Fact Friday: Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing 

Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, October, 2024. Review of copy borrowed from public library. 

Fact Friday features Call the Bee Doctor: How Science is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle. In 2013, veteran science writer, Markle published a book called The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees. In it, she described how the honeybee population was threatened by something called Colony Collapse Disorder. In this update, Ms. Markle describes the work of apiologists, or, bee doctors in their search for a cure of CCD.

The photos are the stars here as they help readers further understand the rather technical prose. The glossary may also be consulted frequently. Ms. Markle details the process of scientific inquiry and highlights the highs and lows. She makes the connection between honeybees and their importance to agriculture and the effect of climate change and use of pesticides on their survival. She might even inspire some middle school students to become apiologists!

In addition to a great glossary, the back matter includes additional sources, making this book a valuable resource for young researchers. Long live the queen!

Fact Friday: A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman

Image: Lerner Books

A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. 48p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September 6, 2022. 9781541598706. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features A River's Gifts: the Mighty Elwha River Reborn by Patricia Newman. Thousands of years ago, glaciers carved canyons and valleys in Washington State. Over time, water flowed north from the mountains to the sea. Salmon made their way up its churning waters to spawn and die. The river was given a name, the Elwha, by the Strong People, also known as the Lower Elsha Klallam Tribe. While the tribe relied on the salmon for food, they only trapped what was needed and the life cycle of the salmon were undisturbed for thousands of years.

That symbiosis was disturbed in the late 1700s when white settlers arrived with the attitude that the wilderness was a place to be tamed. They drove out the Strong People, cut down the trees and eventually built two dams, which effectively blocked the salmon population from spawning due to the destruction of its habitat and warming of the water. River banks eroded, wildlife that depended on salmon for food left the area. Once the dams outlived their usefulness, they were no longer used to generate electricity, but they still blocked the river. The Strong People who remained in the area began to campaign for the dismantling of the dams, hoping to restore the salmon. 

Ms. Newman is one of my favorite authors of informational literature. She has a knack for explaining complicated concepts lucidly while keeping things lively and engaging. The spare text is lyrical, subtly underscoring the magnitude of the destruction of this vital ecosystem and its long road to recovery. Side bars provide extra information such as how salmon feed a river or what the inside of a dam looks like. Back matter includes notes from both the author and illustrator and from a tribal member of the Strong People; a timeline; before and after photos; sources and recommendations for further reading. The end pages feature before and after topographical maps. Finally, the cartoonish illustrations are really beautiful featuring earth-tones with heavy black outlining and pops of color. 

A River's Gifts is truly a picture book for all ages - informative and inspirational, appropriate for use from STEM classes to social studies.

Fact Friday: The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle. 40 p. Sandra Markle's Science Discovery Series. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2020. 9781541581258. (Review of finished copy borrowed from public library.)

Happy Friday! We made it! It's a beautiful morning with a crescent moon rising in a clear, star-filled sky. Enjoy the day.

Fact Friday features The Great Bear Rescue: Saving the Gobi Bears by Sandra Markle. I have never associated bear habitats with deserts. Have you? Acclaimed science writer, Sandra Markle, introduces us to the endangered species, Gobi bears, in this beautifully designed book filled with lots of full-color photos of the bears as well as of the conservation scientists attempting to save them. It is estimated that there are only forty bears left in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. While climate change is impacting their chances for survival, illegal gold mining in the region is also having an impact. "Ninja miners" sneak into the desert and dig deep holes in their search for gold. Bears and other wildlife can tumble into those holes and the water that collects there is poisonous. 

Ms. Markle's eloquent text endears and educates. There are interviews with the scientists, helpful maps and useful back matter. The volume concludes with a reminder to readers to also not forget the polar bear. This book is part of a series called Sandra Markle's Science Discoveries. Any new book by Ms. Markle is an automatic purchase for me and should be for anyone who curates a school, public or classroom library collection. Happy reading!

Fact Friday: Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson. 64 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2019. 9781541542419. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Nature's Ninjas: animals with spectacular skills by Rebecca L. Johnson. After explaining what ninja were and their various skills, the author highlights each skill and pairs it with an animal who exhibits said skill, starting with toeholds and the incredible gecko. Each animal is introduced with a full-page, full-color action photo on the left and the comparison to a ninja skill or weapon on the right. Then the page-turn gives a bit of information about the animal followed by "The Science Behind the Story," along with at least two captioned photos, many including scientists who study the animal. 

