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The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World
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Product Description
In his quest to understand the pole, Andrew leads readers through the mysterious history of arctic exploration; he follows oceanographers as they drill a hole through nine feet of ice to dive into waters below; peers into the mysteries of climate modeling and global warming; and ultimately shows how the fate of the pole will affect us all.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #652461 in Books
- Published on: 2006-04-22
- Released on: 2006-04-22
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 128 pages
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 6 Up–This exciting book is certain to fascinate readers. Revkin, a New York Times reporter, relates his journey to the top of the world in the company of scientists studying climate changes. The informative chapters weave together accounts of his experiences and observations with details about the environment, its exploration, and scientific concepts. He recounts ancient perceptions of the far north, the difficulties faced by the first explorers, and the highly publicized early-20th-century race to the pole. He also covers topics such as the movement of the magnetic pole, extracting and studying core samples of ancient rock for geological information, and tactics for surviving extreme conditions. The work of climatologists and oceanographers is introduced, along with a glimpse at the possible effects of global warming. Shortened articles from the New York Times on related subjects appear throughout. The illustrations include full-color photographs of the author's trek, archival reproductions and photos of previous excursions, original diagrams that clarify concepts, and maps. A blend of colorful full-bleed photos with text overlaid and smaller, bordered images makes for a dynamic layout. The wonderfully written narrative will pull youngsters into the book and hold them there willingly until the last page.–Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. Published in association with the New York Times, this title chronicles environmental reporter Revkin's trip to the North Pole, where he shadowed a research team studying the relationship between the dwindling ice cap and global warming. Full-color photos and other images support Revkin's cogent discussions of polar history and science, but readers are likely to be most impressed by the vivid travel details; Revkin arrives armed with pencils (ink freezes), pocket warmers to insulate his laptop battery, and a cautious respect for the mercurial ice underfoot. Excerpts from theTimes tend to disrupt the flow of Revkin's central narrative, and the concluding resource listing is conspicuously dominated by citations to articles from the media giant's archives. Still, the firsthand perspectives give this New York Times series book an edge, and students aspiring to careers in field science or journalism may find their enthusiasms stoked by the extreme forms of both professions on display here. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
This is a fascinating book on a timely subject, but it is not an easy read, despite the fact that it is being marketed for kids as young as ten...The writing is first rate, the facts and anecdotes informative and entertaining. VOYA The writing style is clear and engrossing, especially in the passages that deal with activities in which the scientists engaged. It is a recommended purchase for all libraries with strong young adult nonfiction collections. School Library Journal
This exciting book is certain to fascinate readers...A blend of colorful full-bleed photos with text overlaid and smaller, bordered images makes for a dynamic layout. The wonderfully written narrative will pull youngsters into the book and hold them there willingly until the last page.
Customer Reviews
*'Walking on Water' takes on NEW MEANING . . . *
After moving 400 yards an hour on an ice floe at the top of the world for three days, Science Writer Andrew Revkin looks down from a helicopter. He watches the icy expanses recede far below while he weighs questions and answers about global warming, and the challenge of presenting these to young readers who are often lured in other directions by iPods & computer games.
Tomorrow's scientists need to be 'shook up' and know there are still discoveries to be made; they can be the ones inventing new techniques needed to retrieve & examine rock core samples from deep below the ice. (See pictures on page 66). They can be detectives competing with the changing ice for answers to frustrating puzzles about the rising seas, for example.
The editor has used engravings and diagrams along with the latest photographs to give an impressive smattering of the history of arctic exploration. The double-spread of a lone seal on pages 100-101 should have been placed to better advantage, to help make Revkin's point about the loneliness of the Arctic where the silence is often interrupted by questions about the future of mankind. This is a excellent, stimulating book for all ages to read and discuss together.
The polar regions have always drawn explorers and it is our luck that the New York Times sent Andrew Revkin to the North to look for ways of stirring the public. We must each take an active interest and help stimulate youthful curiosity by showing the techniques used today. It is not enough to feel the exhilaration of travel without becoming responsible global citizens. In a recent interview by Gwen Iffel on PBS, Revkin cited the "slow drift" of events that do not receive adequate coverage by the media, as for example the recent announcement that the first whale species in China is now extinct. Consider also the projection that by 2040 the Arctic Ocean could be blue for the first time in a thousand years.
Already the levels of contaminates in the bodies of Inuit persons living in the North is beyond acceptable. The Pole is indeed moving . . . can we be instrumental in putting the puzzle pieces back together and work toward unity for the good of the Earth and our children's future?
We must not lose generations of the ingenuity of bright young minds to Wars and the Pestilence of mediocre minds.
Surprisingly excellent.
Andrew C. Revkin, The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
Given the title of this book and a bubbly blurb from eco-wingnut Bill McKibben, I was expecting the usual knee-jerk no-brain "OMG THE WORLD IS BURNING UP" nonsense. To say that what I got was a pleasant surprise would be an understatement in the extreme. New York Times columnist Revkin, who has been writing about environmental issues (with, given the article snippets presented in this book, a surprisingly clear head), spent a few days at the North Pole with a research team and reports on what he saw and the conversations he had. (The seemingly alarmist title is explained by the fact that the polar ice is in constant motion; you can't stick a pole in the ice and say "the North Pole is here," because the pole will move a few miles a day.) These are intercut with North Pole-related articles from Revkin and other Times columnists.
Revkin buys into the "climate change is happening" rhetoric, but he repeatedly goes out of his way to point out that humanity has no way of knowing how much-- or if-- it contributes, and how much is natural cycles. That alone makes this a must-read for kids interested in global warming. In addition, Revkin is fascinated and awed by the simple majesty of the Pole, and interested in the history of humanity's attempts to get there, and it all makes for good reading. Fun for the adults in the family as well as the kids. ****
terranova
timely topic, but book isn't exactly dense. more of a children's primer on Arctic issues.
