900 GEOGRAPHY
900 GEOGRAPHY In the eighteenth century it was easy to chart a ship’s
latitude, North/South positions) but there was no method of calculating longitude.
Britain’s Parliament offered a prize of 20,000 pounds and the substantial
prize remained untouched for 50 years. This is about a village carpenter,
John Harrison, and his travails in getting his invention accepted.
There were several reasons why the Board of Longitude
was not interested in Harrison’s clock: the Royal Astronomer preferred lunar
reckoning and a celestial clock, the idea was unconventional, and Parliament
changed the rules for the prize in 1765. Also Harrison was not of noble
birth, had little personal funds, was a stubborn man, found it difficult
to articulate his findings, and was not on cordial terms with the Astronomer
Royal or members of the royal Academy. Politics was alive and well
in the 18th century.
Harrison’s clock had a set of oscillating bars controlled
by coiled springs instead of a pendulum and was counterbalanced so it could
survive the ship’s motions. After a trial on the HMS Orford, the
ship’s master made out a certificate describing how, for the first time,
a professional navigator acknowledged that a machine could outdo his personal
reckoning. But since this was sponsored by the Royal Society instead
of the Board of Longitude and since little changes in longitude operated
to test the clock’s ability, it was not accepted Besides learning
about Harrison and his invention, other interesting facts emerge.
Readers learn about the Nautical Almanac, first published in 1767 which
was first time that the meridian of Greenwich was used to calculate longitude.
One of the most interesting facts to come out in the book is information
about Captain Cook’s voyages to the South Pacific and his involvement with
the trials of the clock or watch. Similarities between Cook and Harrison’s
station in life are interesting. Pierre Curie and Ben Franklin
also have cameos in the book.
Eventually Harrison was offered the prize if the money
was divided into two parts, the first half after delivering, under oath,
the drawings from which the silver swatch was made along with a written explanation
of those drawings. Harrison did not want to take the watch apart under
the eyes of experts and answer questions. The second half of the money
would only be given if other at least two other timekeepers were made that
worked as well as the watch.
Harrison’s invention is one of machines that came to
be called marine chronometers. Navigation is safer because of Harrison.
Today, a high-precision pendulum clock (accurate to within three seconds
a year) a quartz clock (accurate to a hundred to a thousand times greater
than the pendulum clock) , and the atomic clock (less that one second in 100,000
years) are cousins of Harrison’s silver watch. However, Harrison would
not recognize the GPS, the Global Positioning System, today’s longitude tool
used to guide troops through missiles and satellites out in space. The
GPS give off pulsed radio signals which computers calculate as latitude and
longitude. Harrison’s contribution was major but it will take a special
reader to read the book cover to cover. Others will use the index to
glean information for reports.
Mary Ann Paulin, Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
Editor's Note: This title is an Honor Book
for the Sibert Informational Book Award
Maestro, Betsy. THE STORY OF CLOCKS AND CALENDARS:
MARKING A
MILLENNIUM. Illus. by Giulio Maestro.
New York: Lothrop, 1999. 48p.
0-688-14548-5; hb., $16.00 0-688-14549-3; lib.bdg.
98-21305 Gr. 3+ 909.83
Maestro asks the questions many are asking
about the new millennium "What is all the fuss about?" "A millennium
is a very long time in human history but only a short time in the history
of our planet and universe." Maestro explains how time has been measured
over the centuries by other cultures besides those marking time from Christ's
birth. Information included about other calendars include:
Hebrew; Muslim; Chinese; Mayan; Julian; Gregorian; and
Dionysius Exiguus's Julian calendar. Interesting information is given
about astrology, the zodiac; replacement of a lunar calendar with a solar
one, obelisks, sundials, water clocks, hourglasses, candle clocks, watches,
atomic clocks, and time zones. Where the first sunrise of the
new millennium will be and the meaning of once in a blue moon are discussed.
Especially interesting is a table showing 7 calendars and the years for Jan.
1,2000 and Jan, 1, 2001. The calendars are: Gregorian; Islamic; Hebrew;
Julian; Persian; Ethiopian; and Coptic (Egyptian). End of book
sections that add valuable information are: "Other Interesting Facts About
Time and Calendars;" "Common Divisions of Time;" "Different Meanings of Time;"
"The Year 2000 and Computers;" and "The Names of the Days of the Week;"
(English, Latin, Saxon, French, Italian, and German). This is a timely
purchase that has information that will last into the next millennium.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
Stolley, Richard B., ed. LIFE: OUR CENTURY IN PICTURES
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
Boston: Little, 2000. 231p.
0-316-81589-6; hb., $25.95. 00-32877 Gr. 5-12+
909.82
Each decade of the 20th century includes an article
written by an outstanding young adult or children’s author: Katherine
Paterson (1900-1913), Jane Yolen (1914-1919), Avi (1920-1929) Robert Cormier
(1930-1939), Lois Lowry (1940-1945), Patricia and Fred McKissack (1946-1963),
Jerry Spinelli (1964-1975), Gary Paulson (1976-1992), and Cynthia Rylant
(1993-1999). Usually when numerous people write separate chapters
of a book, the book has an uneven quality but this book is a unified product.
