Playing with Penguins and Other Adventures in Antarctica [Paperback]

Ann McGovern (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

A unique diary format and colorful photographs make this book a magical and eye-opening journey to Antarctica. Readers witness dozens of amazing sights as seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl on a ship adventure, shared with her Grandmother.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A charming portrait of the world's most interesting continent. I felt, written as a child's diary, it has clarity and intensity that might not have been achieved any other way." -- ABC News, Hugh Downs, 10/94

About the Author

Ann McGovern, the author of more than 55 highly regarded books for children, is excited about the world: the world of history, nature, imagination, and the world of people. Her enthusiasm is the foundation for each word she writes. Her books, which range from fast-paced biographies and fact-filled fun histories to voyages in faraway lands, from playful picture books to retellings of well-known legends and fables, reflect her diverse and many interests.

A tireless traveler who has visited every continent, McGovern frequently incorporates her adventures into her books. Playing with Penguins and Swimming with Sea Lions were inspired by expeditions to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands, respectively. Desert Beneath the Sea resulted from a scientific scuba expedition to the Red Sea, the Caribbean, and the China Sea with Shark Lady Eugenie Clark. And, for Questions and Answers About Sharks, McGovern took notes on her underwater slate with twelve sharks just inches away, after she took part in an underwater shark feeding in Papua New Guinea, where she was scuba diving.

But when McGovern visits schools to show slides of her travels and discuss how they provide ideas for her books, she emphasizes that inspiration can come from feelings and close-to-home experiences as well as far-off adventures.

McGovern grew up in New York City where she lives today. Her interest in books and writing began at an early age. "As a child, I developed a terrible stutter and never raised my hand in class," she says, "I became a writer to express the feelings that I couldn't speak about and an avid reader as way to escape a sad life."

Her formal education ended after her first year at the University of New Mexico, where the only "A" she received was in horseback riding. But McGovern believes her most valuable education has come form her travel experiences and scuba diving expeditions, along with the intensive research she does for her books.

McGovern credits her late husband, Martin Scheiner, with introducing her to many of the experiences that have come to influence her writing. "With Marty, I stopped stuttering, I learned to drive, scuba dive, sail, take risks - maybe too many - when lions growled outside our tent in East Africa and the time a shark got too cozy with me in the Great Barrier Reef ," she says. "I plan to write about my journey to the North Pole, when the walrus poked its tusks into our rubber boat. I'll never run out of ideas - or memories!"

McGovern makes certain she visits schools and speaks to student as often as she can. "School children give me feedback that's wonderful for my work. Sometimes when I look at a sad, shy face in the audience, I see the lonely child I once was, and I hope that maybe my words can have some influence on a life. Making a difference in children's lives in why I plan to write until I am ninety."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (January 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590441752
• ISBN-13: 978-0590441759
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,220,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann McGovern is the author of over 55 books for children and sales of her books exceed 30 million. She is the author of the classics STONE SOUP and TOO MUCH NOISE, as well as several IF YOU LIVED... books.