Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean

Awards

Reviews

In addition to introducing us to some remarkable “oceanauts” like my father Jacques Cousteau, this book takes us on a journey of their lives through engaging stories about how they became who they are and why. It?s a reminder that everyone has a contribution to make to improve the world just by being themselves.

— Jean-Michel Cousteau, Founder, Ocean Futures Society (July 2009)

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The ocean is the final frontier of environmental exploration on Earth – its secrets have only truly begun to unfold during the last 100 years. Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean sheds light on how the mysteries of the ocean’s dark depths have begun to unravel by profiling eight 20th-century pioneers of ocean exploration and conservation: William Beebe, Archie Carr, Jacques Cousteau, Margaret Owings, Eugenie Clark, Roger Payne, Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys. The book introduces marine science concepts, vocabulary and history in a well-written and easy-to-read narrative format for 12-15 year olds. Accompanied by (black & white) photographs and beautiful pencil illustrations, Champions provides a glimpse into the ocean explorers’ motivations and career accomplishments. Timelines accompany each biography to place the profiled lives into historical context. It closes with a call to action, encouraging young readers to become homegrown activists and citizen-scientists, and provides preliminary ideas for ways to get involved.

— Green Teacher (Spring 2011)

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This outstanding series from Dawn Publications shares the stories of explorers and scientists who have become “earth heroes.” From icons like Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall to lesser known people like William Temple Hornaday and Margaret Wentworth Owings, these mini-biographies show how these individuals became who they are and why. By revealing their humble beginnings in curiosity and wonder, these stories provide ample inspiration and encouragement to young readers who may want to follow a similar path. Accessible text accompanied by wonderful illustrations and photographs make these books a wonderful gift for a young naturalist.

— Clearing Magazine (December 2010)

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The stories of these scientists and explorers can inspire young people to become stewards of our ocean planet – as they have inspired me. I count several of these ocean heroes as friends; their passionate commitment to healthy oceans offers us all hope for the future.

— Julie Packard, Exec. Dir. – Monterey Bay Aquarium (July 2009)

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I remember being fascinated with writers who wrote about the impossible that became real, like Jules Verne?s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Now your kids can enjoy real life drama in the new book release Champions of the Ocean by Fran Hodgkins. Her biographies of 20 heroes from William Beebe, who was a naturalist looking at the world beginning East Orange, New Jersey to Sylvia Earle, who has lived and worked in a submersible for weeks at a time and has ?walked the ocean floor where no one else has tread. Champions is part of the Earth Heroes book series published by Dawn Publications.

— Hudson Valley Parent (January 2010)

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In the deepest, darkest spots of the ocean, there is still light, but not provided by the sun.Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean looks into the stories of eight extraordinary young people who made a radical difference in science’s approach to the last of Earth’s greatest enigmas, the ocean. From fish that provide life, to disproving the bloodthirsty nature of sharks, these are exceptional stories that will inspire many young would-be oceanologists. Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean is a fine addition to young adult science collections.

— Midwest Book Reviews (October 2009)

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Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean looks at the lives of eight people whose work and efforts have benefitted the oceans and life in and around them. Those included in the book are: William Beebe, Archie Carr (saved sea turtles), Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Margaret Wentworth Owings (saved sea otters), Eugenie Clark (studied sharks), Roger Payne (whales), Sylvia Earle and Tierney Thys.

Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean is another good book about people who have contributed to the natural world that young readers will find fascinating.

— Simcoe.com – Glenn Perrett (March 30, 2011)

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Champions of the Ocean is the first, alphabetically, of two books published by Dawn Publications in their Earth Heroes series. Written for young readers, these books profile people who have devoted their lives to understand and protect the natural world.

In the case of Champions of the Ocean, eight people are showcased – William Beebe, The First Celebrity Naturalist; Archie Carr, The Scientist Who Saved Sea Turtles; Jacques-Yves Cousteau, The Key to the Silent World; Margaret Owings, Friend of the Otter; Eugenie Clark, The Shark Lady; Roger Payne, A Voice for Whales; Sylvia Earle, Her Deepness; and Tierny Thys, Mystery of the Ocean Sunfish. If these names are not familiar, perhaps the books are for more than “young readers.” Honestly compels this reviewer to admit not all were known to him.

