Book Reviews
By Amelia, Leah and Mona
1st Grade:
The Deep Dives of Stanley
Whale
Nathaniel Benchley
Reviewed by Amelia
This is a short story about a young whale named Stanley. Stanley enjoys diving deeper then a young whale is supposed to dive, and that gets him in trouble. Then, Stanley meets his Uncle Moby Dick and he learns about "people." Besides that, Stanley does some quick thinking to rescue his uncle and become a hero.
2nd - 3rd Grade:
Whales
Gallimard Jeunesse, Claud Delafoss, UteFuhr and Raoul
Sautai
Reviewed by Mona
This nonfiction childrens book is filled with tiny little bits of information, such as the humpback whale has no hump. The most delightful part of this book is the pictures done by Ute Fuhr and Raoul Sautai.
Amos and Boris
William Steig
Reviewed by Amelia
This descriptive, picture book is about a mouse (Amos) and a whale (Boris). They become the best of friends when Amos falls of his boat while traveling on the sea and Boris gives him a ride home. Amos promises he will someday do something for Boris in return, but neither of them know what a mouse can do for such a large creature. What happens later, though, surprises them both.
Journey of the Gray Whales
Gladys Conklin
Reviewed by Leah
This is a fictional story about a mother whale and her baby. It tells about their hardships and what they eat and all about their migration. This book would probably be suitable for younger kids.
5th - 6th Grade:
Hunting the Desert Whale
Erle Gardner
Reviewed by Amelia
This is a non-fiction book on one man’s quest to capture whales on film. His desire takes him all the way too Baja California. The book has many black and white pictures. It is witty and funny.
Whales
Eric D. Stoops, Jeffrey H. Martin and Debbie Lynne Stone
Reviewed by Leah
This book provides lots of information about all kinds of marine animals, including whales. It talks about breaching, sounding, and spy hopping; talks about what they eat, and gives all kinds of information. I liked this book because it has beautiful pictures, and it really gave me a good background on whales.
7th and up:
A Whale for the Killing
Farley Mowat
Reviewed by Amelia
This is another non-fiction book, although it is not as informative. It takes place on the south coast of Newfoundland. It is about a whale that becomes stuck in a tidal pond and one man’s struggle to save "Moby Joe."
Gigi
Eleanor Coerr and Dr. William E. Evans
Reviewed by Leah
A true story about a wild gray whale that was captured and taken to SeaWorld to be studied and then successfully released. This book is for older readers who are really motivated to read in detail about a successful rehabilitation.
All Ages:
Giants of the Sea
Gaetano Cafiero and Maddalena Jahoda
Reviewed by Amelia
This is a large book with colored pictures and interesting captions. Some of the pictures are really funny. Check this book out for good laughs and some interesting facts about whales and their history.
A Pod of Gray Whales; An
Affectionate Portrait
Francois Gohier
Reviewed by Leah
Awesome photographs. Some of the pictures are really graphic, like the ones that show barnacles embedded on the whale. Others are fantastic because they show whales in action in their natural habitat. This is a great book for all ages.
Moby Dick
Retold by Bernice Selden
Illustrations by Gary Gianni
Reviewed by Mona
This story was one of the many different Moby Dick stories. The original author of the story Moby Dick was Herman Meville. This child's story is filled with illustrations by Gary Gianni. Bernice Seldon the author pretends to be Ishmael. Ishmael is a New York man who goes on the whaling trip with his friend named Queequeg. They set off to find a whale named Moby Dick. They have many adventures along the way with the other members of the crew. If this book sounds good to you, then go to your nearest library and pick it up.
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