PRIMATES

PRIMATES, by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks (First Sceond/MacmIllan 2013)(ages 10+).  In the late 1950s anthropologist Louis Leakey was looking to establish long term studies of the great apes, because he thought that would help in understanding early hominids.  Through the next decade, he met and sponsored Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birute Galdikis in their studies of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, respectively.

PRIMATES is a nicely told and illustrated, somewhat fictionalized account of the lives and work of the three now world-renowned primatologists, and their link to Louis Leakey.  Part history, part primatology and part human interest, PRIMATES is both compelling and informative.

ICE: THE AMAZING HISTORY OF THE ICE BUSINESS

ICE!: THE AMAZING HISTORY OF THE ICE BUSINESS, by Laurence Pringle (Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills 2012)(ages 8+).  Before mechanical refrigeration, there was ice, which had to be harvested during the winter, stored, transported, and then delivered to customers.  ICE! offers a fascinating glimpse into a lost industry and illuminates a portion of day-to-day life a century ago. Photos and sidebars offer additional information and insights.

WILD BOY: THE REAL LIFE OF THE SAVAGE OF AVEYRON

WILD BOY: THE REAL LIFE OF THE SAVAGE OF AVEYRON, by Mary Losure, ill. by Timothy Basil Ering (Candlewick, March 2013)(ages 10+).  In the last years of the 18th century, a boy -- about ten or eleven years old -- was captured in rural France.  He'd been living on his own -- foraging in the forest, naked and running on all fours -- and no one knew where he came from.  Ultimately, he was taken to Paris for study, where scientists tried to "civilize" him...

WILD BOY offers a fascinating look at one boy and human nature and what it means to be civilized -- a compelling and thought-provoking read.

THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ARCTIC ADVENTURE

THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ARCTIC ADVENTURE, by Martin W. Sandler (Candlewick Press 2012)(ages 12+).  In late 1897, a fleet of whaling vessels from San Francisco is trapped in the ice in the Arctic Circle, near Point Barrow, Alaska.  Their only chance of survival is to wait for the ice to melt, sometime in the middle of the next summer.  But then, under the direct orders of President McKinley, three men from the forerunner of the Coast Guard undertake a treacherous overland mission to bring desperately needed supplies...

THE IMPOSSIBLE RESCUE is an engrossing tale of arctic survival and determination -- suspenseful and fascinating, bringing to life countless acts of heroism, both large and small.

A PASSION FOR VICTORY

A PASSION FOR VICTORY: THE STORY OF THE OLYMPICS IN ANCIENT AND EARLY MODERN TIMES, by Benson Bobrick (Knopf/Random House 2012)(ages 10+). In this year of the XXXth Games of the Modern Era, Benson Bobrick looks back on the history of the Olympics from its origins in ancient Greece to its reawakening in 1896.

Bobrick's accounts of both the ancient and early modern games (up to 1948) is fascinating, filled with anecdotes about athletes the politic of the day.  A must-read for anyone interested in how today's Olympics came to be. (And, personally, I wish they would bring back chariot racing.).

THE PLANT HUNTERS

THE PLANT HUNTERS: TRUE STORIES OF THEIR DARING ADVENTURES TO THE FAR CORNERS OF THE EARTH, by Anita Silvey (FSG/Macmillan 2012)(ages 8+).  For centuries, daring adventurers have searched the remotest corners of the earth, daring wild animals, disease, and physical hardship, all in a quest to bring back new specimens of plants for medicinal, scientific, economic, and aesthetic purposes. 

THE PLANT HUNTERS provides richly-drawn and detailed accounts of some of these little known explorers.  In addition to touching on contemporary aspects of botany, THE PLANT HUNTERS offers a fascinating and eminently readable account of an aspect of the history of science most people don't think much about.

Mongolian Dinosaurs and Roy Chapman Andrews

Considering how much Mongolian dinosaurs have been in the news, it seemed appropriate to do a post highlighting biographies of one of the more interesting personalities in 20th Century paleontology, Roy Chapman Andrews (1884-1960). 

