   | Monarch effect : surviving poison, predators, and people Author: Church, Dana L. | |
| Price: $23.98 | ||
Summary:
With their stunning black-and-orange wings, monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable insects on the planet. But despite their delicate beauty, these creatures are warriors. The moment they hatch, they're fighting for their lives. Everything is the enemy: from the very leaf they live on to the humans and animals around them to nature itself. Every year, monarchs take flight, making one of the greatest migrations in the world.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (03/01/24)
School Library Journal (00/05/24)
Booklist (03/01/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 05/01/2024 Gr 5 Up—It was as recently as 1975 that the overwintering site for millions of eastern monarch butterflies was discovered in Michoacán, Mexico. Initially credited to Canadian zoologist Fred Urquhart and his wife Norah, the breakthrough was actually made by an Indigenous Mexican naturalist, Carolina Trail (then Aguado), and her American husband, working for Urquhart. Church traces the intrigue among scientists racing to study the migration while keeping the site secret, as well as subsequent studies over decades examining how the insects know where and when to go, how they find milkweed for their caterpillars to eat, and much more. Later chapters outline challenges to conservation of the endangered butterflies and their fragile ecosystem. The tone of the writing is colloquial, with judgments like "really cool" or "super interesting." An author's note includes many suggestions of resources for learning more about the topic, recommendations for becoming involved by tracking and monitoring, and other citizen science initiatives. The volume concludes with a lengthy glossary and very extensive list of references, including books, magazine and newspaper articles, websites, and interviews, much of which will be inaccessible to the book's target audience. However, there are no individual source notes or citations. Photos and other illustrations complement the text throughout. VERDICT While there is much to fascinate budding biologists, the writing in this extensive text can be slow moving and is best suited to patient middle school readers.—Bob Hassett - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
