Poles Apart: Why Penguins and Polar Bears will Never be Neighbors - Hardcover

Grade 5-7–This slender, handsome book presents the literal ends of the Earth (if a globular mass can be said to have ends). From the peregrinations of Antarctica as it drifted away from Gondwanaland to descriptions of the magnetic poles, from penguins to polar bears, Scott provides an attractive window on the disparities of two cold places. She includes Pythagoras the Greek through James Cook, Roald Amundsen, and Robert Peary to give readers glimpses of the rigors of polar exploration. A section on current scientific research describes how that exploration continues today. Strategically placed color or archival black-and-white photos and reproductions enhance the engaging, informative text. An extensive list of Web sites and a good list of further reading titles are provided. Highlighting some of those choices, or others such as Meredith Hooper's fine Antarctic Journal (National Geographic, 2001) round out an informed vision of two inhospitable habitats.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
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Gr. 4-8. This handsome, informative book introduces the North and South Poles: their origins, seasons, composition, magnetism, people, animals, exploration, and recent changes. Scott vividly describes the difficulties faced by early explorers and explains matters such as why polar bears would probably not survive in Antarctica. The final chapter discusses recent research as well as the effects of global warming at the "ends" of the earth. The many excellent color illustrations include clear photographs of wildlife and mysterious, beautiful shots of the northern lights as well as maps and period photos. Scott writes well, never talking down to her audience but making scientific and historical information understandable. Though there are no source notes, the book ends with an annotated bibliography of books recommended for young readers and a list of Web sites. Carolyn Phelan
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