High-interest topic hooks readers and skillfully weaves in history and science content; Edge Books are carefully leveled and written for reluctant and struggling readers; Useful for hi-lo readers in middle school reading at a third or fourth grade level for units on the Middle Ages (bubonic plague), American colonization (smallpox), and modern diseases; High-interest topic ties directly to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum; Ties to Next Generation Science Standards related to engineering, technology, and the applications of science.