The Last Unexplored Place on Earth

September 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 The Alvin--a submersible research station named for pioneering sea-floor explorer Allyn Vine and first commissioned as a co-project by the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation in the 1960s--has made more than 5,000 trips to the lowest depths of the world's oceans. This upbeat account describes Alvin's most memorable missions, like the time it retrieved a lost nuclear weapon from the Mediterranean Sea. These events are recounted in breathless detail, and the narrative weaves in science and technology supported by judiciously placed sidebars, archival photographs, and simple experiments that demonstrate basics like how blubber provides insulation and how tectonic plates move. The text also documents groundbreaking discoveries: proof that Africa and South America used to be part of one supercontinent, the existence of hydrothermal vents and towers that support unprecedented life forms, and octopus nurseries. Recent coverage documents the inclusion of women in deep-sea exploration and ocean conservation and ecology. Copious references round out this engaging STEAM offering.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 15, 2023
A tribute to the submersible Alvin, which has played an important role in undersea research for over a half century. In its thousands of dives, the durable vessel, launched in 1964, has been attacked by swordfish, flooded and recovered, and used to search for a lost hydrogen bomb. Alvin has also carried scientists to uniquely remote edges of continental plates for first encounters with hydrothermal vents, explored the ruins of the Titanic and the devastation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and made possible the discovery of uncounted new species of deep-sea life. After setting the stage with properly arresting references to "creepy creatures with glowing tentacles and cruel fangs," Brown retraces Alvin's storied career with frequent references to oral histories and interviews with many pilots and passengers. Notably, she covers some of the women who had to shoulder their way past sexist practices and attitudes. While briefly addressing the general challenges of spending long hours at deadly depths in cramped quarters (with the nearest bathroom miles away), she offers vivid impressions of the exhilarating rewards: the excitement of plunging into the deep's unexplored reaches, where any moment could bring some fresh new biological or geophysical discovery. And if the photos are small and sparse, sidebars include simple hands-on experiments and "Alvin Facts," plus in-depth resource notes to compensate. "Pretty neat!" as the author puts it. Readers will agree. Neat indeed, and fascinating besides. (Nonfiction. 10-13)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 1, 2023

Gr 4-7-People have explored every continent in our world, and yet the ocean is still mostly untouched. That's where the submarine Alvin comes in. The vessel has helped discover amazing things in the ocean, such as the Titanic's wreckage, volcanic ridges, wrecks at the bottom of the Black Sea, seemingly impossible life at the bottom of the ocean, and more! All of this is possible in a tiny sub that only fits three people and can go up to 21,000-ft below the surface of the ocean. This fascinating book gives the history of the Alvin sub and how its invention and upgrades have now made it possible to explore up to 99 percent of the ocean. It has been around for 50 years and is still making amazing discoveries. This book is not just about the sub, but about the scientists who have been lucky enough to ride in it and the discoveries they've made. The book includes an expansive bibliography featuring recorded archives and interviews, books and articles, press releases, government documents, and more. Within each chapter there are reference excerpts with interesting side notes, fact bubbles, and lots of photographs from Alvin's journeys. Some of the reference bubbles are a little hard to read as the words seem to run into each other. VERDICT A comprehensive and engaging addition to nonfiction sections, where subjects like exploration, engineering, and oceans are popular.-Kristin J. Anderson

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