The book is creatively crafted for young readers with ample photographs and drawings to embellish the narrative and stimulate “turning the page.” A “Fast Facts” page and “Timeline of Important Events” page follows each chapter to summarize the heroes life and chronologically
orient the reader.

The descriptions of each hero are written in an interesting fashion with just enough information to understand what the person accomplished. The author also has made a special effort to link the heroes showing how one influenced the other. Throughout, the reader is encouraged to believe she too could become a hero through passion, hard work, and commitment to cause. At $11.95, Champions of the Ocean is a great buy and wonderful gift material. Purchase a copy for a young person in your life and see that they get to ocean for a dose of the real thing.

— Taproot Magazine – Charles Yaple (Fall/Winter 2009)

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Eight curious, passionate scientists and explorers whose work would definitely inspire us to become stewards of our oceans are featured in this book.

— Skipping Stones (Nov/Dec 2010)

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In the same spirit and format as the other titles in this series, Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean is a sound aggregation of the colorful characters who have fashioned the modern movement to explore, understand, and protect the earth’s oceans and its inhabitants. Readers meet naturalist William Beebe, sea turtle scientist Archie Carr, filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau, friend-to-otters Margaret Wentworth Owings, Eugenie “The Shark Lady” Clark, whale advocate Roger Payne, “Her Deepness” Sylvia Earle, and Tierney Thys, guardian of the Ocean Sunfish. Like Champions of the Wilderness, several of these heroes had trying upbringings, facing discrimination based on their gender, ethnicity or even professional interest.

Author Fran Hodgkins does a lovely job weaving through each ocean pioneer’s personal journey, from childhood into adulthood, while illustrator Cris Arbo aptly sketches the intriguing animals who inspired these individuals. Black and white photographs round out the biographical synopses, presenting images of home life or boat life, research excursions on or under the water, and the like. Animal lovers will appreciate these heroes’ general efforts made on behalf of species and habitat preservation and their communication to the general public about the strange, magnetic beauty of the watery world. However, the sheer number of animals collected as specimens, especially at the turn of the 20th century, is outright saddening. Towards the tail end of the book, we see researchers taking more ethical precautions in their scientific practices, such as the case with Roger Payne:

“He revolutionized whale research. He proved to his colleagues that it was not necessary to kill a whale or any other creature in order to study it, contrary to the practice that had gone on for hundreds of years.”

I believe this to be an essential read for any kid or adult interested in animal or environmental concerns. It not only shows how interest in the ocean and its protection came about, but does a great, concise overview of its evolving history. It’s of utmost importance to know our roots in order to push forward.

— Vegbooks (February 13, 2011)

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This second volume in the Earth Heroes series features “Champions of the Ocean” that explored the realm of the sea – such historic and contemporary greats as Jacques Cousteau, inventor of scuba equipment, William Beebe, the bathysphere deep-sea diver, and “Her Deepness” Sylvia Earle. Jean-Michel Cousteau says, “It?s a reminder that everyone has a contribution to make to improve the world just by being themselves.”

The Earth Heroes books feature the youth and careers of the world?s greatest environmentalists, and the waves of influence that spread from their ideas and actions. See the first book in the series, Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness.

— Independent Publisher (January 2010)

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These are true ocean champions. They used their science to better understand the ocean, and their passion and communications skills to connect people to the ocean and its living creatures and to fight to protect them.

— Jerry R. Schubel, President, Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, CA (July 2009)

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Dr. Genie Clark, the “Shark Lady,” was our Founding Director, and Dr. Sylvia Earle, “Her Deepness,” was also at one time a Mote Director. Both began their long careers as curious young explorers, and became forerunners in marine science. It will please them to know that young people who read their stories will be inspired to keep learning and caring for our great oceans, perhaps becoming “champions” themselves.

