cameron with a cure. Accompanied with Gonzo, a high school acquaintance who occupied the hospital bed next to him, Cameron must now cross the United States looking for random events that seem out of place. Chased by men of the United Snow Globe Corporation, Cameron and Gonzo will rescue a Nordic god named Balder currently caught in the body of a lawn gnome, discover great music, find religion, meet the love of their lives (at least, they think), all the while with the fire giants and the Wizard pursuing them. Can Cameron find Dr. X before it’s too late?
A humorous and sometimes confusing book, Cameron never seems to know whether he is still hallucinating in the hospital or whether he is in fact traveling on the road. Fans of King Dork will appreciate the musical references and the contemporary language Cameron uses to explain away his mediocrity and his disease.
Spinale, Wendy. Everland. Book 1 of the Everland series. 2016. 312p. 535 mins. ISBN 9780545836944. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.
In a bid for world domination, Katherine, Queen of Germany, ordered the destruction of London and the conquest of England. Unfortunately, the raid that destroyed the city also unleashed a deadly virus that is killing everyone in its path. The first victims of the Horologia virus were the adults, who quickly succumbed. This wiped out England’s defenders, but then the virus began affecting German troops as well, and now, a year later, only children are left living in the ruins of London, as well as a relatively small group of German soldiers. And all of them are affected. The Horologia virus affects girls faster than boys, but in the end all of them die a horrible death.
For the last year, sixteen-year-old Gwen Darling has survived with her two younger siblings, sister Joanna and and six-year-old brother Michael on the outskirts of London, now known as Everland. They have scavenged and sheltered from the Marauders, as the German soldiers are known, as their steam-powered machines have patrolled the remnants of the city looking for kids. Led by the vicious Captain Hanz Otto Oswald Kretschmer, otherwise known as Hook, and his second in command Smee, the Marauders seek children as they believe they hold the cure to the Horologia virus.
Hook has not received any news from Germany since the day he led the assault against London. And England’s allies never counterattacked. Hook, who happens to be the son of the German Queen, believes that the Horologia virus has spread beyond England and has infected the world. A cure for the disease would be priceless and would provide him the power of life or death over everyone. Working with a captured English scientist, Hook is feverishly looking for the one child rumored to be immune to the disease.
Having encountered no other survivors for the last year, Gwen is surprised one night during a scavenge run to discover that there are other children out there. Peter and his friend Bella tell her of a city of Lost Boys, where children have taken refuge. Meanwhile, Joanna is captured by the Marauders. Gwen decides to mount a rescue mission, but Peter convinces her to come with them to the city first, as Gwen shows no sign of having contracted the Horologia virus, unlike Joanne, Michael, Peter, or Bella.
As Gwen tries to rescue Bella while Hook attempts to get his hands on a cure for the Horologia virus, both of them may not have enough time to fulfill their goal. A retelling of Peter Pan, fans of Steampunk and dystopia will appreciate the gritty aspects of Everland and the ever climbing price Gwen will have to pay to save her sister, and all of the Lost Boys.
Latta, Sara L. Medical Serial Killers. Part of The Psychology of Serial Killers series. 2016. 144p. ISBN 978-0-7660-7296-1. Available at 364.15 LAT on the library shelves.
There have always been people who kill others for thrill, power, lust, or greed. Individuals who kill three or more people at three or more different times in different locations are labelled serial killers by the FBI. Of all the serial killer types, the medical serial killer is by far the most chilling kind, for doctors and nurses are dedicated to preserving life, not ending it. Medical serial killers act within the confines of hospital, hospice care, and retirement facilities and are able to hide their dastardly deeds behind an environment that is often affected by death.
This book examines the most prolific medical serial killers in the United States and around the world. A profile of each killer is presented, along with how they eventually were caught and what the consequences were on the families of their victims and on themselves. These creepy individuals will make you think twice about going to the hospital.
Yoon, Nicola. Everything, Everything. 2015. 310p. ISBN 978-0-553-49665-9. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.
Madeline suffers from Severe Combine Immune Deficiency, where anything and everything in the environment can affect her and make her sick. As a result, Madeline has been living in her house her whole life, never leaving and experiencing the outdoors. She’s a real-life bubble girl. Her mother, a doctor, works hard to ensure that Madeline is as comfortable as possible, and her nurse, Carla, takes care of her on a day to day basis. Madeline attends school online, and has an active virtual presence, but Carla and her mother are the only two people she sees in person. She doesn’t remember her brother and her father, both of whom died in a horrific car accident seventeen years ago, when Madeline was only six months old. Everyone else coming in the house has to go through the decontamination unit and experience an unpleasant cleaning cycle, and they must have a clean bill of health. Her life is an endless repetition of days, with lots of book reading, homework, movies, and games with her mother. Mainly, though, Madeline is lonely.
When a moving van arrives next door, Madeline’s life changes forever. She looks out her bedroom window only to see black-clad Olly and his sister, along with their mother and father. Madeline is immediately attracted to Olly, but how can you communicate with someone outside the bubble? Slowly, the two of them figure how to talk to each other, and their relationship deepens. But the barrier remains, and breaching it could be deadly. What is worth more to Madeline? A safe protected life in the bubble, or the deadly risk of truly experiencing a relationship with someone? Her decision will change her life forever.
Fans of The Fault in Our Stars and All of the Bright Places will enjoy this coming of age tale where one of the participant’s health at first prevents a satisfying relationship.
Capaccio, George. Cancer Treatments. Part of the Advances in Medicine series. 64p. ISBN 978-1-60870-466-8. Available at 616.99 CAP on the library shelves.
Cancer remains one of the most elusive and deadly disease affecting the human race. Though scientific breakthroughs have happened in the last fifty years, much remain unknown about the mechanics of cancer and how to treat the different types effectively. This book presents information about how cancer forms, how the damaged cells spread, and the characteristics of the different cancers. Treatment options are also discussed and the impact on the individual receiving treatment is reviewed. Overall, this is a great resource for the reader to gain an understanding of how cancer works and what can be done to defeat it.
Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. 2003. 165p. ISBN 9780395776087. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.
The summer of 1793 was stifling hot in Philadelphia. The sights and smells of a city without sewers and perennially behind on garbage removal were overpowering. Detritus piled everywhere. A large quantity of rotting coffee had been dumped on the wharf and remained there, slowly rotting away. But for most people, it was business as usual in Revolutionary America.
Lurking in the shadows was what became known as yellow fever, a sickness that made the person turn yellow. At the time, it was thought by doctors that humors, or atmospheres, affected individuals and unbalanced their body, thereby making them sick. Without microscopes, people could not observe the microbes that caused yellow fever. Distributed by mosquitoes, this disease could be fatal. And the recipe for a perfect storm (standing water, garbage, and carriers) was present. Philadelphia in the summer of 1793 was a biological time bomb.
When the first people came down with yellow fever, it looked like a regular fever. But as the number of people dying increased rapidly, doctors and local officials realized this was no ordinary sickness. As panic gripped the city of Philadelphia, the U.S. and State governments fled, George Washington returned to Virginia, and surrounding States and communities barricaded themselves against travelers from the City of Brotherly Love. For the inhabitants left in the city, the worse was yet to come …
A historical thriller, the reader will remain on the edge of his or her seat as the catastrophic outbreak of yellow fever kills thousands while doctors fruitlessly search for a cure. One of the worse pandemic in U.S. history, the plague of 1793 continues to fascinate and provide a morbid look at revolutionary society.
