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The Teaching Librarian 21.3 11 Chitchat: Celebrating the World's Languages by Jude Isabella, Illustrated by Kathy Boake Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2013 ISBN 978-1-55-453787-7 Chitchat sounds like the kind of everyday language that we take for granted, but Jude Isabella's book invites readers at the junior level (and beyond) to think about how and why we use words and sounds to communicate. Have you ever wondered if there is a connection between the sounds of words and their meanings? One interesting section of Chitchat: Celebrating the World's Languages gives an example of an experiment like one that a linguist would use to find an answer to such a question. Other sections explore topics like the origins of language, the evolution and extinction of languages, "slanguistics," alphabets, written languages, and unspoken languages. The short, chatty articles are colourfully illustrated and abound with interesting facts. The glossary and index are useful tools for finding information within the 44-page book and for showing students how to find information within the book! Canada's Other Game: Basketball from Naismith to Nash by Brian I. Daly Toronto: Dundurn, 2013 ISBN 978-1-45-970633-0 Few might question the status of hockey as Canada's number one sport, but many might wonder why basketball should be described as "Canada's Other Game." Journalist and basketball enthusiast Brian I. Daly has written a comprehensive account of the evolution of the sport in Canada from the time of its invention by Almonte, Ont.'s James Naismith to the 21st century where young Canadian players, inspired by the example of Steve Nash, are building careers for themselves in both collegiate and professional ranks. Although not written for a young adult audience, this book will engage basketball enthusiasts and students of the history of sports in intermediate and secondary grades who want a detailed account of basketball in Canada at both amateur and professional levels. A History of Just About Everything by Elizabeth MacLeod and Frieda Wishinsky, Illustrated by Qin Leng Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2013 ISBN 978-1-55-453775-4 A History of Just About Everything does a remarkable job of wowing the reader with its documentation of the scope of humanity's challenges and achievements. The book's 120 pages cover 180 events, people, and inventions that changed the world. Most of the articles, on topics ranging from the appearance of the first humans to the 2011 Japanese earthquake, are between half a page and a page in length. They are simple enough to be understood by junior level readers, but they are of interest to a broad general audience with an interest in trivia. Many articles are accompanied by inset text boxes labeled "Ripples" that discuss broad and often expected consequences of events. Have you noticed how our days have become 1.8 microseconds shorter since Japan's magnitude 9 earthquake? This book will help you and your students to understand the causes and the consequences of many historic events! Derrick Grose