My only quibble was about two photos, one of a cuttlefish imitating a hermit crab and the other of the spinnerets of a spider that were a bit blurry compared to all the others. Back matter includes thumbnail photos of the scientists; an author's note, in which she encourages readers to view the videos she lists; a helpful glossary; source notes; selected bibliography and books and videos in a "more to explore" section. Terrific addition. The cover alone should generate a ton of interest. 

Fact Friday: The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden. 64 p. Spectacular Sports Series. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, January, 2019. 9781541541535. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features The NBA Playoffs: in pursuit of basketball glory by Matt Doeden. The word fan is short for fanatic and if you're a fanatic, you learn everything there is to know about the game, including its history. Seventy years of the NBA is crammed into this slim volume, making it sort of a highlight reel of the dynasties and rivalries of the NBA. Packed full of photos, fans of the game should not miss this entry into the Spectacular Sports series.

Fact Friday: The Great Shark Rescue: saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

The Great Shark Rescue:saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle. 48 p.Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2019. 9781541510418. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features The Great Shark Rescue: saving the whale sharks by Sandra Markle. Did you know that whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean? Yes, whales are larger, but whales are mammals. There isn't a lot known about the secretive whale shark though. Scientists are using new technologies to track these endangered creatures who are threatened by climate change, fishing nets and poaching. This new entry in the Science Discovery series is beautifully designed and brims with full-color photos and charts to illustrated Markle's cogent storytelling. The volume ends with a page devoted to Great White Sharks, which were labeled as vulnerable in 2017. Back matter includes an author's note; timeline; source notes; glossary; and three books and four websites for further reading.

If you love animals, science, or learning about conservation efforts, The Great Shark Rescue is the book for you. This series really is a first-purchase for any school or public library.

Fact Friday: Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker

Image: Lerner 

Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781541542402. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Growing Up Gorilla: how a zoo baby brought her family together by Clare Hodgson Meeker. Mothers, regardless of species learn how to be mothers from their mothers. What happens when a baby is rejected by her mother? Keepers at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, stepped in nineteen years ago to raise Nadiri when her Lowland Gorilla mama refused to care for her. Now that Nadiri was about to become a mother, zookeepers worried that she would also reject her infant and devised a care routine that would encourage Nadiri to bond with her infant. Look at that face on the cover. How could one not? 

Meeker relates the story conversationally, in short chapters filled with full-color photos, charts and text-boxes. Back matter consists of an Author's Note, Acknowledgments, Glossary, and a More About Gorillas section that lists two pages of books, websites and videos for curious readers. The bright pops of color throughout, such as purple lines framing the many pictures, red caption boxes and green backgrounds and accenting marks enliven the presentation. 

Growing Up Gorilla is an excellent addition to any STEM collection. Hand it to your animal lovers. It just might inspire the next generation of zoologists. 

What's New? Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:
I am attending SLJ Leadership Summit in Baltimore this weekend. Lerner Publisher has a table and we were able to choose one free book from a large selection of titles. 
I chose:

Image: Lerner Publishing Group

More Than a Game: Race, Gender and Politics in Sports by Matt Doeden. 64 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, September, 2019. 9781541540941. 

Publisher synopsis: Sports has never been only about what takes place on the playing field. Author and sports fan Matt Doeden explores past and current controversies including black boxer Jack Johnson’s fight with the “Great White Hope” Tommy Burns, Jackie Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War, Colin Kaepernick’s protests, #MeToo and the US gymnastics team, and much more. Doeden weaves in information about Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter, and other essential background young readers will need. This book is sure to engage everyone interested in sports, history, and civil rights.

They also had a stack of copies of Queer. Much as I was tempted to grab that one, I chose to buy that title as an unlimited access e-book to allow my students to ability to explore without the potential embarrassment of checking out the book or carrying it. I am very excited about the title.

Purchased: Nothing!

