Synopses & Reviews
In Florida, Brazil, and Senegal, three scientists are working very hard to save the manatee. Manatees are docile, large sea mammals who are eaten in some parts of the world, feared in others, and adored in still others. But human encroachment, disease, environmental hazards, and being hunted, among many other issues, are causing their numbers to decline. Manatees are, in fact, an endangered species. John Reynolds, a manatee expert at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida and chairman of the United States Marine Mammal Commission for the past two decades, is among the scientists trying to figure out how to save the manatee, and move it off the endangered species list. It isn't as simple as just counting the numbers of manatees in the wild and seeing if the number goes up or down. There are countless factors that go into giving an animal a designation (and every known species in the world has a designation). But in the Amazon, for example, manatees are very difficult to spot, and are hunted for food. How do you get an accurate picture of what life is like for a manatee in Brazil, where Dr. Fernando Rosas studies the creature, when you might not even see one in the wild for months or years? And in Senegal and other parts of Western Africa, where young Lucy Keith is working hard to put together a network of people who share information about manatees, people fear them and hunt them. Conservation is not an easy goal for these three scientists, but their love and passion for the manatee drives them each day.
In The Manatee Scientists, John Reynolds does an aerial count of manatees in Florida and gives readers a basic overview of manatee biology and the new science being used to help with their conservation status; Lucy Keith is among the first to see bones of older manatees that were being kept by a legendary manatee hunter in Angola and has an adventurous weekend rescuing manatees trapped in a dam in Senegal; and Fernando Rosas takes his assistants and the author on an Amazonian riverboat trip, looking for a young manatees he released back into the wild, with mixed and emotional results. Scientists thousands of miles apart, sharing science and information with a common goal -- The Manatee Scientists is a perfect addition to our Scientists in the Field Series.
Review
For Houghton Mifflin's
Whaling Season: A Year in the Life of an Arctic Whale ScientistNamed to the 2009 John Burroughs List of Nature Books for Young Readers "Combining exemplary color photos and simple, vivid language, the chapters detail not only George's day-to-day methodology, but also his motivation: to explore "the mystery of the whales"all the things that remain unknown about the animal."Booklist, starred review "Crisp color photographs on every page provide a lush complement to the engaging, informative text…An excellent addition to any collection." – School Library Journal, starred review "Along with showing George in the lab and speaking to a middle-school science class, the book conveys his thoughts on living in such an extreme region and describes his path to becoming a biologist (son of noted author Jean Craighead George, George grew up in a nature-saturated family)." – The Horn Book
"Some scientists bring their subjects to where they are, but that's not possible with the bowhead whale; therefore whale researcher Craig George (son of author Jean Craighead George) has spent years in Barrow, Alaska, learning about the whales mostly from the local Inupiaq whale hunters, whose catch feeds the town and provides George with samples that allow him to form a deeper picture of this species of whale. It's therefore appropriate that the book focuses nearly as much on the Inupiaq's relationship with the whales as on George's primary research, and Lourie makes clear that George's work offers possible benefits to the Inupiaq (demonstrating that their whaling is, in fact, sustainable) as well as relying on them." -- The Bulletin
Praise for Peter Lourie's books with other publishers: Lost Treasure of the Inca "Armchair adventurers with a taste for gold will be quickly drawn into a modern-day search for hidden treasure...Lourie's tale is guaranteed to generate interest in the still-unsolved mystery, and it offers teachers the chance to connect an ancient culture to our own." -- Booklist Hidden World of the Aztec "This attractive book takes an objective look at the Aztecs from the perspective of archaeological digs at the Great Temple in modern-day Mexico City and at the Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan...The writing style is clear, informative, and interesting. ...Verses of Aztec poetry begin each chapter, presenting a more rounded look at a complex and sophisticated society." -- School Library Journal The Mystery of the Maya "The beauty of the scenery, the mysteries of the Maya, and the dangers of the jungle combine to make this a fascinating story of discovery. Lourie's visit to Palenque, an ancient Maya city in Mexico near the Guatemalan border, is described in informative and episodic text and wonderful photographs...The text is broken into small pieces and engages the reader in the adventure that is archaeology." -- Kirkus Reviews Tierra del Fuego: A Journey to the End of the Earth "Intrepid adventurer Lourie, who's explored everything from the Amazon to the Yukon, with the Hudson and Mississippi thrown in for good measure, travels to the island of Tierra del Fuego recounting adventures of Magellan, Charles Darwin, and turn-of-the-century world traveler, Joshua Slocum. As with other adventures, Lourie enlivens his narrative with period maps and drawings, photographs and quotes from journals and diaries from the past interspersed with contemporary photographs and tidbits about the people and places...Lourie is a masterful storyteller well able to bring the past alive....Period photographs and drawings are especially appealing." -- School Library Journal Amazon: A Young Reader's Look at the Last Frontier "A valuable, intriguing book." - Booklist "A vivid firsthand chronicle." - Smithsonian "The entire book creates an indelible picture of this endangered system." - School Library Journal
Review
In
The Manatee Scientists,John Reynolds does an aerial count of manatees from the Florida sky; Lucy Keith spends a weekend rescuing manatees trapped in a dam in Senegal; and Fernando Rosas takes the author on an Amazonian boat trip, looking for a young manatee he released back into the wild, with emotional results. These scientists are working hard to save manatees: docile, large sea mammals who are eaten in some parts of the world, feared in others, and adored in still others. But factors such as human encroachment, disease, environmental hazards, and being hunted are causing their numbers to decline: they are an endangered species, in need of help.
"It lives up to the standards set by others in this stellar series."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Synopsis
A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book goes to the New England Aquarium.
All sea turtles are threatened or endangered. The Kemps ridley turtles are the most endangered of allfewer than eight thousand on the whole planet. Limp and frozen, a Kemps ridley washes up on Cape Cod. When a boy named Max finds him, the turtle appears to be dead. But maybe not. Award-winning author Kathryn Lasky and photographer Christopher G. Knight take young readers on a riveting tour that begins on the icy shores of Cape Cod, where expert teams attempt to revive the Kemps ridley, and ends on the warm beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, where this rare breed is born and may return to lay eggs of its own.
About the Author
Kathryn Lasky and Christopher G. Knight have created many books for children, including THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROOF IN THE WORLD, MONARCHS, and SUGARING TIME, a Newbery Honor Book. About working on INTERRUPTED JOURNEY, they say, "It was a real eye opener for us to see how many people care about sea turtles and how an international rescue effort has evolved. It is so heartening to see people of all ages come together in this way."