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Recommended Children's Science Literature - Book Reviews

April 22, 2008

The month of April celebrates National Library Week (April 13-19)! To celebrate, I will post Book reviews of Children's Science Literature.

I am featuring two books, companion books actually, both published by Scholastic , 2007 as a part of their Undersea Encounters Series.

Synopsis from B&N:
Experience an underwater adventure! From sea dragons and octopuses to coral reefs and kelp forests, Undersea Encounters takes young readers to the ocean depths like never before. Featuring stunning close-up pictures by award-winning National Geographic photographer David Hall, each book has an eye-catching design for maximum kid appeal. Also included are quick facts and sidebars, table of contents, glossary, index, and books and websites for further reading. More than any other series, Undersea Encounters paints a complete and fascinating picture of the marine environment.

Predators of the Sea
by Mary Jo Rhodes, and David Hall,(Photographer)

This Trade book provided great descriptions of the predatory behavior of several species. Everything is covered from the brute strength of starfish to the cleverness of scorpion fish, this book introduces young readers to the variety of tactics different sea animals use to catch dinner. The book is filled with excellent color photos that are sure to engage students. Plus, the book is very easy to read.

Survival Secrets of of Sea Animals by Mary Jo Rhodes, and David Hall, (Photographer)

This book is great. I loved it. As a companion to Predators, it explains all of the ways different sea animals avoid and wriggle their ways out the clutches of the most clever sea predators. The photos are excellent and the text is engaging. I highly recommend this book for young readers and environmental educators, too.

These books are a great way to introduce the ecological concept of predator-prey dynamics to students in intermediate grades (3-5). It's a perfect way to get students apply and evaluate what they comprehend. Students can compare and contrast the adaptations and behavioral tactics of these sea "foes".