If you leave a comment, I will definitely stop by and try to comment back - unless commenters have to sign onto Discus or Wordpress or FB or anything that makes commenting difficult and gives my data to miners. But, I will definitely check your stack!

Fact Friday: Little Monsters of the Ocean by Heather Montgomery

Little Monsters of the Ocean: metamorphosis under the waves by Heather Montgomery. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, January, 2019. 9781541528987. (Review of purchased finished copy.)

Fact Friday features Little Monsters of the Ocean: metamorphosis under the waves by Heather Montgomery. Most students learn about the metamorphosis of butterflies and frogs. Students at my school study monarchs in depth in seventh grade. They may be surprised to learn that many other animals undergo the process. The catch is that most are microscopic. 

In a casual, conversational tone, the author introduces these fascinating creatures with complicated, multisyllabic names. The cover of this attractive, slightly oversized book will entice. The many full-color photos and illustrations help the careful reader make connections with the text. Backmatter consists of an author's note, a helpful chart of life stages that lists all the animals discussed in the text, a brief glossary, selected bibliography and suggestions of books, videos and websites where budding scientists can learn more.

If your students learn about metamorphosis in science, this book belongs in your collection. If you want to inspire awe, this book belongs in your collection. If you have fact hounds in your school, this book belongs in your collection. Give your science teachers a heads up. Mine can't wait to read Little Monsters of the Ocean!

Fact Friday: The Great Rhino Rescue: Saving the Southern White Rhinos by Sandra Markle

The Great Rhino Rescue: Saving the Southern White Rhinos by Sandra Markle. Sandra Markle's Science Discovery Series. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August, 2018. 9781541524729. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Markle delivers another informative and outstanding entry in her "Discovery" series. She does have a flair for dramatic storytelling and getting readers invested immediately. As in The Great Penguin Rescue, the author tugs at the reader's heartstrings. In this case, we are introduced to a mama and baby white rhino calmly foraging until mama is darted by poachers seeking her horn. Her calf cries as mama collapses. The reader is left hanging as the next chapter talks about the species near extinction in the 1800s. She fluidly explains their loss of habitat to European settlers hunting them for sport and farming great expanses of the savanna. 

In case readers do not know what a savanna is, a blue text box explains. Readers also learn about rhino growth and development as well as the differences between white rhinos and black rhinos. Photos, charts and maps adorn every page.  They are crisp, clear and full-color depicting single rhinos, mothers and babies, males fighting, rhinos wallowing and groups of rhinos. All are well-captioned. A couple are quite disturbing though.

One that was particularly upsetting to me depicts a chain saw wielding man and a horn-less rhino starting bleakly and helplessly at him. Granted, this amputation was being done safely and proactively to make the rhino worthless to poachers but personally, I could've done without the image. And, readers learn later, that this "solution" was not a great one. Sobering and effective, to be sure.

The other was of a rhino suspended upside down from a helicopter. Yikes! The reason for this was the rescue was from a remote area inaccessible by truck. The photos of rhinos recovering from poacher attacks are not easy to see either. Not easy, but necessary. We must be educated about our wildlife and the importance of every animal to the ecosystems they inhabit. I particularly admire the dedication of anti-poacher workers and their canine companions. 

Young researchers will find the backmatter quite useful. It includes an author's note, timeline, source notes, a glossary and books and websites to learn more. High quality books about animal conservation are needed now more than ever. As protective laws are being relaxed, we need to instill a love and respect for the environment in our youth. The Great Rhino Rescue is a first-purchase. 

Fact Friday: Death Eaters: meet nature's scavengers by Kelly Milner Halls

Death Eaters: meet nature's scavengers by Kelly Milner Halls. 40 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August, 2018. 9781512482003. (Review of purchased finished copy.)


If the title doesn't lure readers, the enticingly repulsive cover is nearly impossible to resist. This informative volume will provide your fact hounds with everything they want to know about the science of decomposition and the animals that help in the process and thrive on it. I never knew that sea gulls' ease in finding garbage to eat at waterways have impacted their role as scavenger!  Also surprising was the ripple effect caused by India trying to eradicate vultures resulting in a spike in the population of feral dogs. I think I'd prefer the vultures. Ever since learning about Bio-urns, I have wanted an eco-friendly burial. Now, I want to be buried at sea. Definitely looking into that!

