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Lifelines: Charles Darwin

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"Charles Darwin" documents the five year voyage that the English naturalist took aboard the HMS Beagle. The biological observations and discoveries of this five continent adventure inspire Darwin to formulate his most important scientific ideas. Author Alan Gibbons took a curious writing approach. The story is not told through an omniscient narrator, but by a fictional passenger. James Kincaid is an orphan who often accompanies Darwin on his mainland explorations. Thus "Charles Darwin" is a diary of the epic voyage that spanned from 1832 to 1836. This writing approach effectively personalizes the story for young readers. While there are ports of call to places like Tahiti, much of the book focuses on South America. The narrator's entries for the Galápagos Islands inspire the reader with the sense of wonder that good science fiction often gives about an exotic planet. Through the journey, the reader gets to know the book's namesake. We come to learn about Charles Darwin's motivations, beliefs and temperament. For example, at one point James overhears a heated slavery argument between Darwin (an abolitionist) and Captain FitzRoy, a slavery proponent. In addition to the scientific focus, the social studies are well integrated. Time is spent on the indigenous Fuegians who were taken to England by Captain FitzRoy. After adapting to Western ways, the remaining three were returned to Tierra del Fuego, at the southern tip of South America. While in Tahiti, the narrator writes about a meeting with Queen Pomare II. James the narrator is impressed with the way that the Queen's people are able to live in harmony with the natural environment. As with the line-crossing ceremony and threat of scurvy, the book shares a good amount of sea-faring culture. The book is actually so much more than a young reader's guide to Darwin's explorations and ideas. After the journey and the 'what happened next' section, there is an additional celebration of science with fourteen pages about extinct creatures, 19th century scientists, life at sea and a page about the Beagle.

Assimilating a large volume of information though a clever narrative device, "Charles Darwin" stands as an example of that which distinguishes the difference between good and great literature. While the writing style keeps the antiquated feel of 19th century English, it is accessible to today's young reader. There is character development in both James and Charles Darwin. By the end, Darwin gives up hunting and we find that the young man who thought about joining the church is now increasingly attracted to science. The illustrations are another asset to "Charles Darwin." Leo Brown's attractive paintings visually depict the experience. Occasionally, the layout features photographs of actual specimens from the voyage. The illustrations often interact in clever ways with Gibbons' text. The end paper graphically shows a map of the trip. The blue butterfly contained within the cover makes a dramatic impression. Along these lines, the large book and sturdy pages follow in the footsteps of books such as "Egyptology" and "Oceanology." Unlike the Ologies, there is no fluff here. Containing a table of contents, glossary and index, this is a well-done exploration of the Beagle's second voyage. In 2008, the Church of England issued an article saying that the bicentenary of Darwin's birth was a fitting time to apologize to the scientist 'for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still.' This spirit of rediscovery can begin with the next generation thanks to Alan Gibbons' "Charles Darwin."