The Tundra (Ecosystems of North America)

Mudd-Ruth, Maria

ISBN 10: 0761409025 ISBN 13: 9780761409021

Publisher: Benchmark Books

Synopsis

Examines the arctic tundra, its life and ecosystems, and its responses to temperature and weather.

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4-8-These titles are attractively produced and visually pleasing. However, the fact-dense prose tends to give a dry, textbook tone to both of them. In Forest, the map locates evergreen forests, aspen-birch forests, peatlands, and beaver ponds in such a general way that students may actually be misled about their range. Beaver ponds appear to exist only in the northeastern and north central U.S., and the mass of Canada and southern Alaska show only evergreen forest. Even the range of the boreal forest in Alaska does not appear to be accurately depicted. Also, a sidebar about the beaver trade ends in mid-sentence. Tundra also features a map that may mislead as much as it informs. It shows summer and year-round homes of certain fauna but includes a small disclaimer: "Areas shown are not the only residence of these animals"-with no further explanation. There is no indication of why the particular areas were featured as homelands for these species when their ranges in most cases are much more extensive. Stick with April Sayre's Tundra (21st Century, 1995), Donna Walsh Shepherd's Tundra (Watts, 1996), Bruce Hiscock's Tundra (Atheneum, 1986; o.p.), or Donald Silver's Arctic Tundra (Learning Triangle, 1997).-Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK

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About this edition

• Publisher: Benchmark Books
• ISBN 10: 0761409025
• ISBN 13: 9780761409021
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 64