Conversational in tone, the fascinating text is accompanied by equally fascinating full-color photos served with a side of gross. Backmatter includes a glossary, source notes, books, websites and videos for further reading and an index.

Display this prominently and it won't sit! A delightful addition to the STEM collection!

Fact Friday: The Great Penguin Rescue: saving the African penguins by Sandra Markle

The Great Penguin Rescue: saving the African penguins by Sandra Markle. Sandra Markle's Science Discover Series. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August, 2017. 9781512413151. (Review of purchased finished copy.) 

Did you know that there are penguin colonies off the coast of Southern Africa? I always thought penguins only inhabited Antarctica. Just goes to show how much anyone can learn from great children's literature! Time was, millions of penguins lived in many colonies along the southern and southwestern coast of Africa but human interference, in the form of habitat destruction and egg harvesting have brought the colonies to the brink of extinction. Opening with a heartbreaking tale of a starving three-month-old penguin chick crying for her parents while awaiting their return, Markle prompts readers to become invested in the fate of all African penguins.

Markle's storytelling is fascinating as well as accessible. The photos are equally compelling and complement the text. There is at least one crisp, clear full-color photo on each page, with many being full-page. Maps, diagrams and text boxes add extra information. Backmatter includes an author's note; a "Did You Know?" page; a timeline; source notes, a glossary and books and websites to find out more. The STEM teacher at my school is interested in using the title in a unit she has planned. 

This series as well as the author's other science titles have pretty much become an automatic purchase for me. 

ETA: I thought that I had already reviewed this title but a google search of my blog name plus the title didn't reveal a link. The doc that I keep with the links for my year-end didn't have a link, a search of my daily book talk spreadsheet didn't show anything. Then, this morning, a student of mine informed me that I had already book talked the book. This kid's memory is astounding. Then, I remembered that blogger is no longer secure and that google searches in Chrome do not return non-secure links, hence my not finding it. I can't explain why I didn't find it on my spreadsheet though. 

So, sorry for the duplication. It really is a great book though.

Fact Friday: Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright by Nina Crews

Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Biography and illustrations by Nina Crews. Unpgd. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing, February, 2018. 9781512418651. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher via SLJ Leadership Summit.)

Happy Friday TMS readers! Fact Friday features Seeing into Tomorrow: haiku by Richard Wright. Photographic-artist, Nina Crews learned of a collection of thousands of haiku that African American author, Richard Wright wrote in the years prior to his untimely death at age 52. Crews sifted through them and chose twelve to illustrate with her signature photo-collage technique. The result is a joyous celebration of the curiosity, hope and potential of black boys. Crews also introduces readers to the famous writer in the way of a short biography at the end of the collection.

Haiku by their nature, are accessible. This is a perfect introduction of an important writer for young readers.

Fact Friday and Review: Eavesdropping on Elephants by Patricia Newman

Eavesdropping on Elephants: how listening helps conservation by Patricia Newman. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August 1, 2018. 9781541515710. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Science writer supreme, Patricia Newman's latest book brings to life the work of Katy Payne, who started Cornell University Elephant Listening Project back in 1984. After working for fifteen years studying whale sounds, she turned her attention to deciphering elephant sounds. "Katy wondered if African elephants also used infrasound. Biologists who study them had always marveled that elephant families separated by miles seem to stay in touch with one another." (p. 11) After studying Asian elephants in the Washington Park Zoo, Katy and her team spent five years recording savanna elephants in Zimbabwe. Eventually, she teamed up with an elephant researcher named Andrea Turkalo to explore these questions; "Could acoustic eavesdropping uncover more about forest elephants' habits? Could it help protect them? And could the combination of sound and behavior help scientists decode what elephants are saying to one another?" (P. 14)

With her usual narrative flair, Newman's accessible prose sifts years of complicated research into manageable bites of information accompanied by at least one full-color, well-captioned photos on every page. As usual, the publisher's design team found cool colors and design elements to tie the pages together. In this case, backgrounds in green tones and sound waves pulsing from one page to the next. There are maps to orient the reader and text boxes with charts to explain concepts. There are also elephant-shaped QR codes that readers can scan to watch videos and listen to sound clips! For those without a QR code app, there is a url for access. This extra content adds punch.

