Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles

Description

Age range 9 to 12 When a tree cries out in pain, some unexpected heroes come to the rescue. Nema and her gang of young nematodes (tiny worms) embark on a dangerous journey underground. The Xenos, a group of wise but deadly bacteria, hitch a ride. The story of how they help the tree is full of action, life-or-death challenges and microscopic warfare. It is a story of co-operation and ancient partnership, about events happening all over the Earth, in the hidden worlds beneath our feet. Part of the Small Friends Books series - Stories of Partnership and Cooperation in Nature.

Ailsa Wild creates stories for theatre and paper pages. She loves collaborating with acrobats, scientists and children and her favourite question is ... But why? Aviva Reed is a multi-disciplinary visual ecologist who creates immersive experiences to explore complex science. Briony Barr draws on her skills as a conceptual artist to visualise complex systems and invisible worlds. Gregory Crocetti combines his microbial ecology experience with science education skills in an attempt to teach the world that microbes are marvellous. Patricia Stock is a Professor at the University of Arizona, USA. Her expertise is in insect pathology, with a focus on parasitic nematodes. Her work centres on the diversity, evolutionary relationships and symbioses these parasites have with their eukaryotic hosts and bacterial symbiotic partners.

"A beautifully illustrated, exciting and engaging story that is sure to inspire a child's imagination; while providing a scientifically accurate glimpse into the complex structure and living networks within soil." -- Dr Eva Schneider & Dr Elaine Ingham * Soil Foodweb * "This is a well thought out and beautifully presented book that successfully combines an illustrated narrative to communicate complex science concepts. It would be an invaluable teaching resource for a unit on soil." -- Julie Bertola * Children's Book Council Reading Time blog * "Nema and the Xenos: A Story of Soil Cycles is a must-read for every child and every adult to remember that microbes make us, we are soil, we are members of a complex, creative, cooperative Earth Family." -- Vandana Shiva * Scientist, Environmentalist and Author *