Dive by Melvin Berger

Dive by Melvin Berger (40 pages; 1 book) #29

Berger, Melvin (2000). Dive. New York: NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Awards: No awards given.

Grade Level: K-5 grades

Author Credibility: Berger writes books by himself or co-authors with his wife Gilda. He received his major in music and played the viola professionally before he decided to write books. His first book was Science and Music which helped him connect his two interests music and science. This led to almost 50 years of nonfiction writing. He stated that while researching and working on one article, it brings up questions for another article. However, there is no mention of how he researched for this book.

Summary/Response: The book does not have a table of contents, but it is divided into chapters which make it easier to read. How do you visit the bottom of the sea? By a submarine! Once you get a mile down the ocean is black. The fish, however, have a special way of adapting to this. They make special chemicals in their body or have glowing germs to help the see or attract prey. An angler fish has a “fishing line” attached to her head with a light at the end. When a fish gets close enough to get a look at the light, she snatches the fish for dinner. Others have lights along the bottom, inside their mouth, or under their eyes. A flashlight fish has lights under their eyes; if they meet a predator they “flash” them with their lights then cover them up with a flap of skin. This allows the fish to turn and run while the predator is temporarily blinded. Octopus and squids do not use the light method; they have big eyes adapted to the dark. When they see the lights of another fish, they wrap their arms around it and lunch is served. Whales do not live at the bottom of the ocean, but they love to go deep sea diving for food. Many fish at the bottom have big mouths and elastic stomachs; this is because they can go a long time before another meal becomes available.

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.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Color photographs

Access Features: None

Related Texts: Chomp: A Book About Sharks by Melvin Berger, Scholastic Q & A: Do Whales Have Belly Buttons?, Seahorses by Sally M. Walker

Classroom Use: This book is a good addition to a science classroom. Wow! With all of these fish books, I have a lot to teach about the sea.