Exploring the Earth with John Wesley Powell (Naturalist's Apprentice) [Hardcover]

Michael Elsohn Ross (Author), Wendy Smith (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Naturalist's Apprentice

A biography of the geologist who mapped the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Includes related activities.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-An awkward combination of biography and geology lesson that ends up giving short shrift to both elements. Ross begins by making the ridiculous argument that Powell may have been influenced to study geology because people in his town threw rocks at him in response to his family's abolitionist ideas. While giving a cursory and dry account of an exciting life, the author has interspersed earth science activities that are either weak, or are more effectively introduced in other sources. There are a dozen photographs of Powell, his family, and his expeditions, the latter of which will leave readers wanting to see more. The full-color illustrations are not always drawn to scale, and are often too vague to convey their scientific value. Roger Bruns's John Wesley Powell (Enslow, 1997) is a more enjoyable biography, and better projects can be found in Janice VanCleave's Rocks and Minerals (Wiley, 1995) and Robert Wood's 39 Easy Geology Experiments (McGraw-Hill, 1991). Although the picture-book format may initially draw more readers than those three books, don't expect great demand for this title.
Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575052547
• ISBN-13: 978-1575052540
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,570,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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