PIONEERING FROZEN WORLDS

What's it like to be a scientist investigating the North or South Pole? Markle (Science to the Rescue, 1994, etc.) first clarifies the major difference between the two regions, then provides readers with a clear introduction to contemporary scientists at both poles, describing how they dress for the cold, build shelters, investigate glaciers, study life forms (from polar bears to krill), learn about the earth's past through air bubbles trapped in ancient ice, and investigate the aurora borealis as a possible source of future fuel. Inviting full-color photographs on every page show the explorers, equipment, animal life, and the frozen environment. Less successful are brief experiments and brainstorming suggestions in boxed insets intended to help readers with scientific concepts. Regardless, an appealing introduction to work in the world's remote regions. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)