$4.00 Mary Ann -A shining example of a science lesson couched within an evocative story. Best friends Amy and Mary Ann are devastated when Mary Ann's family moves away. Amy visits their old clubhouse and finds a praying mantis climbing a twig. She puts it in their terrarium and names it Mary Ann. She watches as the mantis lays her egg sack, and then weakens and dies. Once again, Amy is crestfallen, but her understanding parents urge her to watch for the eggs to hatch. Eventually, they do-all over the house! (Someone left the screen off the terrarium top.) The pleasantly warm tones of the watercolor-and-ink illustrations portray the full gamut of emotions from true sadness to unabated joy. Particularly noteworthy are those of Amy and her cat watching and waiting for the tiny insects. The book concludes with a valuable author's note that presents fascinating facts and hints for raising these intriguing creatures. Every library and classroom should have at least one copy of this je