Customer Reviews

Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean (Earth Heroes Series)

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Reviewed by: Wayne Walker



Have you ever wished that you could see what it like on the ocean floor? Earlier this year I had the privilege of reviewing the first book in this series, Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness by Bruce and Carol L. Malnor. In this second book, author Fran Hodgkins takes eight remarkable explorers of the ocean and follows their lives, both as children and adults, to show how they have shaped the way in which we view our planet's largest frontier. Some of them may be familiar, such as William Beebe, who was the first to dive in the bathysphere, and, of course, Jacques Cousteau, who invented SCUBA. Others may not be as well known, but they have also made a lasting contribution to the world of sea exploration. They include Archie Carr who worked with sea turtles, Margaret Owings who crusaded for sea otters, Eugenie Clark who was known as the "shark lady," Roger Payne who recorded the songs of whales, Sylvia Earle who walked on the ocean floor in a "Jim suit," and Tierney Thys who uses high-tech equipment to study the huge ocean sunfish.

These accounts are very well written and quite interesting to read. Also, they are nicely illustrated by artist Cris Arbo's shaded black and white drawings along with numerous photographs. Each chapter concludes with a two-page summary of "fast facts" providing a "ripples of influence" section showing how each person was influence by others and in turn was an influence to others, and a timeline of the person's life put into a historical context. In the back, there are suggestions on what youngsters can do to help the oceans, a bibliography for further information, and an index. Parents who are concerned about the language in their children's books may want to know that there is a single time where one of the subjects uses the exclamation "My God." Otherwise, there is nothing objectionable. Reading works like this will help young people be more environmentally conscious by pointing out that everything we do affects life in the sea which in turn affects what happens over all the earth. The third book in Dawn Publication's series "Earth Heroes" entitled Earth Heroes: Champions of Wildlife is due out in the Fall of 2010.

In the deepest, darkest spots of the ocean, there is still light, but not provided by the sun. "Champions of the Ocean" looks into the stories of eight extraordinary young people who made a radical difference in science's approach to the last of Earth's greatest enigmas, the ocean. From fish that provide life, to disproving the bloodthirsty nature of sharks, these are exceptional stories that will inspire many young would-be oceanologists. "Champions of the Ocean" is a fine addition to young adult science collections.