Pamela S. TurnerBesprekingen

Gr 5 Up—A fascinating narrative on the history of our species from 66 million years ago to now. Turner has
transformed a dense topic into an easy-to-understand and enjoyable j

Very conversational in tone and, of course, great information about human evolution.

I think I'm with Leonard on this one. His review is definitely worth a read.

I didn't finish this because it felt awfully breezy for the violent subject matter. Do I sound like I'm against nonfiction being fun? I'm really not. I like fun! But a light tone when talking about atrocity is more appropriate for adults who, presumably, get how serious it truly is, even when the violence took place hundreds of years ago. Booklist called this book "pure excitement" and I'm just SMH that senseless violence is so thrilling to so many.

Ever since I had a baby I can't stomach violence like I used to. I can't watch Game of Thrones anymore. I even have trouble watching the NFL because I feel bad for the mothers of the players getting their brains smashed for entertainment. I'm not the right reader for this book right now.

This book looked really promising, so I checked it out. But then, I read a few passages, and was disconcerted by their clunkiness. Good quality paper and excellent photographs, so I may try again.

The table of contents alerts the reader to the fact that this is a book with a sense of humor ("We Stand Up," "We Smash Rocks," "We Get Swelled Heads," "We Take A Hike," "We Invent Barbecue," "We Start Talking (And Never Shut Up)," "We Become Storytellers"), but it's also a fantastically clear and informative story of human evolution. Photos, illustrations, and maps throughout provide helpful visual aids, and footnotes are usually funny.

Back matter: author's notes, glossary, time line, a more complete list of the hominin family, recommended books and websites, acknowledgments, sources, bibliography, image credits, index

Quotes

Remember: natural selection works upon whatever is around. A trait doesn't have to be perfect or optimal to be passed on. It just has to be a little but better than what came before. If evolution had a motto, it would be Yeah. Good enough. (14)

Evolution is a journey, not a destination. It produces different outcomes in different places because different environments select for different traits. (28)

...just because one species evolves from another doesn't necessarily mean the first species goes extinct. (speciation, 45)

Teaching is a way of pooling knowledge and benefiting from other people's experiences. Through teaching, we speed up learning of essential information. Through teaching, we avoid constantly reinventing the wheel.
Teaching is surprisingly rare in nature. The scientific definition of teaching is strict: the teacher must vary their behavior in a way that benefits the learner but costs the teacher. (55)

An innovation wont make much of an impact if it isn't shared. An innovation that isn't shared can't be improved upon by others, either. (65)

In everyday conversation "I have a theory" means "I'm guessing." ...In science, though, "theory" has a more formal meaning. A theory is a well-tested, widely accepted explanation for a whole constellation of facts, observations, and data. (70)

We humans can communicate anything we can think of. We do this by combining a large vocabulary of words with a set of rules (grammar). Grammar allows us to manipulate words to produce an infinite variety of meanings. (77)

Human births are unusually difficult - more difficult than the births of any other mammal. (82)

As everyone knows, families are complicated. (100)

One thing is clear: Moving and mixing is what humans do. It makes us who we are. (104)

Here's a handy rule about evolution: weird things happen on islands. (106)

Collective brainpower is less about the size of our brains than the way we connect our brains together through communication and cooperation. (108)

Through stories we work out what matters. Through stories we share values and tell a collective tale about who we are and how we came to be. We are more likely to trust those who share our values. Trust enhances cooperation, and cooperation enhances survival. (110)

Through stories we can experience a person living an entirely different life. Through stories we can experience a vast range of challenging situations and intense emotions without actually suffering from them. The best stories broaden our horizons, deepen our thinking, and spark our compassion. The best stories help us make better real-world decisions. (111)½

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Child exile.
Teenage runaway.
Military genius.
Immortal hero.

Yoshitsune had little going for him. Exiled to a monastery, he had no money, no allies, and no martial training. He wasn't big or strong or good-looking. His only assets were brains, ambition, and a dream. But childhood dreams can change history.

At the age of fifteen, Yoshitsune excaped. Blow by painful blow, he learned the art of the sword. Fall after bruising fall, he mastered mounted archery. He joined his half brother Yoritomo in an uprising against the most powerful samurai in Japan.

This is a story of insane courage and daring feats, bitter rivalry and fatal love. Based on one of the great works of Japanese history and literature, Samurai Rising takes a clear-eyed, very modern look at the way of the samurai-and at the man who became the most famous samurai of all.

Pamela S. Turner is the author of several award-winning books for young readers, including Life on Earth-and Beyond: Astrobiologist's Quest, Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog, and the ALA Notable Children's Book and Orbis Pictus Honor Book The Frog Scientist. Pamela first encountered Minamoto Yoshitsune's story while living in Japan. She now lives in Oakland, California, where she is a black-belt practitioner of kendo, the way of the sword.

