(the Children's group) Lovely, very informative. Would appeal to, and be comprehensible to, a wide range of ages. (straightforward but not dumbed-down) ( )

this book about life under the sea

This book is a great story that also goes through the lie cycle of Sea Turtles. I loved the pictures and all the ways that students would be able to connect to the main turtle the story follows.

This story was about how a mother turtle was going to hatch her babies on shore. Throughout, it was informational on the ocean and sea turtles. Not only did it give information it allowed the reader to connect, which I personally enjoyed. There are a lot of words but it is an easy read, so I would suggest this book to older elementary students.

From the time that she hatches out of her leathery egg on a moonlit island beach, and makes a run for the water, to the day, twenty years later, that she returns to that same beach as a fully grown turtle, intent on laying her own eggs, Brenda Z. Guiberson's Into the Sea, an outstanding nature title for younger readers, follows the life story of a female sea turtle. The early days, in which the hatchling must hide herself in sargassum weed in order to survive, slowly give way to years of growth, as the turtle explores her watery world, encountering both its wonders (a dancing humpback whale!) and its dangers (a fishing net!), and culminate in that magical night she reappears at her birthplace, in order to continue the cycle of life.

A wonderful book that pairs an informative and engaging narrative with beautiful artwork - although specific species is not mentioned in the narrative, the illustrations clearly depict a Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) - Into the Sea is one of our July selections, in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is seaside/ocean reading. I'm glad it made the cut, as it really is a delightful book! Of course, as someone who adores turtles of all kinds, it was inevitable that I would enjoy it, but I was also pleased when I realized that it was written by the author of Life in the Boreal Forest, another excellent natural science title for the picture-book crowd; and illustrated by Alix Berenzy, whose fairy-tale art has always appealed to me.

All in all, this is an excellent non-fiction selection for younger readers, and is one that I recommend particularly to those with an interest in turtles and other marine life. ( )