A promising ecological tale of near-eradication and recovery.
Meet a keynote grassland species: the mighty bison.
Though they once roamed North America in droves, bison were reduced to a few survivors by the early 20th century. Today, captive herds have been restored in various protected areas where they benefit both the land and its other inhabitants. Describing bison behavior and biology, this engaging entry in the Orca Wild series is impressive in its level of detail, logically organized, and filled with photographs, maps, and charts. Backhouse offers many examples of how these creatures play crucial roles in their ecosystem, from their grazing habits (which make room for other plants and animals to thrive) to their feces, which serves as a rich fertilizer. She explains how Native Americans used each part of the bison and discusses how they hunted them; later, white settlers slaughtered them, forcing Indigenous people onto reservations. Finally, she examines efforts to build up the animals’ numbers and distribute rescue herds; now, free-ranging bison can be seen in numerous sites in the U.S. and Canada, but don’t get too close! Throughout, the author includes her own encounters with wild bison and with those who study and care for them, among them high schoolers from the Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation in Saskatchewan and two youngsters with Blackfeet and Séliš ancestry who go on a buffalo hunt with their grandfather.
A promising ecological tale of near-eradication and recovery. (glossary, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9781459839236
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Orca
Review Posted Online: May 16, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2025
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
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