While in College Gareth Hinds made artwork inspired by legends about Yoshitsune. He was therefore thrilled to return to twelfth-century Japan in Samurai Rising, this time illustrating Yoshitsune's real-life adventures. Gareth is a third-degree black belt in aikido and the award-winning creator of graphic-novel adaptations of Macbeth, Beowulf, The Odyssey, and other classics. He lives in Washington, DC.

Contents

Characters adn places
Map of Japan
Introduction
1 Disaster in Kyoto-Kyoto 1160
Headless ghosts-Kurama 1160-1174
3 Samurai boot camp-Hiraizumi 1174-1180
4 Brothesrs-in-arms-Kamakura 1180-1184
5 Perilous river-Kyoto 1184
Map of the Battle of Uji River
6 Midnight strike-Ichi-no-Tani 1184
Map of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani
7 Hooves like hailstones-Ichi-no-Tani 1184
8 Into the storm-Kyoto, Shiroku and Yashima 1184-1185
Map ot the Battle of Yashima
9 The dropped bow-Yashima1185
10 The drowned sword-Dan-no-Ura 1185
Map of the Battle of Dan-no-Ura
11 Assassins in the dark-Dan-no-Ura, Kyoto and Koshigoe 1185
12 Shizuka's song-Koto, Kamakura, and he Yoshino Mountains 1185-1186
13 The fugitive-Locations unknown 1185-1187
14 Feast of arrows-Hiraizumi 1187-1189
Epilogue: The samurai weeps
Acknowledgments
Author's notes
A note on names
A note on dates
A note on the status of women
Re-creating Yoshitune's world
Time lines
Yoshitsune and the wider world
Major periods of Japanese history
Timelineo fSamurai Rising
Glossary of Japanese words
Chapter notes
Bibliography
Index

Initially I thought this was a graphic novel, for some reason. It is not, although the illustrations are spectacular. Great, fast paced and fascinating biography of Minamoto Yoshitsune. I like the somewhat lighthearted tone, the slightly snarky asides, and the well written biographical aspects. Given that I find medieval Japan to be an utterly foreign landscape, it was an excellent primer. It also feels like a story that is all horrific violence for the sake of honor and pride -- the more we change, the more remains the same.

Synergy: Human Evolution

Human evolution is the long process of change from now-extinct primates to a distinct species of hominid, the Homo sapien. All humans originated from ape-like ancestors that evolved over six million years.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN IN SEVEN EVOLUTIONARY STEPS by Pamela S. Turner mixes science with humor to tell the story of human evolution. In seven chapters focusing on the unique aspects of human development, Turner shares the story of how, when, and why we became human. Maps, photographs, and other illustrations along with a conversational approach to storytelling contribute to a fun-filled way to learn about human evolution. The book includes an author’s note, dating information, a glossary, timeline, a list of hominin members, resources, and more.

The HUMAN ORIGINS PROGRAM website from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History features exhibits, research, multimedia resources, and educational materials related to human evolution and related areas of science.

To visit the website, go to https://humanorigins.si.edu/.

ARC courtesy of Charlesbridge.

Follow the life of George Schaller, an environmentalist and photographer, who chronicles the plight of animals in some of the world’s most remote and fragile regions. Draw- ings and maps provide enlightening details, as well as facts about animal habitats, geographic regions, and related cultural information.

children's middlegrade nonfiction (samurai wars). There are lots of beheadings and sword wounds, and the pacing (with short, action-packed chapters) is excellent, with painted illustrations that complement the subject matter perfectly.

This book was AWESOME. I'm normally a bit leery of middle grade biographies, but this was spot on for both content and tone. I just wish this book had existed during my college Japanese history class.

Great writing, plenty of action, really fascinating history. A good choice for fans of [a:Steve Sheinkin|480253|Steve Sheinkin|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1311581477p2/480253.jpg], I think.

An interesting history, accessible to readers both young and old.

