A tremendously well-written and illustrated book, weaving together the lives and careers of three prominent scientists (Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas)A tremendously well-written and illustrated book, weaving together the lives and careers of three prominent scientists (Goodall, Fossey, and Galdikas), who changed the way we view primates, and the human race. The stories are entertaining, engaging and funny (with some consolidation and adaptation for the book), and the science is made accessible and clear. This is a perfect book for both younger and older readers - excellent and obvious ties to other texts, with many interdisciplinary opportunities. The afterword and bibliography will make you want to learn much more about these remarkable women, and their work. ...more
I don't agree with much of what O'Reilly has to say, but I have to admit that he writes a thorough, engaging book. This is a younger readers' companioI don't agree with much of what O'Reilly has to say, but I have to admit that he writes a thorough, engaging book. This is a younger readers' companion to his adult bestseller, and a title that should be in every school library. Very comprehensive and straight-forward, with excellent research and resources. ...more
This is an absolutely chilling and astounding account of the April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine, including deep and thoughtful analysis of the two This is an absolutely chilling and astounding account of the April 20, 1999 shootings at Columbine, including deep and thoughtful analysis of the two killers. Events leading up to the shootings, as well as what happened to the town and school in the days, months and years following the massacre, are explained in great detail. I've always looked at this book on shelves, and have been hesitant to read it, mainly because I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that day, and because I had to watch preservice teachers (with whom I worked in Columbus) express tremendous fear about going to school on the yearly anniversaries of the shootings. Cullen does spend time discussing how Columbine fits into, and seriously digresses from, the "normal" pattern of school shootings, and how copycat crimes and threats cited Columbine.
The research and legwork that Cullen did for this book is nothing less that amazing. In reading about the maddening coverup from local officials, who had direct prior knowledge of Eric Harris' behavior, it's obvious that this book could only have been written years after the event, after almost all of the dust had settled on the investigations. Masterful reporting, and a book that everyone in education should read. ...more
"The fear in Earhart's voice made Leo Bellarts's skin prickle. 'I'm telling you, it sounded as if she would have broken out in a scream ... She was ju"The fear in Earhart's voice made Leo Bellarts's skin prickle. 'I'm telling you, it sounded as if she would have broken out in a scream ... She was just about ready to break into tears and go into hysterics ... I'll never forget it.'
Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes became an hour. But the sky above Howland Island remained empty.
And in the radio room, Leo Bellarts and the other crew members sat listening to the 'mournful sound of that static.'
Where, they wondered, was Amelia Earhart?"
This excellent biography of America's most famous female aviator, aimed more for a middle school audience, does a great job of outlining not only the major events in Earhart's too-short life, but also the influences that drove her to pursue the skies, and fame. Readers get a strong sense of Earhart's family background, her own keen sense of how to manage her celebrity, and the various myths that have grown up around her exploits.
I picked this up because it was recently picked over ANYA'S GHOST (one of my favorite recent graphic novels), in School Library Journal's Battle of the Books. While I still don't see how this made it past ANYA, personally, Fleming's book is definitely worthy of the praise it's received. The research is strong, the pacing is excellent, and I enjoyed the suspense that Fleming created by interspersing accounts of Earhart's final flight, and how many clues and signals may have been lost in those precious hours after plane went down somewhere in the Pacific. Excellent book - we're definitely in a fantastic era for YA nonfiction. ...more
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