Polin, C.J. The Story of Chocolate. London, New York, Munich, Melbourne and Delhi: DKPublishing, Inc., 2005. Print.

Annotation: Beginning with a description of the pods of cacao trees and how they are grown and harvested, this chapter book is divided into six chapters plus a glossary. It traces the history of the cocoa bean from ancient Mesoamerica to modern chocolate factories about the world. The large-print text is set against a background of stylized paintings, photographs and maps. Set off in boxes are facts such as the Quaker-owned chocolate companies in England: Cadbury and Rowntree, and definitions of organic and fair trade.

Rationale: DK Readers have five levels; this book seems to be at their levels 3-4, which are defined as “reading alone” and “proficient readers.” Nonetheless, younger readers might enjoy the pictures and the text is simple enough to read aloud.