Sea Turtle Scientist

by Stephen R. Swinburne

Overview

Dr. Kimberly Stewart, also known as the Turtle Lady of St. Kitts, is already waiting at midnight when an 800-pound leatherback sea turtle crawls out of the Caribbean surf and onto the sandy beach. The mother turtle has a vital job to do: dig a nest in which she will lay eggs that will hatch into part of the next generation of leatherbacks. With only one in a thousand of the eggs for this critically endangered species resulting in an adult sea turtle, the odds are stacked against her and her offspring. Join the renowned author and photographer Steve Swinburne on a journey through history to learn how sea turtles came to be endangered, and what scientists like Kimberly are doing to save them. For the complete selection of books in this critically acclaimed, award-winning series, visit www.sciencemeetsadventure.com.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544582408
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Series:	Scientists in the Field Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	213,103
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	NC1190L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

STEPHEN SWINBURNE is the author of numerous children's books about nature, including Safe, Warm, and Snug, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, and Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf, with photographs by Jim Brandenburg. A lifelong naturalist, he lives in South Londonderry, Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

Leatherback sea turtles are amazing animals. Readers will learn that they are the largest reptiles on earth today. They can dive to 4,000 feet or more and can travel over 6,000 miles in one year. Unfortunately, they are designated as critically endangered. This means that their population has dropped by 80% in the last 100 years. Sea turtles are important for the ocean ecosystem because they eat jellyfish, helping keep the population under control. Dr. Kimberly Stewart is a scientist who studies sea turtles in the Caribbean. She has loved animals since she was a little girl growing up on a farm in Georgia. When she was in elementary school she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian. Dr. Stewart is part of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network that is a consortium of wildlife officers, educators, and community leaders in more than 40 countries. This network is very serious about saving sea turtles. This book promotes conservation efforts by providing specific information about the sea turtle life cycle and how individuals can help them. Reviewer: Kristin Harris; Ages 8 to 14.

Children's Literature - Kristin Harris

"The color illustrations feature numerous, remarkably fine photos, including many taken by Swinburne. Some of the pictures are too small to be effective, but most offer useful and beautiful views of the sea turtles and the scientist who studies them. An informative addition to science collections."
—Booklist

"Neophytes to this classic series who thought science was always conducted in old buildings on lab benches will be delighted to find it can take place in an island paradise."
—Bulletin
 
* "This refreshing journey with a dedicated woman hard at work in her chosen field will resonate with readers. Inspiring."
—School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2014
Gr 5–8—Another nifty entry in an impressively reliable series, this work follows the field work and the research of Dr. Kimberly Stewart, the "turtle lady" of the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Her subjects are mainly the largest marine turtles of all, leatherbacks, though her drive for conservation includes all Caribbean species. Swinburne's engaging text engages readers in Stewart's efforts to record "turtle data," to compare and evaluate the discoveries she makes, and to encourage inhabitants of St. Kitts to help her in her drive to preserve this species. Stewart educates them in finding sources of protein other than turtle meat and eggs and assists them on new paths to economic independence without relying on turtle products. Accompanying the narrative are data boxes on such divergent topics as "A Brief History of St. Kitts," "Modern Sea Turtle Threats," and "How Sea Glass Saves Turtles," plus a detailed list of items stocked in her Turtle Watching Toolkit. Swinburne's excellent color photos (many full page) enrich his informative text and give readers a clear vision of a scientist hard at work recording the lives of her elusive subjects and trying to instill a sense of ecological conservancy in a community that has heretofore regarded turtles as a boost to their menu or their personal income. Pair this with Kathryn Lasky's excellent Interrupted Journey (Candlewick, 2001) and Swinburne's own Turtle Tide: The Ways of Sea Turtles (Boyds Mills, 2005) for a balanced look at species swimming in dangerous waters. This refreshing journey with a dedicated woman hard at work in her chosen field will resonate with readers. Inspiring.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

School Library Journal