STEM Friday #Kidlit The Great Shark Rescue by Sandra Markle

For STEM Friday this week, we have a middle grade book,  The Great Shark Rescue: Saving the Whale Sharks by one of our favorite authors, Sandra Markle.

Whale sharks are not only the biggest fish in the world, but also the coolest sharks because they feed by vacuuming up tons of the smallest creatures in the water (see pages 18-19).  Unfortunately, along with many other fascinating creatures, their numbers are plummeting and they have recently become endangered.

Markle gives numbers and explicit reasons why the populations are in decline. Sometimes the sharks are caught is nets during legal fishing while at other times they are killed by people who fish for sharks illegally.  Climate change is also a factor.  Scientists want to try to help the sharks, but they know little about them. It is a race to learn about whale sharks before they disappear.

In the back matter we learn that wrote the book based on interviews with experts (see “Source Notes.”)  Sandra Markle makes a point of using only primary sources, if she can (see post about meeting her at the Tucson Book Festival.)

The Great Shark Rescue will thrill budding marine biologists as well as those interested in conserving endangered species.  Realistically, this title could work with upper elementary readers as well as middle grade. It could be a great addition to your shelf.

Related:

 

Age Range: 9 – 12 years
Series: Sandra Markle’s Science Discoveries
Publisher: Millbrook Press TM (October 1, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1541510410
ISBN-13: 978-1541510418

Disclosure: This book was provided by our local library. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.Opens in a new window Note: this is a new link as of 1/2019.

Nonfiction Authors in Person: Sandra Markle, Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer

I am just back from children’s book paradise, or in this case the Tucson Festival of Books. This is the fourth largest book festival in the United States and it is only in the 6th year. It is held on The University of Arizona campus. Not only are there a wide assortment of book events, but also a vast array of excellent hands-on science activities at Science City right in the same area. The weather was glorious and the event was exciting, fun and enlightening. What more could you ask for?

Let’s get right to the highlights. I got to meet nonfiction children’s book authors Sandra Markle, Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer in person!

Sandra Markle is the award-winning author of over 200 nonfiction children’s books. She has traveled the world and shared her lively adventures with children. She is also extremely gracious about hyperventilating fans accosting her.

Sandra gave some excellent advice for writers, including the suggestion to use only first hand sources. She indicated she considers that everything in print to be already out of date (and may be inaccurate to start with). She gave an astonishing example how she checked with a researcher about a photograph she had seen of a bat swimming. The researcher, who had been at the event, said the photographer had thrown the bat into the water to get the shot and that those bats don’t actually swim.

I was amused to learn that Sandra is not inordinately fond of spiders after all. She said her 12 book series on arachnids (Arachnid World) “just happened” and she found that 12 might have been “too many.” As burned out on spiders as she became, she still managed to come up with the somewhat silly “Twelve Arachnids of Christmas” at her blog.

Selected books by Sandra Markle:

animal-hair-markle

What If You Had Animal Hair? by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Howard McWilliam is an engaging follow-up to What If You Had Animal Teeth? It compares real photographs of animals with unusual hair to imaginary illustrations of children with similar hair qualities. As Markle reveals, she slipped in some “stealth learning” as well, by including information about personal hygiene into the back matter.

Sandra revealed the idea for What If You Had Animal Teeth? came when her when her granddaughter fell down and knocked out her two front teeth, an experience I think many of us can relate to.

the-long-long-journey

The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Mia Posada describes the incredible nonstop journey of over 7,000 miles made by a godwit from the place where she hatches in Alaska all the way to the beaches of New Zealand (my previous review).

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle is about the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in honey bees (my previous review).

scorpions

Scorpions: Armored Stingers by Sandra Markle gives an overview of scorpion biology as well as compares scorpions to other arachnids. It was nominated for a Cybils award (my previous review).

________________________________________________

Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer are a couple who share laughs and a passion for children’s nonfiction. They talked about the research process they use for their books, with many anecdotes.

Kathleen Krull specializes in biographies. Her advice to writers was to chose subjects who are deceased if possible, first to avoid lawsuits, but also to make sure they aren’t involved in something unsavory that is revealed after your book comes out. Good advice!

Paul Brewer is an illustrator/author who specializes in humor. Paul also does much of the research for the their books.

Selected books by Kathleen Krull and/or Paul Brewer:

beatles-were-fab

The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull, Paul Brewer, and illustrated by Stacy Innerst recounts the witty remarks by the members of the Beatles rock band to questions by members of the press. For example:

Q: How do you find all this business of having screaming girls following you all over the place?
George: Well, we feel flattered . . .
John: . . . and flattened.

Paul definitely is a big Beatles fan, and his passion shows.

I had seen many positive reviews of the above book, but the next one came as a surprise.

Fartiste

Have you heard of Fartiste
by Kathleen Krull, Paul Brewer, and illustrated by Boris Kulikov?

Krull and Brewer uncovered this highly-unusual artist who performed astonishing acts of flatulence and who was wildly popular in France in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They rightly recognized that young people of a certain age (and dare I say gender?) might be incredibly intrigued by this kind of performer. Alas, the older people who buy books for said young people are not as intrigued. As someone in the audience pointed out, Walter the Farting Dog is acceptable, but somehow an actual farting person is not.