What is especially interesting is that most of the articles are told in
the first person and the authors provide their own feelings and experiences.
Even if kids read only the captions to the black and
white or color photos on every page they will learn about the last century.
Typical of coverage is the double page spread about the Titanic which includes
two color photos, one is on Ballard’s videotape of the original prow of
the ship on the bottom of the Atlantic and the other is of Leonardo DiCaprio
and Kate Winslet standing on the prow of the ship in the 1997 movie.
The three black and white photos include one of Mr. and Mrs. Straus, owners
of Macy’s Department store who chose to go down with the ship together, and
one of Capt. E. J. Smith.
The Requiem photo at the end of each section is of
an outstanding person who died that decade. The last one includes
a picture of Princess Diana talking with Mother Teresa. Others on
the double page spread include Arthur Ashe, Caesar Chavez, Wilma Rudolph,
Jerry Garcia, and John F. Kennedy, Jr. A brief biography of each YA
author at the end of each section is a bonus. This is a very readable
history of the last century that will be read by kids and adults.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
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This book imparts a feeling of textures from the padded
cover to the quilt illustrations for each letter of the alphabet. Even
the individual letters look like quilting. Beginning with Australia
and Brazil and ending with Yemen and Zimbabwe, the book provides a sentence
about each country. For the observant, more information is provided
through the pictures in the vibrantly colored quilts that appear on the
opposite page. In this alphabet, Q was not a problem because of Qatar
and X was handled skillfully by interjecting Xianggang (Hong Kong).
Although this could be used as a primary grade alphabet book with or without
studying other countries, it could be used up through middle school as a
pattern for students to make their own alphabet book regardless of subject.
Public librarians should make quilters aware of this one.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI
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The book begins with a map placing the Yukon
Territory next to Alaska and showing where the Arctic Circle runs through
both. Another map shows Whitehorse, Laberge, Shipyard Island, Five
Finger Rapids, Fort Selkirk, Dawson, and Bonanza Creek. The book is
divided into these geographic locations. A selection from Canadian
poet Robert Service appears at the beginning of the book. This first
person account of the author's 460 mile canoe trip down the Yukon River
from Whitehorse to the Arctic circle, follows the route of the gold rush.
The travelogue of the territory includes information about the gold
rush that made it famous. This book would appeal to canoers and persons
interested in the gold rush, Alaska, or the Canadian Yukon.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI 49855
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A memo to families is that this series helps
readers "learn to read by remembering frequently used words like "the," "is,"
and "and;" by using phonics skills to decode new words, and by interpreting
picture and text clues." There are four or more suggestions for readers
before, during, and after reading the book. The animals in the
photos are in bold print in the text to help readers identify them.
The book is totally illustrated with color photos that appear in appealing
patterns on the pages. There is enough information about the Arctic
and Antarctic and the animals that live there to make this book useful to
classes that are studying the poles and this book can be used for readers
above the recommended grades. There is no question about the
value of this book. The only question librarians will ask is whether
it should be shelved with easy readers or science books.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI 49855
Gibbons, Gail. POLAR BEARS. Illus by author.
New York: Holiday, 2001. 32p.
0-8234-1593-7; hb., $16.95. 00-054075
Gr. K-4 599.786
Besides learning about polar bears, readers learn about
the Arctic and the animals who live
there. There is a mp showing the Arctic and besides full page drawings,
there are close-ups;
labels for parts of the bear, the bottom of the paw, and underfur.
Readers learn about the bear's
amazing sense of smell, communication, keeping warm, size, food, dens,
cubs, and dangers. The
last page shows some additional facts about polar bears. This life cycle
book is great for emerging readers of all ages. The illustrations are
up to Gibbons' quality standards and can be enjoyed even without the text.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI 49855
Green, Jen. POLAR REGIONS. Saving Our World series. Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech/Millbrook,
2001.
32p. 0-7613-2162-4; lib.bdg., $21.90 Gr. 4-6
333.7
The maps, photos, and drawings spread artistically
throughout the pages of this science book add interest to the text.
Some topics covered are polar regions, animal life, damage to the area, including
ozone holes, greenhouse effect, and global warming, protecting life. Added
features are the review at the back of the book, environmental addresses
and projects, a glossary, and index as well as questions and answers disbursed
throughout the book. This utilitarian nonfiction book about the poles
will be a useful additon to general knowledge in public libraries and curriculum
support in school libraries.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI 49855
Leroux-Hugon, Helene. I CAN DRAW POLAR ANIMALS. I Can
Draw Animals series.
Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens, 2001. 40p. 0-8368-2840-2
lib bdg., $21.27 Gr. 2-5 743.6
The author begins by giving directions for drawing
and touches on observation and practice in this title which was originally
published in French. The drawing by steps is reminiscent of the many
books by Lee Ames which begin DRAWING 50… (Doubleday).
