Are Sea Monsters Real?

by Ginjer L. Clarke

Overview

Learn about the history of sea monsters in this photographic nonfiction leveled reader perfect for kids interested in the natural - and unnatural - world!

Did you know that the legendary Hercules fought against the hydra, a sea monster with many heads? Or that the giant squid may not sink ships like the hydra, but it is still powerful enough to use its 30-foot-long tentacles to turn a whale into prey? That means that enormous creatures still lurk in the depths of the ocean!
 
Embracing children's delight in the mythical creatures while also imparting fascinating facts about the real ones, discover the history of these special animals and decide for yourself if you believe in sea monsters!

With simple language and vivid photographs, Are Sea Monsters Real? is perfect for emerging readers curious about the natural world and these legendary creatures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593520208
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	07/05/2022
Series:	Penguin Young Readers Level 4 Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
Lexile:	660L (what's this?)
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 9 Years

About the Author

Ginjer L. Clarke writes fun, fact-filled nonfiction books about weird, wonderful stuff. Her books have sold a combined total of more than 3 million copies worldwide, have appeared on best-seller lists, and have been featured in book fairs and on reading lists. Ginjer loves to learn new things and is excited to take readers on journeys around the world to explore unique habitats and the animals, plants, and people who live there.

Ginjer is an experienced and entertaining presenter and has appeared at more than 150 elementary schools, regional reading and writing conferences, statewide book festivals, bookstores and libraries, and even a zoo. She is a graduate of James Madison University and lives in Richmond, Virginia, with her husband, young son, and several silly-looking pets.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2022

Gr 3–4—Monsters are an interesting topic for many youngsters. This leveled reader explores myths and legends from throughout history, such as Thor battling the Midgard serpent and Odysseus fighting Scylla. Images support descriptions of many sightings from across the centuries; readers can study an ancient map with sea monsters in the waves and view images of the biblical leviathan. These tales lead to the very real creatures, including giant squids, sperm whales, and orcas which may have inspired some of the legends. Photos show a megalodon's tooth, a giant Pacific octopus, and fossils of a Basilosaurus and an Ichthyosaur. Young cryptozoologists are left to decide for themselves if ocean creatures and evidence of prehistoric life-forms have fed into the many stories in the past, or if continued interest in the Loch Ness monster and similar legends prove that sea monsters exist. A glossary, suggestions for creative writing, and comprehension questions are included. VERDICT An engaging exploration of the topic for intermediate readers who enjoy sorting fact from fiction.—Suzanne Costner

School Library Journal

2022-04-27
A rousing gallery of toothy and tentacled terrors of the past and present.

Along with creatures of legend, from the leviathan and the kraken to Nessie, Chessie (who supposedly lives in the Chesapeake Bay), and Champy (an alleged resident of Lake Champlain), Clarke describes with bone-crushing relish a selection of “Real-Life” and “Wannabe Sea Monsters”—such as prehistoric Dunkleosteus, which “had the strongest jaws of any fish ever. Slice! Dice!” (“It could have crushed a human like a bug!” the author continues.) While it may be stretching a point to link the Hydra of Homeric myth to the giant Pacific octopus, Clarke’s claims that supposed mermaids were really manatees or Steller’s sea cows and that kraken were giant squid are at least feasible…and there would likely be few to argue with her closing claim that Megalodon was “the scariest sea monster of all time.” With a few exceptions the accompanying mix of photos, digital art, and public domain prints seems staid in comparison, but the narrative, laced as it is with “Crunch! Munch!” sound effect words, injects more than enough melodrama to make up for the visuals.

Should make a huge splash with young mariners and monster lovers alike. (Nonfiction. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews