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The Tarantula Scientist


BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, S. and Bishop, N. 2007. The Tarantula Scientist. (Scientists in the Field Series). HMH Books for Young Readers. ISBN-10: 9780618915774.

PLOT SUMMARY
Exceptional non-fiction book, The Tarantula Scientist, narrated by Sy Montgomery, takes readers into the world of Sam Marshall’s tarantula research with the help of Nic Bishop’s cutting-edge photography skills. The story begins in French Guiana, north of the equator in a rainforest serving as a home for dozens of tarantula species. Sam Marshall is a fearless scientist who gets up close and personal with all types of tarantulas and collects them for research. The book focuses on several different types of tarantulas from different locations from around the world, and provides details about their anatomy, defense mechanisms, prey, predators, and other unique features and abilities. The book also includes a smaller section giving spotlight to young students working on research and getting to know spiders. Children will be able to relate to the book on a personal level if they have similar goals, or interests. The Tarantula Scientist is a very informative book targeting school-aged children, and contains a plethora of information for the tarantula enthusiast.

Awards and Honors:

·         -Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal 2005
·         -School Library Journal: Best Books of the Year 2004
·         -John Burroughs Honor List of Nature Books for Children 2004
·         -Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor List consider the top books of the year 2005
·         -National Science Teachers Association and Children’s Book Council 2005
·         -Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts 2005
·         -Texas Bluebonnet Award 2007
·         -Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children for K-12 2005

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop collaborated in The Tarantula Scientist to create a phenomenal book that follows the scientist Sam Marshall’s journey of tarantula research. They both traveled and followed Sam through the rainforest and took part in the details of extensive research in different locations and met different people that helped bring alive the creation of the book.

The Tarantula Scientist is jammed packed with Bishop’s high-quality photography from beginning to end. The text connects to the visuals, which takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of scientist Sam Marshall. Sy Montgomery organizes the text in a clear and concise way which helps the reader understand each section. The book starts with a map, focusing on a specific location. As the readers follows along, there will be different topics and subheadings that answer questions and provide more details on the functions of spiders and their anatomies. Each photograph contains a caption that explains and gives details about the specific type of spider and their actions. Towards the end of the book, the story focuses on Sam’s lab, research, students, and people involved.

EXCERPTS
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION: “Montgomery's vigorous and sometimes humorous text, enlivened by Bishop's color close-up photography, introduces field scientist Sam Marshall and his hairy subjects.  This team effort is an irresistible invitation to real scientific work.” 2009

KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Montgomery has a gift for scene-setting, describing Marshall’s activities in just enough detail. She deftly weaves clear explanations and comparisons into the main text”. 2010

DIGITAL JOURNAL: “It is a well-written narrative account and it gives schoolchildren the opportunity to learn more about tarantulas through its descriptive details, sophisticated language, captions, and vivid images thanks to the brilliant photography that was captured by award-winning photographer Nic Bishop. It is told through the eyes of the book's narrator, Sam Marshall, and it was carefully researched on all levels.” 2014


CONNECTIONS
Library Activity: Book club; Have students share and discuss about their new-found knowledge on tarantulas and if they believe they would make good pets.

Provide students with more non-fiction informational books related to the topic.

-Schultz, S. and Schultz, M. 2009. The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Comprehensive Information on Care, Housing, and Feeding (3rd edition) B.E.S. Publishing. ISBN-10: 0764138855.

-Jacobi, M. 2011. Tarantulas (Animal Planet Pet Care Library). (1 edition). TFH Publications.   ISBN-10: 0793837103.

Teacher Activity: Have students write main ideas on each section of the book in a graphic organizer, and tell about the importance of the captions on the photographs for informational text. (Group Work)

Parent Activity: Parent-assisted research on tarantulas for further exploration.

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