Why do crabs walk sideways? Does hammering cinnamon sticks cause hunger? Can geometry carry you to outer space? Why’s there a hideout built into a restaurant wall? What should you do if a baseball bat flies toward your head? What can you hear in a totally silent room? Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is for students ages 9-12 who enjoy thinking. Some of the poems are serious, some light. Some rhyme, and some don’t. All forty assume that kids think widely and intelligently. Vivid, witty, full-color illustrations by Canadian artist Tina Modugno accompany every poem. The poems’ topics include DNA pasta, ice-skating ancestors, acrobatic raisins, messy rooms, poison ivy, wingless flying, talking silverware, things that never happened, rooftop lookouts, and many others, from these categories: People I (Might) Know; Science, Math, and Food; Outdoor Adventures; My Room; Thinking and Wondering. And for kids who hate poetry, there’s a final poem, “A Poem Is a Horrid Thing.” Just Wondering—40 Poems for Smart Kids (You) is lively, challenging, and fun for smart kids everywhere.