Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard

Reptiles unite!

Carson, Mary Kay and Uhlman, Tom. Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America's Own Backyard. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.

Plot: America boasts of several large, unique national parks. Many house unusual animals such as grizzly bears, gila monsters, salamanders, and fireflies. Others sport unusual landmarks, like geysers, or strange plant life, like cacti. Yet, to maintain and protect such features, people need to study them. Scientists unite together and with citizens to discover the best ways to keep and protect our national parks for future generations.

Genre: Science

Similar Titles: Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cat, Extreme Scientists: Exploring Nature's Mysteries from Perilous Places

Personal Thoughts: The book offers a solid introduction to park scientists. While everyone assumes national parks have scientists working in them, few know what they actually do. The title addresses the actual processes and goals of the scientists. Additionally, the book provides information on some of the nation's largest and most popular national parks. This book is potentially a great follow-up to summer vacations.

Deadly!: The Truth about the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth

Not sure if chasing or camouflaging...

Davies, Nicola and Layton, Neal. Deadly!: The Truth about the Most Dangerous Creatures on Earth. Somerville, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 2013.

Plot: Dangerous animals fascinate and terrify people worldwide. Some animals act as deadly predators, while others utilize savage methods of defense. Many people die in interactions with these creatures. Yet, the animals also provide a means of survival, medication, and environmental stability for humans as well.

Genre: Animals

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Deadly Venomous Animals, Never Smile at a Monkey: and 17 Other Important Things to Remember

Personal Thoughts: The title provides a good example of balance. The illustrations are simple and crayon-like, but they maintain the main characteristics and details of the creatures described. The information is interesting and occasionally humorous, yet accurate. Also, while the title mentions animals are not always as fierce as believed, they can (and sometimes do) kill people. Many titles regarding dangerous creatures paint them as victims while minimizing their potential for danger. This book expertly focuses on the need to protect both people and creatures.

Special Post: ESRB Ratings

Believe it or not, I actually have friends outside of libraries and library-like situations. One of them was recently pleased to discover I play video games. Her tween enjoys them as well, but she is intimidated by them. Like a lot of parents, she has trouble determining which games are appropriate for her son. Fortunately, there are tools available for tweens' parents, including the ESRB Rating Guide. While the guide includes all forms of video games, three ratings (E, T, and M) especially apply to tweens.

Before we go over the three ratings, please keep a few things to keep in mind:

- The ratings are a tool and a guide, not an ability to ignore what the tween is playing.
- Each tween is different. A tween that plays Call of Duty without a problem can get nightmares from Raving Rabbids. Understand your tween's sensitivities.
- Games from the same series can have different ratings. Double-check everything.
- The ratings do not grade the difficulty of the games, merely the content. Plenty of E rated games are harder to play than T or M rated ones.
- Games may have the same rating for different reasons. One may have a certain rating for language, while another may have the same rating for violence. The reasoning behind the rating can often be found online or on the back of the game's case.

Like this

 

This particular review will focus on three popular ratings: E, T, and M. Additionally ratings can be viewed at the  ESRB Ratings Guide, which can also be used to access the reasonings for the ratings of specific games. The images of the rating are taken from the website. 

Let's begin.

E - Everyone

Definition: Generally suited for all ages, but often includes some language or cartoonish violence.

Popular examples: Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Mario Kart, Angry Birds, Skylanders

T-rex approved

 

 

 

T - Teen

Definition: These games tend to focus on a less sensitive audience. As such, they include more language, suggestive themes, violence, and blood.

Popular Examples: Destiny, World of Warcraft, Uncharted

Still usable, but may need a discussion on acceptable vs. unacceptable behavior, 

language, and violence

 

M - Mature

Description: Marked by extreme violence, gore, language, and sexual references.

Popular Examples: Halo, Diablo, Call of Duty

 

Tweens need to approach with caution

 

To end the post, I'm going to ask for some feedback. Did you enjoy this type of post? Do you have any suggestions? Would any additional links be useful? Should games be more explored? 

Please leave a comment. Thank you for reading!