Book cover of It's Catching: The Infectious World of Germs and Microbes

Book description

Don’t be afraid to delve into the good, bad, and sometimes truly ugly world of germs. Microbiologist Jennifer Gardy, who calls herself a disease detective, picks up her microscope to bring expert insight to the microbes that are all around us but are too small to see. Irreverent, playful, and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked It's Catching as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

As a kid, I would have carried It’s Catching with me everywhere, reading facts about our microbial world out loud to anyone who would listen.

Starting with an introduction to a disease detective—who just happens to be the author,  a real-life (female!) science researcher—the book gives a perfectly concise intro to the teeny world of microbiology before branching out into specific players like viruses and bacteria.

My favorite section dives into “Great Germs”—the most common illnesses our bodies face on a global scale. It’s filled with super-interesting anecdotes covering things like the history of the disease, how it was named,…

From Bethany's list on children’s books about germs.

If you love It's Catching...

Book cover of The Real Boys of the Civil War

The Real Boys of the Civil War by J. Arthur Moore,

The Real Boys of the Civil War is a research about the real boys who served during the war, opening with a historiography research paper about their history along with its 7-page source document. It then evolves into a series of collections of their stories by topic, concluding with a…

Want books like It's Catching?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 39 books like It's Catching.

Browse books like It's Catching

Book cover of Germy Science: The Sick Truth about Getting Sick (and Staying Healthy)
Book cover of Up Your Nose
Book cover of The Bacteria Book: The Big World of Really Tiny Microbes

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,298

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like It's Catching, you might also like...

Book cover of Unfathomable: 20 Wild (But True) Stories About the Ocean

Unfathomable by Mary Boone,

Did you know you can survive being swallowed by a whale? Or that octopus wrestling used to be an actual sport? Or, that once a town in Oregon didn't know what to do with a whale carcass that washed up on their beaches, so they...BLEW IT UP?

As strange as…

Book cover of The Stormy Night

The Stormy Night by MJ Howson,

The Stormy Night is the first in a series of nine children's books for ages 8-12. The stories follow two dogs–a senior, disabled dog and a newly adopted puppy–as they learn to become friends and family.

The Adventures of Lucky and Mr. Pickle series are chapter books, not picture books.…

5 book lists we think you will like!