I was also interested to learn that the publisher tacked on the subtitle ” a mostly-true story,” although the authors say that it is actually completely nonfiction.

Lives-of-the-scientists

Lives of the Scientists: Experiments, Explosions (and What the Neighbors Thought) (illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt) is a prime example of the type of witty biography Kathleen Krull writes. Instead of focusing solely on their accomplishments, Krull reveals the personalities of the scientists through tidbits of their lives that make the subjects seem more human and accessible.

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All and all the trip was a terrific experience. The only thing I wish had been different was that these absolutely wonderful nonfiction children’s book authors had gotten the attention they deserved. Tucked away in a small room on the third floor of the education building, the only people who got to see them were dedicated teachers, librarians and aspiring writers who made a real effort to find them. Although it possibly would have been more stressful for the authors, it would have been great if they were down in the Science City area interacting with the starry-eyed youngsters exploring hands-on science and gotten the audience and attention they deserved!

Let me know if you decide to go to the Tucson Festival of Books next year (2015). I am making plans already!

Disclosures:  I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

 

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. Join us at the new Nonfiction Monday blog.

The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration

Did you know that in New Zealand people have special events to welcome back shorebirds called bar-tailed godwits each spring? Why? These birds are arriving from a migration that is mind blowing. The Long, Long Journey: The Godwit’s Amazing Migration by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Mia Posada describes the incredible nonstop journey of over 7,000 miles made by a godwit from the place where she hatches in Alaska all the way to the beaches of New Zealand.

the-long-long-journeyThis marvelous picture book has it all. In addition to the compelling text by award-winning children’s author Sandra Markle, it has superb watercolor and torn paper collage illustrations by Mia Posada, and even a well-chosen font that looks hand-inked and contrasts beautifully against the pale skies of the scenes.

Bar-Tailed Godwit on Tundra(Photograph of a bar-tailed godwit by Maslowski, Steve – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service )

The stars of the story are of course the fascinating birds themselves. Markle starts with a precocious chick hatching from an egg and manages to pack pertinent details about the birds’ habitat, diet, behaviors and even predators into a coherent and convincing story that culminates with migration. How do birds that have never made the trip before find the shores of New Zealand from so many miles away? How do they fly for over a week nonstop? It is truly amazing!

The Long, Long Journey is a Junior Library Guild selection and was nominated in the Cybils Elementary and Middle Grade nonfiction category. Although it really is of general interest, it would be perfect for children interested in birds, nature, and also for a unit on geography of the Pacific. This book is as special as the birds it celebrates.

Want to pair this nonfiction picture book with a fiction partner?

godwitsTry Baba Didi and the Godwits Fly by Nicola Muir and illustrated by Annie Hayward (see my recent review) or other children’s books about bird migration at Science Books for Kids.

Limited preview available at Lerner Publishing Group

Library Binding: 32 pages
Publisher: Millbrook Pr Trade (January 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0761356231
ISBN-13: 978-0761356233

Disclosure: I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

 

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

Today’s round up is here at Wrapped in Foil.

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees: A Scientific Mystery by Sandra Markle is a fabulous new book about the mystery of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in honey bees*.

case-honeybees

Organized in a beautifully logical way, Markle introduces honey bees and why we should care about them. She then presents the case for different causes of the disorder, revealing how complicated it all might be.

The visual lay out of the book is extremely appealing. It adds bold interest without overwhelming the text. Some of the close-up photographs are astonishing.

I should reveal that I am an entomologist by training and have had a long term interest in honey bees. I was impressed that Markle went right to the scientific experts and was able to synthesize and distill vast amounts of information into a clear, accurate picture of our current understanding of CCD. I also like that she presented some ideas for things we can do to help, like buy local honey (very important!) and plant flowers with bees in mind. She mentions letting weeds, like dandelions, go to flower. Dandelions can be critical because they flower late in the season, supplying significant cold weather food to the bees. Letting herbs and vegetables go to flower can be helpful to pollinators, too.

The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees is a compelling story with hard science, a complicated mystery, and a very real consequences to our dinner tables, all tied up into one. It will definitely appeal to middle grade readers and up.

Although some sources indicate an October publication date for this book, it is currently available from many book sellers.

*I am using the separation of the word “honey bee” in the way I was taught as an entomologist. The rule of thumb is that if the insect is actually as named, then the name is separated into two words. On the other hand, if the name doesn’t reflect the insect’s true identity, then it is presented as one word. For example, whiteflies are actually not flies at all, so the name is contracted. Honey bees are really bees, so the name remains separated. Dragonflies and fireflies are not flies, but bumble bees are bees. It is a convention that makes sense, don’t you think?

Related honey bee science information and activities:

Honey bee science activities and honey bees keeping warm at Growing With Science

Lesson plans from University of Arizona (by yours truly)

Importance of dandelions

Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group (August 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1467705926
ISBN-13: 978-1467705929

 

Disclosures:  The book was provided electronically by the publisher for review via NetGalley. I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at not extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

 

 

Nonfiction Monday is a blogging celebration of nonfiction books for kids. We invite you to join us. For more information and a schedule, stop by Booktalking to see who is hosting each week.

Today’s round up is at A Mom’s Spare Time.