The Whale Scientists: Solving the Mystery of Whale Strandings (Scientists in the Field) A Junior Library Guild Selection [Hardcover]

Fran Hodgkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 12, 2007 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

They began as land creatures. Then, for more plentiful food, or so scientists believe, whales made the water their home and evolved into the colossal, majestic creatures of the sea that we know today—the same majestic creatures that humans learned to hunt and kill: first for food and then for oil, soap, candles, furniture, and even waspwaist corsets. Rich in meat, blubber, bone, and baleen, the whale served so many purposes for humans that its stranding was seen as a gift from the sea.But now, with their numbers diminished worldwide, whales have become the subject of scientific study. Humans hunt now for a deeper understanding of cetaceans. Why would the world’s largest mammal do something that would most likely cause it to die? Around the world, scientists are trying to find the answer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The text and color photographs are interesting...the many questions still left for whale researchers should intrigue young readers." Kirkus 10/01/07 Kirkus Reviews

"[T]his is an engaging topic...Photographs scattered throughout keep the look inviting..." Bulletin December 2007 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Those heartbreaking images of the sea's giant mammals beaching themselves...form the core of this investigative picture book." Columbus Dispatch 11/14/07 Columbus Dispatch

"Hodgkins packs her text with an impressive amount of information...appealing subject and presentation." SLJ Jan 2007 School Library Journal

"Debut author Hodgkins offers a comprehensive overview of whale stranding." Booklist, 12/01/07 Booklist, ALA

"The engaginly designed pages are enhanced by well-captioned photographs." The Horn Book Jan/Feb 2008 Horn Book

About the Author

Fran Hodgkins's lifelong passion for marine biology and journalism inspired her to write about the very creatures that captured her imagination when she was a child.Fran now lives outside Baltimore, Maryland.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (November 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618556737
• ISBN-13: 978-0618556731
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 11.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,657,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fran Hodgkins was born in Massachusetts, the youngest of four children. As a child she loved animals and books -- especially books! The neighborhood branch library was one of her favorite haunts, and she spent hours there, reading her way through the children's collection.
"I loved to read, and I found out during middle school that I loved to write just as much." With the encouragement of two teachers, she decided to study journalism.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 12, 2007

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TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Whale Scientists: Solving the Mystery of Whale Strandings (Scientists in the Field) A Junior Library Guild Selection (Hardcover)

Whale strandings are, unfortunately, a very real problem. In 2002 alone, the Cape Cod Stranding Network responded to 296 strandings, including one mass stranding. So what, exactly, causes whales to become stranded on the beach?

Scientists and marine biologists have no clear-cut answers, but they have several theories. Hearing damage, confusing geography, magnetic attractions, illness and injury, toxins, and instinctual whale behavior all seem to play a part in causing whales to strand. Whales, by nature, are pod mammals, and their very reluctance to leave an injured or sick member of their pod very often leads to mass strandings. Fishing nets and the hunting of whales also seems to play a part in confusing these gentle creatures.

There are several agencies throughout the United States -- and the world -- who work diligently to rescue those stranded whales who wash up on shore alive. For those who are already dead, or who die quickly after being stranded, necropsies (autopsies on animals) are performed to determine not only the cause of death, but to help in prevention of further strandings in the future.

THE WHALE SCIENTISTS is an informative look at a widespread problem that is perfect for either a classroom library or those who are looking for an in-depth look at whale strandings.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"