A program of the Lawrence Hall of Science that seeks to increase ocean literacy through informal and formal education initiatives
Shoreline Scientist
Shoreline Scientist is about the life and work of one scientist, Gary Griggs. The book describes how Gary became interested in science, his education, and the questions and problems that Gary works on today. This book provides students with a view of the role scientists play in solving problems in the world.
Shoreline: A close-up look at the natural world of a shoreline
Sierra
In this celebration of the American landscape, Siebert's measured verses convey the majesty of the mountain personified, Sierra herself. Minor's stunning acrylic paintings evoke the breathtaking beauty of his subject. There is a siren's-song quality to this lovely book [and] readers might well feel how tragically possible it is for us to love our wilderness to death.
Stella, Star of the Sea
In Stella, Star of the Sea (which won a Governor General's Award for illustration), the gifted picture-book artist introduces the irresistible duo of Sam and his spirited older sister, Stella. "Stella and Sam were spending a day at the sea shore," Gay begins this playful celebration of summer, adding, "It was Sam's very first time." Stella is an adventurer, eager to dive to the ocean floor, tame sea horses, and dig a hole to China, but her little brother, Sam, is made of more cautious stuff.
Story of a Dolphin
Laura and her father, who live on an island in the Caribbean, discover a dolphin who loves to be with people. They spend a lot of time playing in the ocean with the dolphin and other people start to play with the dolphin too. Sometimes the dolphin does things the people don't understand and they think the dolphin might be dangerous. This story tells how friendships between humans and animals can develop. Readers can learn how conflicts can be resolved by patient understanding.
The Black Tide
The Black Tide provides a newspaper-style account of an actual oil spill that occurred off the coast of Spain in 2002. A series of articles provides a blow-by-blow description of the initial stormy seas, the oil tanker that broke apart, how the oil moved towards shore, efforts to contain and clean up the spill, and finally the immediate and year-after effects of the spill on shoreline organisms in the region. This book provides a real world context for the simulations students conduct in class and an opportunity for students to make predictions about the effects of a real oil spill.
The Boy who Lived with the Seals
The Castle Builder
A young boy builds a fantastic castle in the sand near the ocean. In his imagination, he enters the castle and has quite an adventure. The story is told skillfully and is enhanced by the changing perspective of the illustrations.
The Magic of Sea Shells
This tale is about vacationing children who learn about shells from another child who is native to the islands where the shells are found. The book is basically a handbook showing large color photographs of shells, identified by common and scientific name, with size indicated for each. The shells are interesting and quite beautiful, and include many examples which children may recognize.
The Seal Mother
Many Scottish folktales tell of the selkies, seals who can remove their skins and appear to be people, and there are many tales of fisher folk who fall in love with selkies. Gerstein has woven this legend into an original tale of a selkie mother whose human son helps her return to her sea home. This is a beautifully illustrated fairy tale and a good read-aloud.
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