10 Plants That Shook the World

Papyrus, pepper, tea, sugarcane, cotton, cacao, cinchona, rubber, potato, and corn: Richardson provides brief but incisive profiles of these 10 plants, explaining their cultural and scientific significance. Each section opens with a drawing of the plant (paired with an overview of its growing habits, history, and uses), followed by a historical interlude (a visit to the Boston Tea Party in the tea section, for instance), and a more detailed exploration of the plant’s importance and influence (“Today, it’s estimated that we eat at least our weight in sugar annually”). With bold, lively caricatures from Rosen throughout, it’s an intriguing and well-designed study of the ways plants have helped start wars, cure diseases, and advance technology. Ages 10–12. (Apr.)