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Summary
Summary
A beautiful and hopeful story of how a young impassioned naturalist grows up to change the world. For everyone who cares about our fragile planet.
"An absolute joy to read." --Book Riot
"Gracefully written...pleasing to the eye and ear." -- Kirkus Reviews
Rachel was a girl who loved
science and the sea,
books and writing
and all the creatures of the world.
Rachel was quiet,
a listener by nature.
But when she saw problems,
she could not remain silent.
Some people thought girls
shouldn't be scientists.
They thought girls
shouldn't use their voices
to question or challenge,
even to protect
all the creatures of the world.
Luckily Rachel didn't listen
to them.
Author Notes
Ann Burg's debut novel, All the Broken Pieces , was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Jefferson Cup award winner and an IRA Notable Book for a Global Society, among its many honors. All of her subsequent novels in verse have garnered multiple awards and starred reviews. Serafina's Promise was named an ALA Notable, a Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, and an NAACP Image Award finalist. Unbound was the winner of the New-York Historical Society Children's History Book Prize, the Christopher Award, and an Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor. Flooded was a Bank Street College Claudia Lewis Award winner, a Bank Street College Best Children's Book (with outstanding merit), and a Junior Library Guild selection. Burg worked as an English teacher for ten years before becoming a full-time writer. She lives in Rhinebeck, New York, with her family. Visit her online at annburg.com.
Sophie Blackall found inspiration for her drawings in Rachel Carson's writing and in her deep love for the natural world. "The ripples of Rachel's work affect us still, encircling us, reminding us more than ever that we are all connected." Sophie has illustrated over fifty books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows and the Caldecott Medal winners Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick and her own Hello Lighthouse . Originally from Australia, Sophie now splits her time between Brooklyn, New York, and the Catskill Mountains. Learn more at sophieblackall.com.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In lilting verse, Burg (Flooded) writes, "We must always leave nature/ as we find her," quoting Rachel Carson (1907--1964), a marine biologist, conservationist, and award-winning author credited with launching the modern environmental movement. An early writing phenom enthralled by nature, Carson graduated college with a degree in biology. She received a PhD from Johns Hopkins in 1932 and went on to work as an aquatic biologist for the U.S. Department of Fisheries. Though she sometimes struggled to stand out in the male-dominated field, Carson eventually broke new ground by publishing several works, most notably the National Book Award--winning Silent Spring, which fluid text asserts is viewed as being the first to recognize "that unchecked progress wreaks havoc on our planet." Blending biographical detail with Carson's field notes and excerpts from her works, Burg crafts a fictionalized telling of Carson's life, which is accompanied by delicate and realistically rendered b&w illustrations of birds, flowers, and insects by Blackall (If I Was a Horse). An author's note expresses the hope that "readers will awaken to the beauty that surrounds us and become thoughtful caretakers of the earth, and recognize, as Rachel did, that we are part of the natural world." Ages 8--12. (Mar.)
Kirkus Review
A free-verse, first-person fictional account told from the point of view of Rachel Carson that relates her remarkable life. From childhood, Carson was encouraged by her mother to appreciate but not meddle with the natural world. Life was never easy in the Carson household, but the future biologist found a way to combine science with her love of writing. Over time, she would encourage millions of readers to admire and protect our world through several influential and acclaimed books, including her best-known work, Silent Spring (1962), published two years before her death. Burg's narrative follows the events of Carson's life closely, but her relationships with her family members receive the most attention. They, as well as Dorothy, the intimate friend and kindred spirit she finally found, share her love for the natural world. (That there may have been more to the women's relationship than friendship is not explored.) Gracefully written in short, rhythmic lines, the text is pleasing to the eye and ear. Many pages of this beautifully presented celebration are enhanced by Blackall's tiny, hand-labeled, grayscale drawings of butterflies, birds, pond-water creatures, and more, reminding readers of Carson's own sense of wonder. In an appended author's note, Burg notes her sympathy with her subject and explains her choice to tell her story as fiction, so that she could "capture Rachel's indomitable spirit." Her sources are outlined in the acknowledgments. A convincing and charming portrayal of a woman who made a difference. (Verse fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Rachel Carson is particularly well known for 1962's Silent Spring, but what led to her writing it? Burg dives into Carson's remarkable mind in this fictionalized biography of her life, including the creation of her most famous work. Young Rachel is enchanted by the natural world and writing, and though her childhood isn't entirely happy, her parents encourage those infatuations. Following her interests to college leads to a fascination with biology, employment with the fish and wildlife department, and a path of environmental discovery that will influence all of her writings. As Carson continually butts up against gender expectations and personal tragedy, she doggedly pursues her passions with determination and grace. The stunning writing, all in verse, effortlessly floats through the details of Carson's life, offering keen observations of the natural world and adding terrific tenderness to Carson's most difficult moments. Interspersed natural drawings and excerpts from field notebooks add a wonderful sense of intimacy and awe. An outstanding ode to both the wonder of the natural world and the incredible woman who loved it so.