— Kumar Mahadevan, PhD, President, Mote Marine Laboratory (July 2009)

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Every child has the essential tools of a scientist – an insatiable curiosity fueled by observing the world around them, an endless stream of questions based on those observations, and myriad ideas – right and wrong – about the answers. This extraordinary book tells the personal stories of eight remarkable individuals who never lost their curiosity about the mysteries of the ocean, which when combined with lots of hard work allowed them to make tremendous contributions to the exploration, understanding, and protection of Earth’s ocean.

— Dr. R. Max Holmes, Woods Hole Research Center scientist (July 2009)

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From the series, Earth Heroes, Champions of the Ocean is a biography collection of explorers beginning at the turn of the 20th century to the present. Eight marine explorers, among them Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Sylvia Earle, are discussed. Both personal histories, such as what brought them to be explorers of the ocean, and exploration accounts are presented to the reader. At the end of each personal chapter, Fast Facts and Time Line of Important Events are given. An interesting feature of the time line is how it gives a comparable historic happening in relationship to the personal event shown. An index is at the end. This is an excellent book to be shared in an elementary collection because the chapters are not long and the information is easily read. In teaching students to research in more than one place, this would be a good book to serve as an additional source.

— Lane County ESD Reviews (January 2011)

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Have you ever wished that you could see what it like on the ocean floor? Earlier this year I had the privilege of reviewing the first book in this series, Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness by Bruce and Carol L. Malnor. In this second book, author Fran Hodgkins takes eight remarkable explorers of the ocean and follows their lives, both as children and adults, to show how they have shaped the way in which we view our planet’s largest frontier. Some of them may be familiar, such as William Beebe, who was the first to dive in the bathysphere, and, of course, Jacques Cousteau, who invented SCUBA. Others may not be as well known, but they have also made a lasting contribution to the world of sea exploration. They include Archie Carr who worked with sea turtles, Margaret Owings who crusaded for sea otters, Eugenie Clark who was known as the “shark lady,” Roger Payne who recorded the songs of whales, Sylvia Earle who walked on the ocean floor in a “Jim suit,” and Tierney Thys who uses high-tech equipment to study the huge ocean sunfish.

These accounts are very well written and quite interesting to read. Also, they are nicely illustrated by artist Cris Arbo’s shaded black and white drawings along with numerous photographs. Each chapter concludes with a two-page summary of “fast facts” providing a “ripples of influence” section showing how each person was influence by others and in turn was an influence to others, and a timeline of the person’s life put into a historical context. In the back, there are suggestions on what youngsters can do to help the oceans, a bibliography for further information, and an index. . . . Reading works like this will help young people be more environmentally conscious by pointing out that everything we do affects life in the sea which in turn affects what happens over all the earth. The third book in Dawn Publication’s series “Earth Heroes” entitled Earth Heroes: Champions of Wild Animals is due out in the Fall of 2010.

— Stories for Children Magazine (December 2009)

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In the latest installment of the Earth Heroes series, Champions of the Ocean, author Fran Hodgkins introduces young-adult readers to eight scientists of the sea. These compelling profiles include William Beebe, the first “celebrity naturalist” and deep-sea diver; the famed inventor of SCUBA, Jacques Cousteau; and Tierney Thys, a present-day explorer whose parents made her a child-size wetsuit before such a thing could be purchased. At the end of each chapter is a “Fast Facts” summary of each scientist as well as a timeline that puts their live and accomplishments into historical context. Champions of the Ocean encourages middle school readers toward their own “citizen scientist” explorations.

— E Magazine (Nov/Dec 2009)

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Have you ever looked into a tide pool at the beach and wondered about all of the curious but fascinating creatures that live in the salty sea waters? This book profiles eight scientists who, with their passionate interest in this very subject, made the study of the ocean into a lifetime career. Their discoveries about the animals of the deep ocean shocked and delighted their contemporaries and will amaze you too.

— Skipping Stones (Nov/Dec 2009)

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Earth Heroes is a wonderful book that reminds us how all the great explorers got their start-with curiosity, intelligence, and a spirit of adventure.

— Wyland, artist/environmentalist (July 2009)

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e are born with an ‘explorer’s gene’ and children are natural explorers. A lucky few of us have remained enriched by our lifelong curiosity about the ocean. Ocean awareness is, for us, not just a term but a way of life. In this book you will meet ocean people doing what they love best. I hope it inspires many young people to find their own paths to the sea.

