Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas is the story of an elephant seal who lived in the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand. Although most elephant seals like to live in the ocean, Elizabeth seemed to prefer her river. There were a few incidents where Elizabeth got out of the river and laid in the road, causing some minor car accidents. Fearing for Elizabeth's and the drivers' safety, the people of Christchurch captured Elizabeth and took her to a colony of elephant seals in the ocean. Elizabeth came back, however, and even though they tried to take her to colonies even farther away she always managed to find her way back home. She became a local legend of Christchurch. This book contains factual information about the story of Elizabeth the elephant seal. Some elements of the story may have been enhanced or embellished, but the essential parts of the story remain true. At the end of the book the author provides additional information about elephant seals, as well as some references. For additional information about elephant seals, there is information on the National Geographic website, as well as information about the tagging/data collection program that elephant seals are apart of at topp.org. There is a great article about Elizabeth, as well as pictures, here. Other books readers might enjoy are Elephant Seals by Megan C. Peterson or Leopard and Silkie: One Boy's Quest to Save the Seal Pups by Brenda Peterson. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Publication Date: May 13, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD900L Accelerated Reader book level: 4.5 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
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Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla is the story of how a young gorilla is taken from the wild and made to live in a 14x14 foot enclosure in a shopping mall for much of his life, until activists and concerned citizens advocate and raise enough awareness for him to be rescued and sent to a zoo to spend the rest of his life. The story describes Ivan's life living with a large family of western lowland gorillas in a tropical forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It describes how he was taken by poachers, along with another baby gorilla (who doesn't survive), and shipped to Tacoma, Washington. He lived almost like a human child for a few years, living in the home of a pet shop owner, until he became too big. Ivan is forced to live in a cage for 27 years until finally, with the help of activists and the local zoo, Ivan is moved to his final home in the Atlanta Zoo where he can finally be with other gorillas in a suitable habitat. This book contains factual information about Ivan's story, although some elements may be embellished or enhanced for the sake of the story. At the end of the book the author describes the true story in detail and provides references on where more information could be found. While the story has a happy ending, some children may be upset when baby Ivan is taken from his family, or made to live in confinement. This would be a good time to have a conversation about animal needs and rights. There is great information, including video and pictures of Ivan, on the Atlanta Zoo's webpage. GorillaFund.org and NationalGeographic.org are also great resources for learning more about gorillas. For older children, Katherine Applegate also wrote a somewhat more fictionalized tale called The One and Only Ivan written from Ivan's perspective that I would highly recommend. Other books readers might enjoy are A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz or Galapagos George by Jean Craighead George. Age Range: 4 - 7 years Publisher: Clarion Books; First Edition edition Publication Date: October 7, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: AD680L Accelerated Reader book level: 3.7 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
Rags: Hero Dog of WWI a True Story describes how a stray dog named Rags became a wonderful companion and military aide to an American soldier, Private James Donovan, fighting in France during WWI. The soldier found Rags wondering around on the streets of Paris, but ended up taking him on the battlefield where Rags assisted by chasing vermin out of the trenches, passing along messages between soldiers, finding breaks in telephone lines, and overall boosting the moral of his fellow soldiers. Rags is injured in a battle that ultimate takes Private Donovan's life and is clear that he is heartbroken over the loss of his friend. Rags' story has a happy ending, though, because he is adopted by a family with two girls who love and care for him, and is given many awards and accolades for his exemplary service to the United States military. The book includes factual information at the beginning and end describing Rags' life and a bit about the history of military dogs in WWI and beyond. There are lovely pictures that help describe the story and see Rags for the hero he is. I would recommend this book for any children interested in dogs, the military, and/or war. This book is based on a true story, so some of the details may be exaggerated or enhanced, but the story of Rags is real and this book does a great job at explaining what an important dog he was. Adults may want to be aware that children could become sad or upset when Donovan dies. It might be a good idea to have some talking points about death ready, or perhaps a follow-up book like The Next Place by Warren Hanson or The Invisible String by Patrice Karst. You can find Rags' story in many places on the internet. This website is one example. Readers might also enjoy Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven or Stubby the War Dog: The True Story of World War I's Bravest Dog by Ann Bausum. Age Range: 7 - 10 years Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press Publication Date: August 2, 2014 Lexile Reading Level: 740 Accelerated Reader book level: 4.4 AR Points: 0.5 Awards:
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November 2016
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