Newman always encourages young readers to be proactive in her books by providing tips for environmental stewardship. Backmatter includes a spotlight on Taegen Yardley, who as a middle school student, was inspired by the documentary, Battle for the Elephants, to advocate for elephant conservation and protection against poachers. There are two pages of source notes; a glossary and two pages of books and websites recommended for further reading, making this a great source for student research. 

Eavesdropping on Elephants is a spectacular STEM addition to any school, classroom or public library. It does double duty, as most of Newman's books do, to not only advocate for conservation efforts but highlights real scientists and their work in the field. 

Fact Friday: Forgotten Bones: uncovering a Slave Cemetery by Lois Miner Huey

Forgotten Bones: uncovering a slave cemetery by Lois Miner Huey. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2015. 9781467733939. 

A backhoe operator digging up a street outside of Albany in 2005 happened to spot a skull roll down the pile of dirt he was making. Work on the sewer line had to stop while the police were called. They needed to determine whether or not the area was a crime scene. The police summoned the medical examiner, who eventually determined that the skull was several hundred years old. The utility workers could not resume however, since archaeologists were now interested in finding out whether this was the site of a burial ground. Remains were found in the area at another time of a single grave. What if this was an unmapped burial ground? The land was near to the site of a farm owned by the Schuyler family. They owned slaves. Could this be their slaves' burial ground? Now, archaeologists wanted to set up a dig to discover a new slave burial ground. The utility work would have to wait.

I found this book fascinating. The narrative was well-organized and filled with lots of detail about the meticulous work of the archaeologists both in the field and in the lab. Two chapters were devoted to explaining slavery in the north.  Backmatter includes an author's note, two-page glossary, source notes, a selected bibliography, books and websites and places to visit. 

I loved the design as well. How can one resist that cover?  Compelling photos abound inside from color photos of the dig through black and white historical photos and maps. The layout is pleasing with the background alternating between creamy tan and graph paper and sometimes both. Readers learn the importance of graph paper and meticulous notes to an archaeologist, so it's a fitting design detail. 

I have no idea how I missed reading this but am glad I finally did. A great addition to any library collection.

Non-Fiction Monday: The Search for Olinguito: discovering a new species by Sandra Markle

The Search for Olinguito: discovering a new species by Sandra Markle. 40 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, January, 2017. 9781512410150. (Review from purchased copy.)

I'm a great fan of Sandra Markle's work. She not only writes accessibly but beautifully about her subjects, but they are always unique and fascinating. (Great Leopard Rescue, The Great Monkey Rescue, The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats, to name but a few.)

This short book highlights and celebrates scientific curiosity. What is science, after all, but the work of curious people? People who are careful observers who also have open minds, and, in many cases in the past, a good deal of courage and commitment. (Galileo springs to mind as does Semmelweis.)

In The Search for Olinguito, scientist Kristofer Helgen, who worked for the Smithsonian and was in charge of its mammal collection, noticed that a pelt of an animal classified as an olingo looked rather different than the rest of the olingo pelts. Olingos are mammals that are related to raccoons. They live in Central and South America. (p.7) He wondered if this was just a case of specimens from different regions or whether it was a different species. Museums around the world house olingo specimens as researchers have been studying them for over a hundred years. Thus he set out on what would be a ten-plus year quest to establish the fact that there indeed was a new species in the raccoon family tree!

The storytelling is compelling here as Markle deftly explains the science; folds in past research and not only connects all the dots in Helgen's work, but brings the scientist to life. His work required a load of patience, lots of travel as well as a campout in the cloud forest in Ecuador.

Plenty of full-color photos and maps illustrate the story of scientific sleuthing in action. This is perfect for any science class or career-readyness unit and is just the ticket for getting students excited about science. Backmatter includes an author note, source notes, tips for being a science detective, a glossary and three websites and a book for further reading. The book is beautifully designed as well, with green backgrounds decorated with green leaves lending a color to the already vibrant text. 

I do have one question though - why is it that while it was the reddish fur that first attracted Helgen's attention (photo, p. 9), subsequent photos of the olinguito(s) they found in the cloud forest do not appear to have that distinctive red coat?

