Published by Roaring Brook Press
Summary: Rachel Carson loved nature from the time she was a child. She spent a lot of time outside, looking and listening to the wonders around her. Although she grew up far from the ocean, she loved to read about it and imagined what it would be like. She also enjoyed writing, and planned to study it in college. But after seeing tiny sea creatures through a microscope, she changed her major to biology. After graduation, she combined her two interests, writing popular books about the ocean. Her most famous work, though, was Silent Spring, based on her research on the effects of pesticides on the environment. Although not everyone agreed with her conclusions, enough people were concerned that real changes occurred as a result, including the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the first Earth Day. Includes author’s note, notes, and bibliography. 40 pages; grades K-4.
Pros: A charming introduction to Rachel Carson’s life, emphasizing her lifelong love of nature, especially the ocean, and illustrated with cartoon-style illustrations.
Cons: The notes gave a lot of interesting information about Carson’s life, but are written in a small, cramped font, and are likely to be overlooked by young readers.
