This book brings readers into the woodland's and shows the knowledge of animal tracker Sue Morse. ( )

This book is about a journey scientists take study wildlife and the tracks left behind. If you love you the woods, this is the book for you. ( )

The Woods Scientist by Stephen R. Swinburne is an educational Scientists In The Field text. The book tells an interesting non-fiction account of a conservationist’s life, work, and efforts to preserve the environment for future generations of wildlife and people. I enjoyed the color photographs pertinent to the subject matter, however, not all were captioned. It would have been helpful and interesting to know where these were taken.
I found the book to jump around quite a bit for such a short text. Numerous geographic locations within the United States were mentioned and might make this a bit difficult for elementary children to fully grasp. Similarly, other scientists were quoted with statistic and estimated data that appeared to be highly sensationalized without any reference to methods or accuracy. This book was printed in 2002, and certainly, all of these estimates have proven quite inaccurate.
I would have difficulty finding any real purpose for this book in the classroom other than interesting facts and photographs of some endangered or threatened animal species. While I am an avid outdoorsman and firmly believe in conservation and preservation, I found no real educational use in this book. ( )

This book is one in a series that follows a real-life scientist of today, explaining his/her job and passion in a way kids can understand. In this case, we follow Susan C. Morse, a forester, habitat ecologist, professional tracker, and self-proclaimed "student of the woods." We watch as Sue analyzes the behaviors of the different animals in her forest just by carefully observing trees and trails. This book in particular also discusses the needs for more environmental preservation, both in terms of future impact on humans and just for the sake of preserving natural beauty. Sue models respect for nature and the environment for children in his discussions of hikes and experiments. This would be a good book to include as part of unit, even if only in a reading corner as a free-read choice. ( )

This book introduces us to Sue Morse and her home in the woods, where she also works. Sue has a love for nature and the plans and animals who live in her backyard. She teachers others about respecting nature and encourages readers to help save or wild life. During the "living things" unit I will conduct a book walk with the students, providing a summary of the book and showing some of the pictures and captions. Then the book will be made available to students for pleasure or for their research project. ( )