Andrews led the American Museum of Natural History's famous Central Asiatic Expeditions during the 1920s and later became director of the musuem.  The expeiditons discovered the first nests of dinosaur eggs, and new species, incluidng Protoceratops, Oviraptor, Velociraptor, and Pinacosaurus, as well as a number of Eocene mammals inclding Andrewsarchus and Baluchitherium.

(Although none of CHRONAL ENGINE is set during the 1920s, it was an interesting time for dinosaur paleontology (It was also during that decade that the German Tendaguru expeditions occurred), and I did a lot of reading about the expeditions during my research phase...)

   

DRAGON BONES AND DINOSAUR EGGS: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY OF EXPLORER ROY CHAPMAN ANDREWS, by Ann Bausum (National Geographic 2000)(ages 10+).  As the subtitle implies, DRAGON BONES tells Andrews's life in photographs, including a good number from the Central Asia expeditions.  A fascinating and visually compelling introduction to the man and his life.

DRAGON HUNTER: ROY CHAPMAN ANDREWS AND THE CENTRAL ASIATIC EXPEDITIONS, by Charles Gallenkamp (Viking 2001).  Although published for the adult market, this  biography could be enjoyed by any young adult reader, as well.  Eminently readable, it provides many details on the planning, personalities, and politics behind the expeditions, as it explores Andrews life and passion for adventure.    

Reminder: For some fun dinosaur-related activities, download the free Chronal Engine Activity Kit!

WHEN DINOS DAWNED, MAMMALS GOT MUNCHED, & PTEROSAURS TOOK FLIGHT: A CARTOON PREHISTORY OF LIFE IN THE TRIASSIC

WHEN DINOS DAWNED, MAMMALS GOT MUNCHED, & PTEROSAURS TOOK FLIGHT: A CARTOON PREHISTORY OF LIFE IN THE TRIASSIC, written and illustrated by Hannah Bonner (National Geographic 2012)(ages 8+).  In this follow-up to WHEN BUGS WERE BIG, PLANTS WERE STRANGE, AND TETRAPODS STALKED THE EARTH and WHEN FISH GOT FEET, SHARKS GOT TEETH, AND BUGS BEGAN TO SWARM, Bonner explores (in 48-page picture book format) the Triassic, the period when dinosaurs, mammals, and pterosaurs all first appeared.

Bonner's illustrations are lively and fun, while providing a detailed look at the flora and fauna of the era.  The text, too, is engaging, full of wit, and surprisingly comprehensive.  Altogether, a terrific introduction to the dawn of the dinosaurs. 

Here's a Cynsations interview with Bonner from 2008.    

WE'VE GOT A JOB: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March

WE'VE GOT A JOB: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March, by Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree 2012)(10+).  In early May of 1963, thousands of Birmingham schoolchildren took part in a massive campaign to violate the city's segregation laws and thereby flood the city's jails. Over the course of some ten days, more than 4,000 children were arrested, andor had fire hoses and police dogs set upon them.  This is the story of four of them.

In WE'VE GOT A JOB, Levinson provides a perspective on the civil rights movement as a whole, as well as focusing on what it meant to four very different individuals.  With exceptional research including personal interviews with many of the parties involved, Levinson brings to life an inspiring moment of history of children empowered and determined to take on the system.

Tohoku Earthquake books: TOMO and MELTDOWN

One year ago tomorrow, one of the five largest earthquakes ever recorded struck Japan.  Almost sixteen thousand were killed and thousands more were injured or missing.  More than one hundred thousand buildings were destroyed.

TOMO, ed. by Holly Thompson (Stone Bridge Press, March 10, 2012)(12+) is a young adult collection of stories by authors from around the world, all of whom have some connection to Japan.  Per the flap copy, the book offers "[t]ales of friendship, mystery, love, ghosts, magic, sci-fi and history [that] will take readers to Japan past and present and to Japanese communities abroad."  A portion of the proceeds will go to long-term relief efforts for teens in Tohoku.

