The Bat Scientists (Scientists in the Field)

Gr 5-8—This series entry takes readers along with Merlin Tuttle and a crew of BCI (Bat Conservation International) into bat caves and bridges, trees and houses to study these agile flitterers. Carson's readable, informative text dispels the ugly myths that have haunted these nocturnal hunter/gatherers, detailing bats' usefulness to humankind from gobbling up mosquitoes to scarfing down corn earworm moths to pollinating a multitude of plants throughout the rain forest. Replete with superb close-ups of big ears, hairless pups, furrowed faces, and fragile wings, the text describes the damage done by humans to bat environments and the ravages of white-nose syndrome, and tells of efforts to restore and protect hibernating sites and maternity colonies. Readers not ready for this richness of detail should enjoy Laurence Pringle's Handsome Bats (Boyds Mills, 2000), while those wanting more can plunge into Sandra Markle's elegant Inside and Outside Bats (S & S/Atheneum, 1997). Readers in the "more, more, more" contingent can investigate Karen Taschek's more challenging Hanging with Bats (Univ. of Mexico Press, 2008). A strong scientific look at a unique and often unloved mammal and the scientists who happily investigate them.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Praise for Emi and the Rhino Scientist:

A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year
A Parent's Choice Award Winner in Non-Fiction
A Booklist Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth 2008A Booklist Top 10 Books on the Enviroment for Youth 2008
A Junior Library Guild Selection

* "Top-notch nonfiction...A captivating telescopic view of a unique animal."—Booklist, starred review

* "The emphasis on reproductive science and zoo work both make this an unusual addition to the admirable Scientists in the Field series, one that should be welcome in high-school as well as middle-school libraries."—Kirkus, starred review

"Through lively prose and stunning full-color photographs, readers learn how Terri Roth, an expert in endangered-species reproduction, helped Emi to give birth to the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in more than 100 years...Like many of the entries in this popular series, Emi is an engaging and informative."—School Library Journal