Cruise the Arctic: The Magic School Bus

Author: Keer
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: "The Magic School Bus Explores the Arctic" is a well-written book with a strong narrative and engaging content. The scientific knowledge about the Arctic presented in the book is subtly absorbed by children through their eager reading. As Ms. Frizzle drives the all-powerful Magic School Bus on a journey to the Arctic regions of Alaska, children get a brief glimpse of the natural differences at different latitudes in the Arctic and learn about the unique life patterns in the ice and snow world. During their short exploration, the children ride in a dog sled on the ice, dive in a submarine under the sea, and observe animals such as reindeer, seals, Arctic foxes, whales, muskoxen, sea lions, and lemmings. They witness firsthand how polar bears hunt seals, especially the thrilling and bizarre story of their encounter with a polar bear cub, which is truly heart-pounding. Through these gripping stories, children learn about polar bears, how they "crawl forward" on thin ice, and the story of how the Inuit people of Arctic Alaska hunt polar bears, and so on. Even more exciting is when the children see thousands of lemmings migrating aimlessly, and Ms. Frizzle says, "This is something worth thinking about—don't just follow the crowd." She is right. Whenever we read any book, we should "think" and not "follow the crowd," and this excellent science book is no exception.