Sea water and freshwater dolphins are found all over Indonesia. Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins are very similar to common bottlenose dolphins in appearance. Common bottlenose dolphins have a reasonably strong body, moderate-length beak, and tall, curved dorsal fins; whereas Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins have a more slender body build and their beak is longer and more slender.[9] The Indo-Pacific population also tends to have a somewhat lighter blue colour and the cape is generally more distinct, with a light spinal blaze extending to below the dorsal fin. However, although not always present, the most obvious distinction can be made with the presence of black spots or flecks on the bellies of adults of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, which are very rare in common bottlenose dolphins.[9] Their teeth can number between 23 and 29 in each upper and lower jaw, and are more slender than those of common bottlenose dolphins.[9] Size of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins can vary based on geographic location; however, its average length is 2.6 m (8.5 ft) long, and it weighs up to 230 kg (510 lb).[3] The length at birth is between 0.84 and 1.5 m (2.8 and 4.9 ft).[3]

**
Ride alongside the author Pamela S. Turner and her scientific team and meet a cast of dolphin characters large enough (and charismatic enough) to rival a Shakespearean play—Puck, Piccolo, Flute, and Dodger among them. You will fall in love with this crew, both human and finned, as they seek to answer the question: just why are dolphins so smart? And what does their behavior tell us about human intelligence, captive animals, and the future of the ocean? Beautiful photos of dolphins in their natural habitat and a funny, friendly, and fast-paced text make this another winner in the Scientists in the Field series.

This book is a great nonfiction book about frogs. I like that the book uses photographs of frogs, habitats, and the featured scientist in the book. The book is a bit wordy, so it would be better suited for more advanced readers. I also like that this book talked about a scientist that wasn't an old white man. Oftentimes, minority students don't see a role model that looks like them, so this book would be a worthy addition to a multicultural classroom.

book about the brain of the worlds brightest bird

I enjoyed how the book gave information and told a story at the same time about Munin and Little Feather. It gave a narrative story while talking about a crows life, food, smarts, and makeup. It also gives other examples of animals in the wild using some of the same techniques and survival processes that crows use. I liked how this books used captions, graphs, and maps to show more information amidst the narrative. It relates the tools that crows use to tools that we use in daily life and talks about the child crow to adult crow dynamic and how it is like a human parent teaching it's child. I liked how it talked about smart animals and how they mostly live in social groups and how we as humans can learn from one another just like animals can. This book had vocabulary charts that I could use and a lot of bold words throughout the book with easy to understand definitions. I could see using this book in an animals unit or as a supplement tool while I talk about the food chain or animal groups and classifications. This could work with other books about mammals and reptiles and animals as a introduction to biology and reading and understanding the creatures around us.

This is a very engaging historical biography of Minamoto Yoshitsune, a samurai famous in Japan, but largely unknown in the history studied in the US. He lived at the end of the 12th century and is credited with making the practice of ritual suicide or seppuko more widespread. The book is a really exciting read because Yoshitsune was a part of a one clan, the Minamoto which was fighting against the Taira for control of Japan. It was also a time when samurai were getting more power in Japan. When he is just a young boy, Yoshitsune has to hide from enemies and by becoming a warrior monk. This gives him essential training to become a sucessful samurai. The book describes the many battles he commands, fellow samurai he angers, women he falls in love with and how his bravery shapes Japan's history. I had to remind myself it was an informational biography at times because the action was so exciting. There are also beautiful Japanese-style grayscale illustrations and some maps throughout the book that were created by comic book artist Gareth Hinds. This was a fascinating story that was difficult to put down and from which I learned much about samurai culture and Japanese history.

An amazing text of actual current scientific work conducted by Tyrone Hayes. He is studying the effects of atrazine, a common pesticide, on frogs and other amphibians. This text has received numerous awards. The text includes a table of contents, index, acknowledgements, glossary, a list of websites and multimedia. The text also includes a site for K-12 teachers to find lesson plans of Dr. Hayes' work. The text also includes a selected scientific bibliography. Frogs and toads featured in the book are all pictured on one page with the country where found and scientific name. The text explains the methods used by a real scientist for scientific investigation of a serious environmental issue. The text in its narrative structure tells about the life of scientist, Dr. Tyrone Hayes. In chronological order, the text tells how he became a frog scientist and how he became interested in studying frogs. The text tells of his discovery that atrazine is affecting leopard frogs' growth and reproduction. It also details how he conducts his research and collects data in the field. It briefly tells of his fight against the large company that makes and sells atrazine. This is a modern day look at current scientific research that is put into perspective for any young student. It is an inspiring story and is a great addition to any science classroom.

Look out chimps, these crows are amazing....

A nonfiction book about biologist Tyrone Hayes, who found his calling researching amphibians at Harvard University.

Very informational book all about crows! I thought this was really neat because crows aren't necessarily a type of bird many people are fascinated with, but this book gives insights on how a crow lives, adapts, hunts, and behaves. Would be a great book to read a couple pages from every day during the fall months when crows make themselves more apparent outside.

This book has a lot of dialogue that describes where people are when finding different types of frogs. I I think would be really great as an introduction book before starting an amphibian science lesson. Another think I really enjoyed about this book was how each picture had a caption of the species of frog, and usually listed a fact about that specific frog, or what they might have been doing in the picture.