Edited and with a Foreword by Holly Thompson, TOMO contributing authors and artists include Andrew Fukuda (Crossing), Liza Dalby (The Tale of Murasaki), Tak Toyoshima (Secret Asian Man syndicated comic), Alan Gratz (The Brooklyn Nine), Wendy Nelson Tokunaga (Love in Translation), Deni Y. Béchard (Vandal Love), Debbie Ridpath Ohi (illustrator of I’m Bored), Graham Salisbury (Under the Blood-Red Sun), Naoko Awa (The Fox’s Window and Other Stories), Suzanne Kamata (The Beautiful One Has Come) and Shogo Oketani (J-Boys), among others.

MELTDOWN: THE NUCLEAR DISASTER IN JAPAN AND OUR ENERGY FUTURE, by Fred Bortz (Lerner 2012)(ages 10+).  Physicist Bortz offers an account of the earthquake, its effects on the  nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, and efforts at remediation.  Additional sections discuss the context of nuclear power and its place in the production of electricity.

BLIZZARD OF GLASS: THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION OF 1917

BLIZZARD OF GLASS: THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION OF 1917, by Sally M. Walker (Henry Holt 2011)(ages 10+).  In December 1917, the Belgian relief vessel Imo collided with the munitions carrier Mont-Blanc in Halifax Harbor.  The resulting blast has been called the largest man-made explosion before the invention of the atomic bomb.  Two towns were flattened and nearly 2000 people were killed.  And the day after the accident, a blizzard dumped a foot of snow on the devastated area...

BLIZZARD OF GLASS offers a thorough and compelling look at a little-known disaster, with interviews of survivors and hair-raising accounts of the event and its aftermath.  Altogether, it's a gripping tale of horror, survival, and hope. 

BILLIONS OF YEARS, AMAZING CHANGES

BILLIONS OF YEARS, AMAZING CHANGES, by Laurence Pringle, ill. by Steve Jenkins (Boyds Mills 2011)(ages 8+), offers a fine overview of the science of the theory of evolution, covering fossils, Charles Darwin, "missing links," "survival of the fittest," "natural selection," and more.  The text is eminently readable and the drawings are an engaging complement.

Not nearly enough dinosaurs, though. :-).     

FOR THE BIRDS: THE LIFE OF ROGER TORY PETERSON

FOR THE BIRDS: THE LIFE OF ROGER TORY PETERSON, by Peggy Thomas, ill. by Laura Jacques (Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills Press 2011)(ages 8+). As a child, Roger Tory Peterson (1908-1996) was considered a bit of an odd bird.  He'd spend all his time exploring the woods in his small town, bringing home nests and wildflowers and butterflies and moths.  Early on, though, he became enamored of birds, and studying them and drawing them became his life's work.  Ultimately, he would become one of world's foremost ornithologists, and in 1934 would publish the first of the famous Peterson Field Guides.

FOR THE BIRDS provides a thoroughly fun and evocative introduction to the life and work of one of the premier naturalists of the 20th Century.  The text is compelling and the art is realistic and richly detailed.      

THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD: BOSTON 1919

THE GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD; BOSTON 1919, by Deborah Kops (Charlesbridge, February 2012)(ages 8-12), offers a fascinating look at one of the weirdest incidents in Boston's history. On January 15, 1919, a two million gallon tank of molasses explodes, destroying buildings and drowning a small Boston neighborhood in sticky goo.  Altogether, twenty-one people would die in this freak accident. 

In compelling fashion, Kops covers the story first from the perspective of individuals affected on the day itself -- men, women, and children going about their daily business until buildings collapsed around them and they were swamped in the viscous mess -- and then the tragedy's aftermath, including the subsequent lawsuits and testimony.  Sidebars provide additional period context and flavor.

     

BIRD TALK

BIRD TALK: WHAT BIRDS ARE SAYING AND WHY, by Lita Judge (Flash Point/Roaring Brook, March 13, 2012)(ages 6-9).  This elegant and amply illustrated forty-eight page picture book presents an introduction to the myriad ways in which birds (avian dinosaurs) communicate: vocalizing, strutting, fighting, etc. Drawings are realistic and the text spare yet informative.  An afterword provides additional context on birds both familiar and unfamiliar.

A fascinating look at the natural world -- and I keep thinking it would be excellent paired with Diana Hutts Aston's AN EGG IS QUIET.  Lita did a Writers and Illustrators and Dinosaurs post for me a couple months ago, and she is also the author of BORN TO BE GIANTS: HOW BABY DINOSAURS GREW TO RULE THE WORLD.