— Capt. Don Walsh (USN), PhD, Trieste pilot and Honorary President, The Explorers Club (July 2009)

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Soft bound, biographical account of “heroes” who have promoted conservation and a deeper understanding of our oceans and their creatures. This is an easy to follow guide with handy “fast facts” and “timelines” that put the information on our heroes into perspectives that are understandable. Wonderful illustrations by Cris Arbo also make it fun to read. This is a great resource for students doing reports on either the “Champions” themselves or on the overall efforts to save a species and the commitment and drive that it takes. Nicely written, very clear and easy to follow, includes other resources that children can use when researching and how to become a hero themselves.

— Lane County ESD Book Review Program (March 2010)

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Eight curious, passionate young people grew up to change the way we look at Earth’s last frontier – the ocean. William Beebe descended into the inky depths – and discovered fish that make light! Jacques Cousteau invented SCUBA gear and brought the sea to the people, via television. “The Shark Lady”, Eugenie Clark, discovered that sharks aren’t quite monsters. Each of the eight made a unique contribution. This is a very personal look at their lives and leadership. Some of the questions that they thought about were, what if people could hear the beautiful sounds that humpback whales make, why do sea turtles disappear and where do they go? The illustrator, Cris Arbo, did the wonderful illustrations in this book. This is a wonderful book for children and adults to read and enjoy. The next book, Earth Heroes: Champions of Wildlife, will be available in Fall 2010.

Fran Hodgkins really enjoyed doing this book as many of the heroes were her own heroes. She has written 20 books for young readers. She lives with her family and pets in Maine. Cris Arbo was born on Martha’s Vineyard Island, Massachuetts and has lived by the sea much of her life. She lives with her husband and daughter in central Virginia.

— The Nashville News – Mary Barrett (October 2009)

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(Review of Earth Heroes: Champions of the Wilderness and Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean):

Both books are part of the new series Earth Heroes. I was taken with the format of the books right away – it’s different from any other books I’ve seen. The authors looked for the common threads linking each of these explorers and wrote about their successes and also their failures, making the point that failure is what you make of it and not necessarily a bad thing.

The short introduction to each book asks stimulating questions and points out what to look for in each biography.

Each chapter is devoted to a special person of influence, eight in each book. There are explanations of the big events that influenced each hero and intriguing details about their lives that help the reader really get to know each person. After each biographical chapter is a one-page fact sheet that boils down the important facts, the accomplishments, and the “Ripples of Influence” (those who influenced the hero and those he or she influenced in turn). Then there is a one-page timetable that sets the particular hero in the historical context of his or her own time. These books are well illustrated with black-and-white photos and drawings.

Each book ends with a couple of pages explaining how readers can become heroes in their own way.

— Brook Farm Books Blog (January 2010)

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Don?t you ever wonder what it?s like to be a great explorer or scientist? How did people invent submarines? When did people decide to learn about the deep ocean seas? How was scuba gear invented? All these questions and much more are answered and explained thoroughly in Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean! Reading about all these adventurers? lives make you realize that all these people were just like you when they were growing up! All of their achievements and recognition started with just one idea. Think about it; what will your great idea be?

Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean explains famous scientists? lives and ideas in a brilliant kid-friendly way! Most kids I know don?t like school or anything to do with school, but the author, Fran Hodgkins, wrote this book in such a way that I forgot I was reviewing it. It made me think about the scientists? lives. It made me wonder if I could ever be an explorer, and above all, it showed how easy it is to accomplish what you want if you set your mind to it. I also found the journeys and explorations of the scientists absolutely fascinating.

The only bad thing I have to say about this book is about the pictures. The pictures were good, but there were not many at all. I think more pictures about what the scientists are doing and about the creatures they find will be both more exciting and kid-friendly.

I definitely recommend Earth Heroes: Champions of the Ocean by Fran Hodgkins to anyone who enjoys adventure! Both boys and girls will find this interesting. There are just as many girl scientists as boy scientists, and all of them do many interesting things!

— Kids Reader Views – Dylan James (age 13) (October 2009)