Happy Book Birthday! Non-fiction Monday: Sea Otter Heroes: the predators that saved an ecosystem by Patricia Newman

Sea Otter Heroes: the predators that saved an ecosystem by Patricia Newman. 56 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, January 28, 2017. 9781512426311. (Review from finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

I will put this right out there - Sea Otter Heroes is a first purchase! The adorable sea otter who appears to be looking directly at the camera will lure your patrons/ students and the author's storytelling skills will keep them interested. Newman delivers another cogent, superb and influential book. The work of scientists is not a rusty, dusty litany of facts, figures and tedious lab experiments. Thanks to writers like Newman, Sy Montgomery, Pamela S. Turner, and more, young people can get up close and personal with real scientists and learn about a variety of careers in science. 

Sea Otter Heroes tells the story of a science mystery and the scientist who worked to solve it. Elkhorn Slough (pronounced slew), is an inlet that sits between Monterey and Santa Cruz in California. Farms surround the estuary and dump tons of pesticides and fertilizer into the waters. This practice has nearly decimated the growth of sea grass, an important plant in the marine ecosystem. The run-off is known as nutrient pollution and allows algae to thrive. This overpopulation of algae prevents photosynthesis and causes the death of sea grass. This, in turn decimates the population of sea animals that rely on sea grass for food and shelter. It also impacts humans in the form of coastal erosion. For some reason, the sea grass population in Elkhorn Slough has recovered and marine biologist Brent Hughes set about studying why this happened. Just how do otters fit into this remarkable recovery? Read Sea Otter Heroes to find out.

Thanks to the publisher/ art department for the beautiful design of this volume. There's plenty of "white" space. It's actually pleasing shades of blues with watery borders. There is at least one full-color photograph, map, or diagram on each page. Pages are also broken up by inserts like "Otterisms: Built to Hunt," which convey easily digestible facts about the otter or "Seagrass Science: What is a Trophic Cascade?"

A double-page spread entitled, "Rethink Your Relationship with Wildlife" offers suggestions for young readers that are easy to start the minute they close the book. Pages containing source notes and a glossary are followed with a two-page selected bibliography. A page with books and websites that young readers might explore and an index round out this important book.

I have mentioned that this is a first-purchase book already. Now, more than ever, we need to nurture young readers' fascination with animals and nature. There is so much at stake. We need to educate and inspire our students to be curious critical thinkers and champions of the environment and more. 

Non-Fiction Monday: The Great Leopard Rescue: saving the Amur Leopards by Sandra Marle

The Great Leopard Rescue: saving the Amur Leopards by Sandra Markle. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, August 1, 2016. 9781467792479. (Review from purchased finished copy.)

So it's Monday and I'm at ALA. I didn't set up a non-fiction review for today. Now that it's summer, I am trying to push myself to review more. Slow start. Anyway, the picture book I thought was a biography, is told in dialogue from the subject and I thought that even though it's beautiful and it's powerful, it might not be strictly non-fiction. Then I walked past the Lerner booth on my way to the post office (where I had to wait an hour and a half to ship my two boxes of books!) and this book called to me. I have Ms. Markle's earlier book, The Great Monkey Rescue on my summer pile to read and review. After finding out that it was for sale, I grabbed it and went to wait and wait and wait online. 

Now I'm poolside at my hotel, having lunch and just having read The Great Leopard Rescue. If you don't immediately fall in love with this book thanks to the sedate, snow-covered leopard staring stoically out of the cover, you will fall in love with the smooth narrative depicting dramatic and dangerous loss of this beautiful big cat. 

The Amur leopard is named for the area in Russia where they range and they now number in the thirties - down from an estimate of about 2400 in 1956. The Russian taiga has been clearcut in search of ore and to support agriculture. The leopard population is also a favorite of poachers, who suffer little consequences if they are even caught.

Since the 1990s conservationists have been working hard to protect the leopard population. The latest effort is to borrow leopards from zoos, transport the male and female to a specially designed enclosure on the taiga, where the female will live for the two years it takes to raise her cubs to maturity. Eventually, the mature wild-born cubs will be released to the taiga and the mom will return to her home zoo. Efforts will be made to avoid cross-breeding and the cubs will need to be taught how to avoid the Amur tiger, their only predator besides humans.

