How to Survive in Antarctica

VOYA

Bledsoe's enthusiasm for the wonders of Antarctica is absolutely contagious. Here is a book that provides everything one could possibly need or want to know about the continent but did not even think to ask. The easy-to-read conversational tone makes it a fun read that is also packed with information about the unique geography, biology, sociology, and history of Antarctica. Photographs, drawings, maps, a glossary, and small information boxes are distributed throughout the nicely formatted book. Learn how to tell the different species of penguins apart and how to spot birds, whales, and different types of seals. What do those working or studying in Antarctica do for fun? Where exactly is the South Pole? How does one build a snow shelter and avoid falling into ice crevasses? Readers will learn about Palmer Station and McMurdo Station and the scientists who work there. The author knows her subject well, having traveled to Antarctica three times. That she also took the amazing black-and white-photographs scattered throughout is another plus. Bledsoe adds in some humorous personal anecdotes about her experiences, which add to the book's overall friendliness. Although it might be difficult to get teenagers to read a book about Antarctica, once they open this one, they will be hooked. VOYA CODES: 5Q 3P M J (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Holiday House, 101p.; Glossary. Illus. Photos. Maps. Chronology., Ages 11 to 15.
—Lois Parker-Hennion

Children's Literature - Janice DeLong

Photographs and text immediately engage readers in the adventure that is experienced by author Lucy Jane Bledsoe and her exploration of Antarctica. Inserts of historical data, interspersed with geographical, zoological, and geological facts give perspective to past ventures and make for fascinating reading. Bledsoe reveals her own foibles as well as the love of fun enjoyed by the permanent residents of Earth's most mysterious continent. For those who know nothing about the land of continual ice and snow, to those who have always wondered what life would be like with seals, penguins, and whales, this volume is a treasure. Black-and-white photographs and drawings throughout the volume make clearer a way of life that is foreign to most readers in America and internationally. Respect is established for those who live and work in this frozen land, while even the most cozily situated bibliophile may begin to wonder about traveling there. This unique title is an excellent edition to the nonfiction shelves. A safe bet would be that there is not another like it already available.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Bledsoe combines memoir with survival tips and fun facts in this friendly, "come-along" book about her experiences in Antarctica. She builds a snow shelter and spends the night in it, observes wildlife, visits a number of research stations, takes a helicopter ride, and gets plenty cold! Her first-person narrative adds excitement to the already interesting adventure, and her enthusiasm for the continent comes through on every page. Clear and informative maps and line drawings appear throughout. Black-and-white snapshots and sidebars give further information on the people and events that shape the continent. This is an engaging book to be read through and enjoyed rather than used as fodder for reports.-Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this entertaining, if episodic, set of observations, Bledsoe imparts techniques learned during no fewer than three trips to the Antarctic-from spotting whales and building a quick shelter of snow to using an outdoor waste bucket in subzero weather. Her sparse black-and-white photos make less enticing illustrations than those in Jennifer Dewey's Antarctic Journal (2001). However, highlighted by visits to the inland Dry Valleys (where the presence of ancient, mummified seals provide an enduring mystery) and the geographical South Pole, near which a ceremonial pole topped with a mirror ball has been planted "mainly for photo opportunities," she provides similar glimpses of the Antarctic's human settlements and native wildlife. Armchair travelers will be pleased. (glossary, timeline) (Nonfiction. 10-12)