The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery

The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery (48 pages; 1 book) #5


Montgomery, Sy. (1999 ). The snake scientist. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Awards: 2000 IRA Children’s Book Award, 2000 Orbis Pictus Honor Book, 1999 Booklist Editor’s choice, 2000 VOYA Nonfiction Honor List, 1999 Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books- Blue Ribbon Winner

Grade Level: Middle School, Read-Aloud for 3rd

Lexile: 930L

Author’s Credibility: Sy is a jack of all trades. She writes books for children and adults. She is also a newspaper columnist, documentary scriptwriter, and radio commentator. She has made four trips to Peru and Brazil to study pink dolphins. This supports the fact that she is a naturalist. She has won two awards, one of which was for the book The Snake Scientist.

Summary/Response: The Snake Scientist book offers the reader a view into the life of the red-sided garter snake. You can feel the passion that Bob Mason has for the reptiles through Montgomery’s fluent writing. Scientists visit overflowing dens everyday with enthusiasm to find out all the information they can about this natural awe. The snakes are carefully rounded up, measured, and weighed.
Some of the snakes are used for further evaluation, such as mating behavior and travel behavior. Labs are constructed on site to evaluate their behaviors, there are no decorated labs. Great care is taken to these snakes during the observations to guarantee a safe return back to the den.
The reader will find him/herself lost in a web of facts concerning these reptiles. There are tremendous facts from how many months the snakes can be found to their social behaviors.

Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, reproduction and heredity, regulation and behavior, populations and ecosystems, diversity and adaptations of organisms.

Illustrations: Brilliant photographs are used in the book. These capture the snakes and people who work with them.

Access Features: At the back of the book you will find unsolved questions, information on visiting the Narcisse snake dens, further reading, a respect note, acknowledgements, and an index. This is a chapter book with illustrations on every page.

Related Text: The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery- same author about a scientist, The Bug Scientist by Donna M. Jackson- scientist book, The Woods Scientist by Stephen R. Swinburne- scientist book, The Wildlife Detectives: How Forensic Scientist Fight Crimes Against Nature by Donna M. Jackson-scientist book

Classroom Use: This book would be a prized addition to the science library. Students could choose to read this book on their own or the teacher could use it as a read aloud. I would use it as a read aloud to extend the students’ knowledge of a member of the reptile community.

The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands by Sneed Collard

The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America's Lost Grasslands by Sneed Collard (80 pages; 1book) #4

Collard, Sneed B. (2005 ). The prairie builders: Reconstructing america's lost grasslands. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Award: AAAS/Subaru Science Books and Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books

Grade Level: Middle School

Lexile: 1090L

Author’s Credibility: He has won two awards including AAAS/Subaru/Science Books and Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books and the Washington Post, Children’s Book Guild 2006 Children’s Nonfiction Writer of the Year Award.

Summary/Response: Prairie grasslands stretched from as far south as Texas, north into Canada, east into Indiana, and west into Wyoming. These prairies were thriving ecosystems for many different wildlife species as well as site specific plants. The new U.S. Government signed treaties with the native Americans that lived on these prairies and began settling the areas.
The prairies had all but disappeared by the early 1900s due to farming. This all changed in the late 1980s due to a congressman from Iowa name Ned Smith. He wrote a bill that was passed to purchase several thousand acres for a new National Wildlife Refuge.
Through the hard work of Pauline Drobney and Dr. Diane Debinski and other refuge staff and volunteers, the refuge is growing. Pauline has worked to restore the native plants and eliminate exotic plants. Dr. Debinski is working to bring back a native butterfly, the Regal. Unfortunately the prairie will never be back to its natural state. However, this project serves as an example of how important it is to protect our native ecosystems. These ecosystems should be protected for our future generations.

Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Science: Populations, resources, and environments


Illustrations: Photographs are used in the book. These capture the natural beauty of nature.

Access Features: In the front of the book it has acknowledgements and a map of the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. In the back of the book are other books and websites you can visit. There is also a glossary and index.

Related Texts: Invisible Allies: Microbs That Shape Our Lives by Jeanette Farrell

The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery

Classroom Use: This would be a good book to use when studying the various ecosystems in the United States. It could be used in combination with the other habitats as a compare/contrast model. It also has good information about which plants are native and are not native to prairie lands.

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons

The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons (32 pages; 1book) #3

Gibbons, Gail. ( 1999). The pumpkin book. New York: Holiday House

Grade Level: Pre K-2

Lexile: AD570L

Author’s Credibility: She likes to travel to the places that she’s writing about and do research.

Summary: The Pumpkin Book begins by describing the different types of pumpkins you can find. It goes on to discuss when the right time to plant pumpkins are and the different methods you can use to plant them depending on the size of your pumpkin patch. The book talks about how the seed looks inside and out and the different ways they can be planted, i.e. rows or hills. Rain and sun are explained in the book as necessary for a pumpkin to grow. It goes into detail what a pumpkin seed needs to turn into a plant.
Spring is over and now it’s fall. This is the time to harvest your pumpkin crop. There are numerous descriptions on the different holidays that are associated with pumpkins and what those holidays mean. The book ends with instructions on how to carve the perfect pumpkin on Halloween.

Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Science: The characteristics of organisms, life cycles of organisms, organisms and environments

Illustrations: Colorful drawings fill the book. There are labels used to name the pumpkins and pumpkin plants. There are cross-section diagrams of a pumpkin seed. There are Horizontal table that show the life cycle of the pumpkin and show how to carve a pumpkin. This is a great picture book with large colorful illustrations.

Access Features: There are little snippets of information about pumpkins in the back of the book.

Classroom Use: This would be a good book for the students to read themselves or the teacher do a read aloud. It could be used in a thematic unit discussing plants. It could also be used with a seasons unit.

Related Text: Hoot by Carl Hiaasen- it goes along with nature and how it works

Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman

Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman (80 pages; 1 book) #2

Freedman, Russell. ( 1980). Immigrant kids. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc.

Award: None found.

Grade Level: Middle School

Lexile: 1050L

Author’s Credibility: Russell Freedman has written about 50 books. He has been awarded several awards including a Newbery Medal book, two Newbery Honor books, and a Robert F. Sibert Informational Book award.

Summary/Response: This book takes place in America during the late 1800s to early 1900s. It tells of the trials and hardships immigrants faced coming to America. It also describes the awful conditions they had to endure at Ellis Island during their inspections. These inspections were used to decide which families could be admitted to America.
Upon passing inspection, the immigrants were able to come into and live in America. If their journey here was not enough to get your attention, then their living conditions will. Children had very little schooling and would often get jobs to help out with expenses. The women were amazed at the convenience of running water, even though there was only one sink that everyone shared who lived on that floor and the water was often dirty. Despite of the living conditions and changes made in their lives, the immigrant children adjusted well to their new life.
I would recommend this book when discussing immigrations into the United States in the 1800s and 1900s. The book flows well and will capture your interest through the fantastic photographs. Freedman does an excellent job of putting a face with the story. It will be wonderful for your children to use this book as a compare and contrast on how life was then to how life is now.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.

Social Studies: What is citizenship?

Illustrations: Beautiful black and white photographs that capture the face of people in a moment in time. This truly captures a moment in history and seems to suspend it through time for generations to come.

Access Features: This book had several access features. In the front it contained a table of contents and preface. In the back, there were acknowledgements and an index.

Related Texts: If Your Name was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine, Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse

Classroom Use: This book would be useful to use when discussing immigration in the classroom. It can give them background knowledge before reading the unit or it can help the students expand their knowledge after the unit has been studied. It could be expanded on by having the students to bring in white and black photographs if their family has any of their past relatives. It would also be good to do a compare and contrast model on how life was then compared to how life is now.

Apples by Gail Gibbons

Apples by Gail Gibbons (32 pages; 1book) #1

Gibbons, Gail. (2000). Apples. New York: Holiday House

Grade Level: PreK-1

Lexile: 650L

Author’s Credibility: She likes to travel to the places that she’s writing about and do research.

Summary/Response: Apples come from tress that can be found worldwide. The first colonists brought apple seeds to the new world, but discovered that the Indians had already had them. The apple trees have a beautiful blossom that opens in the spring. From this blossom the apple grows. In the fall, the ripe apples are picked and used for many different products. There are over 7500 varieties of apples with 2500 varieties grown in the U.S. The apple is a staple for the nation’s economy and farmer.

Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: The characteristics of organisms, life cycles of organisms and environment

Illustrations: There are drawings in the book. There is a cross-section label of an apple and an apple cider press. There is also a label of a flower. Horizontal tables in the book show how to plant a tree and make an apple pie.

Access Features: There are little snippets of information about apples in the back of the book.

Related Texts: How Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro, Applesauce by Shirley Kurtz

Classroom Use: This would be a good book for the students to read themselves or the teacher do a read aloud. It could be used in a thematic unit discussing plants. It would also be a good nonfiction text to use along with the folktale of Johnny Appleseed.

Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman

The book takes place in America during the late 1800s to early 1900s. It tells of the trials and hardships immigrants faced comming to America. It also describes awful conditions they had to endure at Ellis Island during their inspections. These inspections were used to decide which families could be admitted to America.

Upon passing inspection, they were able to come into and live in America. If their journey here was not enough to get your attention, then their living conditons will. Children had very little schooling and would often get jobs to help out with expenses. The women were amazed at the convenience of running water, even though there was only one sink that everyone shared who lived on that floor and the water was often dirty. Despite of the living conditions and changes made in their lives, the immigrant children adjusted well to their new life.

I would recommend this book when discussing immigration into the United States in the 1800s and 1900s. The book flows well and will capture your interest through the fantastic photographs. Freedman does an excellent job of putting a face with the story. It will be wonderful for your children to use this book as a comapre and contrast of how life was then to how life is now.

This book was well-written with vibrant photos that truly captured a moment in time. I read part of the book with my fifth grade students and plan to purchase several books to share the whole story to them.