Plentifully illustrated with large full-color, well-captioned photos, this is a well-designed book. Leopards and cubs appear in a variety of situations - cub play, adult hunting, tranquilized while being tended to by conservation scientists. There's a map of the area where the leopards are found. The narrative flows like a story, neatly incorporating the meaning of some difficult words like, murmers, in parentheses. There's a glossary of sixteen additional words at the back but these are not bolded in the text. An author's note, timeline, a page with five additional "Did you know?" facts, sources notes, and suggestions for further study round out an important addition to school, public and classroom libraries. 

Sandra Markle, a former science teacher, has a knack for explaining complex environmental issues into an accessible narrative for all readers interested in saving our planet. Don't miss this. 

Non-Fiction Monday - Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History by Lois Miner Huey

Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History by Lois Miner Huey. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner Publishing Group, October, 2013. 9780761390916. (Borrowed from the public library.)

One may seem to travel back in time when visiting historical recreations at places like Plimouth Plantation and Colonial Williamsburg, but author, Lois Miner Huey contends that these places don't do justice to the smells, the bugs, and the health and sanitary conditions of the 1700s. She invites the reader to travel back in a time machine and spells it all out in glorious, gory detail.

This is definitely not one for the faint of heart. Indeed, most of the entries elicit reactions such as, Ick! Yuck! and Eew! featured on the cover even without the insertion of the blood red-colored interjections at regular intervals. They were an unnecessary distraction from what is a riveting account of just how malodorous and dangerous the past was.

Pages are crammed with period paintings, photographs and text boxes, most crawling with insects superimposed on top and lending to feeling itchy even before reading the text. Even though the tone is light, the descriptions are graphic and the precarious nature of health in the eighteenth century really hits home. 

This would be a useful addition to the collection for researchers, history buffs or browsers. An Author's Note, glossary, and suggestions for places to visit conclude the volume.

  

Non-Fiction Monday - Plastic Ahoy!

Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman. Photographs by Annie Crawley. 48 p. Millbrook Press/ Lerner, April 1, 2014. 9781467712835. (Finished copy proved by publicist for review.)

Three grad students spent three weeks on board the ship, New Horizon, participating in the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX) in 2009. They were part of a crew who motored out to a huge area in the Pacific Ocean know as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or the North Pacific Central Gyre, formed by four oceans and the winds and currents which direct plastic  and other bits of pollution to the area and don't allow it to escape. 

The scientists had many questions that they wanted answered and used the scientific method to start to find answers. The book focuses on three young women who were graduate students and the specific experiments they were performing. Chapters also include information about the rest of the crew and what life is like on board. For instance, it took a week to even get to the gyre. What did the scientists do? The reader learns that organized and tested equipment, dealt with seasickness, bunked with a roommate in rooms so small that "only one could stand on the floor at a time," and worked out on exercise equipment on deck. (8) 

Once they hit the gyre, they were hard at work collecting samples on the surface and below. The crew collected plastic in "130 of their 132 net tows over 1,700 miles of open ocean." (36) While plastic doesn't biodegrade, it does break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Pieces that are ingested by sea life. Pieces that contain poisons. The scientists hope to discover how this affects the animals.

The book is attractively designed. Pages have an hombre background of sea green. They are filled with plenty of crisp, full-color photographs, maps and interesting text boxes and sidebars. A final chapter includes information about what the reader can do to help reduce this problem.

The back-matter includes links to some videos of the SEAPLEX team in action, other websites as well as books for further reading. Source notes, a glossary and index round out the volume.

I've mentioned before on this blog that I love these types of science-in-real-life books. This one belongs right up there with my best-beloved titles. I heap some additional love on it because the scientists are young and female, hopefully encouraging more young women to consider studying science. The text and photographs work together so effectively to hammer home the seriousness of this problem and encourage the reader to rethink habits.

This book will fit in beautifully in several curriculum areas at my school, especially in seventh grade science. Surely a must-purchase item for school and public libraries.

Visit the Nonfiction Monday blog for a round-up of other titles.