After a list of drawing instructions, the author shows readers in three steps,
using ovals, how to draw the following animals: polar bears, seals, walruses,
musk ox, wolf, reindeer, penguins, sea elephant, albatross, whale, and narwhal.
The first three animals are identified as coming from the Arctic or North
Pole in a paragraph that accompanies a picture of all of the animals.
The next three animals are in a group picture with an explanation of the
Tundra. Having seen reindeer in the Tundra, this one looks slightly
out of proportion. The next three are located in the Antarctica and
the last two are from the oceans at both poles. The explanation of the
geographic areas is better explained and integrated into this book than in
the other books in the series. It also translates better to Americans,
probably because the poles are not part of either country. This book
will work well where classes are studying the poles. A bibliography
of six books, two videos and two web sites, a glossary/index complete the
book.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center
LLanas,Shelia Griffin. WHO REACHED THE SOUTH
POLE FIRST? Stevens Point, WI
Capstone
Press, 2011. 32p. ISBN:
978-1-4296-3344-4 Gr. 2-5
j919.8
This book
takes the reader on an historical journey with Roald Amudsen and Robert Falcon
Scott as they race across Antarctica toward the South Pole. The book is divided
into four chapters which cover the preparation for the journey, their
arrival in Antarctica on january 14, 1911, setting out with the sled dogs in
October, and finally the day that Amundsen reaches the pole. He has beaten
Scott's team, and soon returns to tell the world of their accomplishment.
Scott's team also reaches the South Pole almost a month later, but their return
trip is not as promising. The book
is filled with historical pictures, maps, a timeline and also includes a
glossary. It is an entertaining
book about a great historical event.
Joyce Hoskins, Teacher-
L'Anse School Public Library L’Anse, MI
Love, Ann and Jane Drake. THE KIDS BOOK OF THE FAR NORTH. Illus by Jocelyne Bouchard.
Niagra Falls, NY:
Kids Can, 2000. 1-55074056308 lib.bdg., $15.95.
Gr. 3-8 j 909.09
Maps, prehistory, landscape (ice and permafrost), plants,
animals, birds, and people are the substance of this book. Ancient
and modern peoples are: Saami (Laplanders), Evenki, Nganasan, Paleo-Eskimos,
Nenets, Inuit, and Inupiat. Sidebars abound with the “Eco Watch”
being the most frequent. Printed on a pale blue background, the watch
discusses information about ecological concerns. Other sidebars are
charts and tables. Some sidebars are bounded with black line,
one of which is a particularly gruesome version of “Sedna, the Sea
Spirit.” If the polar regions are part of the curriculum, then this
book is a good choice for school or public libraries.
Mary Ann Paulin, director, Superiorland Preview
Center
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. THE LAMP, THE ICE, AND THE BOAT CALLED
FISH:
BASED ON A TRUE STORY. Illus by
Beth Krommes. Boston: Houghton, 2001. 48p.
0-618-00341-X; hb., $15.00 99-35303
Gr. 1-4 919.804
This is a handsome nonfiction book. The scratchboard
illustrations are an excellent match for a survival story that is based
on a Canadian Arctic Expedition boat that became stuck in the ice for eight
months in 1913. Besides the main story, there is an Author’s Note that
includes the information that an Inupaiq family did bring a seal oil lamp
with them. There is a bibliography, list of passengers, crew, and animals
as well as photos of the Inupiaq family and other survivors. Another
aid to understanding is the phonetic spelling of words within the text.
A prose poem called “The Seal Oil Lamp” appears in italics before and after
the main text of the book which is poetically arranged.
The boat was the Karluk which means fish in Aleutian.
The expedition included the captain, an Inupiaiq family, scientists, crew,
a black cat, and forty sled dogs. The boat was stuck on an ice floe
for several months until the ship was abandoned before it sank into
the sea. Eventually the captain and Kataktovik walked 200 miles across
the ice to Siberia to get help. The adventures of those left behind
provides the body of the book.
The story unfolds with just enough drama to keep the
interest of readers who will also be fascinated with the illustrations.
In areas where there are sled dog races, this title The story unfolds
with just enough drama to keep the interest of readers who will also be
fascinated with the illustrations. In areas where there are sled dog
races, this title will we a welcome addition to those bibliographies.
School and public libraries should purchase this perfectly crafted nonfiction
picture book regardless of the climate in which they live.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI
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917 GEOGRAPHY: UNITED STATES
Beginning with a map of the Lewis and Clark’s Expedition
from 1804-1806, readers learn why the expedition was organized, where it
went, and what the explorers learned about animals. The photos of
animals they found along the way are exceptionally clear and colorful.
Phrases from the diaries occur throughout the book. Four web sites
appear at the end of the book along with books in a section called “To Learn
More.” The most unique part is seven-page “Chronology of Animal
Discoveries New to Science,” a list of 121 new species of animals identified
on the expedition and recorded in the journals. The date, name,
and place is given for each animal. An index concludes the book. There
are lots of books about the Lewis and Clark Expedition but none focuses solely
on the animals. This is an outstanding science and history book.
Mary Ann Paulin; Director, Superiorland Preview
Center, Marquette, MI