FEYNMAN

FEYNMAN, by Jim Ottaviani, ill. by Leland Myrick (First Second, Aug. 2011)(ages 12+).   In this biography in comic format, Ottaviani and Myrick bring to life one of the giants -- and true eccentrics -- of 20th Century physics.

From Feynman's childhood when his father told him stories about dinosaurs (!), young adulthood and college and graduate school, and later life when he worked on the Manhattan Project, won the Nobel Prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics, and served on the Challenger Commission, Ottaviani and Myrick provide a fascinating look at the private and public lives of a man who truly thought "outside the box."

FEYNMAN touches on the concepts behind quantum electrodynamics and the Feynman diagram, and provides interesting background to the genesis of the now-famous Feynman Lectures on Physics.  But in addition to introducing the professional life of the scientist, FEYNMAN also captures the mundane, the poignant, and the whimsical: Feynman's relationships with his wives, his safe-cracking, toying with military censors, and how he dealt with fame and the famous.

Altogether, FEYNMAN makes excellent use of the graphic format, providing a funny and fun introduction to the science and the scientist.  FEYNMAN should appeal to both the scientifically and non-scientifically inclined and makes an excellent accompaniment to Feynman's own memoirs, SURELY YOU'RE JOKING MR. FEYNMAN and WHAT DO YOU CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK?            

BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION

BOOTLEG: MURDER, MOONSHINE, AND THE LAWLESS YEARS OF PROHIBITION, by Karen Blumenthal (Roaring Brook 2011)(age 10+) provides a fascinating account of the passions on both sides of the temperance movement, which was intended to uplift American society by drying it out.  The apparent victory of the movement in the passage of the 18th Amendment led instead to a decade and a half of lawlessness and corruption... 

In BOOTLEG, Blumenthal does a terrific job of bringing the era to life and documenting the resulting societal upheavals.  An excellent introduction to the times and personalities of temperance and Prohibition.

ADVENTURE BENEATH THE SEA

Ever since I read SECRET UNDER THE SEA, by Gordon R. Dickson, I've thought it would be amazing to live in an undersea house.  In the book that's the subject of this post, scientists do just that.  Of course, conditions are a little more spartan than I'd prefer...

ADVENTURE BENEATH THE SEA, by Kenneth Mallory, photos by Brian Skerry (Boyds Mills 2010)(ages 8+).  This 48-page picture book chronicles the week the author and photographer spent on board the Aquarius Reef Base, the world's only undersea research station.  Their mission?  To track the movements of fish in and around the coral reefs off Key Largo.

In fascinating detail, Mallory recounts the hazards and thrills of training and living sixty feet beneath the waves, offering a fine glimpse into a final frontier here on earth.

THE HIVE DETECTIVES

THE HIVE DETECTIVES, by Loree Griffin Burns, photos by Ellen Harasimowicz (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2010). In this engaging book, copiously illustrated in full-color photos, Burns documents "Colony Collapse Disorder" and the work of scientists to understand its causes. In addition, THE HIVE DETECTIVES provides a fine introduction to bees and understanding the workings of the hive. Text is easy to understand and the photographs provide a fine and illuminating complement.

Altogether satisfying and fascinating, THE HIVE DETECTIVES will leave readers intrigued about the art and science of bees and beekeeping.

TIME TRAVELER: IN SEARCH OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT MAMMALS FROM MONTANA TO MONGOLIA

TIME TRAVELER: IN SEARCH OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT MAMMALS FROM MONTANA TO MONGOLIA, by Michael Novacek (FSG 2002). Published for adults, but also excellent for any teen with an interest in science in general and paleontology in particular. TIME TRAVELER is an enormously readable memoir by the Senior Vice President and Provost of Science at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Novacek carries the reader into the field, from the late 1960s when he was a lowly graduate student, to the turn of the century, when he led ground-breaking expeditions into formerly off-limits sites in Mongolia.

Fascinating and compelling, TIME TRAVELER is a tale of adventure, science, occasional disappointment, and the triumph of curiosity.