|
Four books in particular describe true historical
adventures involving ocean creatures and the native peoples who
live nearby. The stories point out the importance of observation
and tracking of marine life to people dependent on the sea for
their survival. Other stories bring out the role of fishing in
the relationships between a girl and her father, and a young boy
and his grandfather. Both of these books have young people investigating
the living and non-living world of aquatic habitats. An “ecological
mystery” provides a compelling look at how tracking, observation,
and scientific testing can help understand and protect the environment.
The Black Pearl
Call it Courage
Go Fish
Island of the Blue Dolphins
June Mountain Secret
Minn of the Mississippi
The Missing ‘Gator of Gumbo Limbo:
An Ecological Mystery
Shark Beneath the Reef
The Black Pearl
by Scott O’Dell
Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 1967
Dell Publishing, New York. 1977
Grades: 5–12
Ramon’s dream is to dive for pearls in the waters of
Baja, California, and to one day find the great pearl—the
magnificent Pearl of Heaven. But to possess the pearl, Ramon must
confront the giant manta ray Diablo, which guards the pearl. An
absorbing story of a young boy’s quest for the pearl and
his manhood, with the Vermilion Sea as the beautiful backdrop.
Newbery honor book.
Return to titles list.
Call it Courage
by Armstrong Sperry
Macmillan, New York. 1940
Collier Books/Macmillan, New York. 1971
Grades: 6–12
A young Polynesian chief’s son is scorned for his fear
of the sea, which took his mother’s life. He goes on a difficult
and dangerous quest in a canoe with his little dog and a pet albatross.
Learning to survive on his own, he becomes fascinated by the undersea
world of a barrier reef. There is a detailed section on the marine
life, including a life-threatening battle with an octopus, and
a struggle with a hammerhead shark. His escape from cannibals
might be balanced by a discussion that modern anthropology suggests
that many accusations of cannibalism are unfounded. It might be
interesting to have older students analyze the cultural sensitivity
of the book from today’s perspective. Newbery award winner.
Return to titles list.
Go Fish
by Mary Stolz; illustrated by Pat Cummings
HarperCollins, New York. 1991
Grades: 4–6
Eight-year-old Thomas and his grandfather go fishing in the
Gulf of Mexico. Grandfather is a collector of shells, petrified
wood, and even a sandstone with a fossil fish. In Chapter 2, their
fishing gear is listed, including a record book for noting large
specimens caught. They observe herons, pelicans, minnows and jellyfish,
as well as the blowfish, flounder, and other fish they seek. Back
at grandfather’s they share a card game of Go Fish and an
African folk tale. The book provides a wonderful model of friendship
between generations and affirms the value of observing and questioning
the world around us. The regional focus is refreshing, offering
African-American characters in a non-urban setting.
Return to titles list.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O’Dell
Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 1960
Dell Publishing, New York. 1987
Grades: 5–12
A Native American girl grows to womanhood by herself on the
outermost island of the Channel Islands—about 75 miles southwest
of Los Angeles. Interwoven are descriptions of the island, of
fish and ocean vegetation, animals and plants. The way she interacts
with nature to survive, hunt, build shelter, and design clothing,
both as she has been taught by her people and as she develops
her own technological and artistic skills, is a particularly strong
aspect of the book. She has a wild dog she raises from a pup,
an otter, and trained birds for company. A main plot line in Chapters
16 and 19 concerns the stalking of a giant devilfish, or manta
ray. Students could read these chapters and then discuss or make
a list of what they have learned about the habits and habitat
of the devilfish. Sentences like the following give a sense of
the possibilities of this assignment, and how it connects to the
GEMS activities: “Seldom do you see any devilfish here, for
they like deep places, and the water along this part of the reef
is shallow. Perhaps this one lived in the cave and came here only
when he could not find food.”
Return to titles list.
June Mountain Secret
by Nina Kidd
HarperCollins, New York. 1991
Grades: 4–6
Jen and her father go fly fishing for rainbow trout and she
learns about the different types of insects that attract trout,
eventually using a mayfly replica as bait. When they finally set
the trout they caught free, the issue of conservation regarding
sport fishing is raised. A page of facts and some very specific
graphic materials enable this book to be used for 6th grade even
though the format is a picture book.
Return to titles list.
Minn of the Mississippi
by Holling Clancy Holling
Houghton Mifflin, Boston. 1951
Grades: 5–9
The journey of Minn, a snapping turtle, is followed from northern
Minnesota to the bayous of Louisiana. Her adventures with people,
animals, and the changing seasons are vividly described. Wonderful
drawings and maps of her travels accompany the engaging true-life
story on the Mississippi River.
Return to titles list.
The Missing ‘Gator of Gumbo
Limbo: An Ecological Mystery
by Jean C. George
HarperCollins, New York. 1992
Grades: 4–7
Sixth-grader Liza K and her mother live in a tent in the Florida
Everglades. She becomes a nature detective while searching for
Dajun, a giant alligator who is marked for extinction by local
officials. The book is full of detail about the local habitats
and species and the forces that impact on them. She and an amateur
naturalist and neighbor James James notice a drop in the numbers
of mosquito fish, or gambusia. They trace the cause to runoff
water polluted by pesticides. They also note the disturbing presence
of the weed, hydrilla, which because of its rapid growth can suffocate
the big fish and stunt the little fish. In another scene, they
discover an intrusion of salt water into a canal. “James
James counted the dead fish in a small area and multiplied it
by the size of the entire area to get an estimate of the number
of fish killed. He made a note of each species.” The constant
search for Dajun, the numerous other observations and the well-honed
environmental consciousness make this book a particularly strong
connection to the GEMS animal observation activities.
Return to titles list.
Shark Beneath the Reef
by Jean C. George
HarperCollins, New York. 1989
Grades: 5–12
Fourteen-year-old Tomas has two loves, school and fishing,
and is supported by his proud fisherman grandfather and his caring
high school science teacher. Tomas comes from a family of shark
fishermen on the island of Coronado on the Sea of Cortez whose
livelihood is threatened by governmental plans for tourism and
Japanese factory fishing boats. Reflecting his Indian and Spanish
heritage, Tomas calls on both Quetzalcoatl and Our Lady of Guadalupe
to help his people. The oceanic environment flows through the
book, as Tomas observes the activity in a tide pool or tracks
a fish underwater, giving a real sense of the interrelation between
marine life and its habitats. The chapter “A Warning from
a Fish and a Bird” is an excellent accompaniment to the observation
skills and understandings of movement and habitat that students
gain from the GEMS activities.
Return to titles list.
|
|
