Fall 2024

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants

Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds

  • Interest Level: Grade 7 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 8

“Should you encounter any of the plants in this book, do not treat them lightly. They can kill you. Or cause you unbearable agony. Or land you in jail. Consider yourself warned.”

Explore the strange and remarkable stories of poisonous and even deadly plants.

Science, history, and true crime converge in an informative and exciting look at Mother’s Nature’s ghoulish garden. From a hallucinogenic fungus linked to the Salem Witch Trials to the weed that killed Abraham Lincoln’s mother, learn how certain plants evolved toxicity to avoid being consumed by predators and became the predator on their own.

In A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds author Rebecca Hirsch takes you on a wild journey to look at how toxic chemicals in the natural world have been used for medicine, warfare, and sinister acts of foul plan. Tread lightly as we explore these plants’ ominous deeds.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-9328-2
On pre-order until 10/22/2024
$28.99
979-8-7656-2524-8
On pre-order until 10/22/2024
$18.99
979-8-7656-1953-7
On pre-order until 10/22/2024
$43.99
Available at all major wholesalers and distributors. Save 25% off list price on hardcovers and ebooks when you buy direct! Digital purchases will be accessed on Lerner Digital Bookshelf. An account will be created for you after purchase.
Interest Level Grade 7 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 8
Genre Science, Young Adult
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, STEM, STEM: Life Science/Health and Human Body, STEM: Life Science/Plants, STEM: Technology
Copyright 2024
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Zest Books ™
Language English
Number of Pages 200
Publication Date 2024-10-22
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS YAN050040, YAN051050, YAN024030
Dewey 581.6/59
Dimensions 5.5 x 8.25
Features Afterword, Appendix, Author/Illustrator biography, Author/Illustrator note, Bibliography/further reading, Charts/Graphs/Diagrams, Glossary, Index, Introductory note, Original artwork, Reviewed, Source notes, Starred Reviews, Table of contents, Teaching Guides, and eSource

Author: Rebecca E. Hirsch

Rebecca E. Hirsch is an award- winning children’s author with a PhD in plant biology. Her picture books include Plants Can’t Sit Still and Night Creatures: Animals That Swoop, Crawl, and Creep while You Sleep. She lives with her husband and three children in State College, Pennsylvania. You can visit her online at rebeccahirsch.com.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants

“Should you encounter any of the plants in this book, do not treat them lightly. They can kill you. Or cause you unbearable agony. Or land you in jail. Consider yourself warned.” Explore the strange and remarkable stories of poisonous and even View available downloads →

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Reviews

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Each chapter opens with a full page, gorgeously rendered illustration of a plant in all its glory, set against a sepia-toned background that evokes a well-used, old-fashioned guidebook, and captioned photos throughout bring added appeal. While the organization makes this eminently browsable, it’s possible readers just won’t put it down.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Foreword Reviews

“Beautiful color photographs and drawings throughout the book make the plants easy to identify and bring their use throughout history into vivid focus. A memorable, enjoyable reference book, A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants combines often gruesome historical anecdotes with edifying botany lessons.”—Foreword Reviews

Booklist

“Promising “myth, mayhem, and murder,” this diabolical botanical guide delivers on all fronts . . . Deliciously macabre and almost conspiratorial in tone, Hirsch’s coverage is nicely rounded, pulling in traditional uses of many of these plants, some of which have medicinal treatments in small doses."—Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

“The striking page design evokes a strong sense of the macabre and is reminiscent of dark academia . . . An engaging, visually appealing guide for science buffs, true-crime enthusiasts, and herbalists alike.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews