Women in Conservation…a new middle grades series

rachelcarson

Women in Conservation (series). Chicago: Heinemann, 2015. 48 p. $32.65. Gr. 6 and up.

Doak, Robin S. Dian Fossey: Friend to Africa’s Gorillas. 978-1-4846-0468-7.

Doak, Robin S. Jane Goodall: Chimpanzee Protector. 978-1-4846-0469-4.

Fertig, Dennis. Sylvia Earle: Ocean Explorer. 978-1-4846-0470-0

Hile, Lori. Rachel Carson: Environmental Pioneer. 978-1-4846-0471-7.

This series offers appealing, colorful, up-to-date biographies of some of the key women in conservation. Rachel Carson, for example, covers the famous biologist’s childhood, education, and famous publications (most notably Silent Spring). Short chapters, frequent section headings, and lots of photographs and quote boxes make this series very accessible for researchers and browsers alike. “In Her Own Words” and “Did You Know?” sidebars, in addition to informative captions, provide context and interest to the pages. The last chapter on Carson’s legacy will help readers to see how relevant her work still is to today’s headlines. Rachel Carson would make a fun fiction/nonfiction pair with Skink: No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen!

508 Conservation; 92 Biography     Amy V. Pickett, Ridley High School

Students at my school research Rachel Carson and Sylvia Earle, so I will definitely include these titles in my biography section. The other titles in the series would also be valuable purchases where Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall are assigned research topics.

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