The Magic School Bus: Cruise to the Arctic

Author: (USA) Colo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: "The Cruise to the Arctic" is a well-written and engaging book with a strong narrative. The scientific knowledge about the Arctic presented in the book is subtly absorbed by children through their eager reading. As Ms. Frizzle drives the magical school bus on a journey to the Arctic and Alaska, children get a brief glimpse of the natural differences at different latitudes in the Arctic, and experience the unique life patterns in the snow and ice world. During their short exploration, the children ride in dog sleds on the snow, dive in submarines underwater, and observe animals such as reindeer, seals, Arctic foxes, whales, muskoxen, walruses, 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 gripping. Through these exciting 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 delightful is when the children see thousands of lemmings migrating aimlessly, and Ms. Frizzle says, "This is something worth thinking about—don't just go with the flow." She is absolutely right. Whenever we read any book, we should "think" and not "go with the flow," of course, including this excellent science book.