Mission: Arctic: A Scientifc Adventure to a Changing North Pole

by Katharina Weiss-Tuider (Author) Christian Schneider (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

For kids 8 to 13, join the largest Arctic expedition ever undertaken―and discover the secrets hidden deep in the ice that reveal how one of the world's crucial ecosystems is changing.

The Arctic is changing―fast. The once-frozen landscape is melting before our eyes, and the effects can be felt around the world. But the Arctic is also the region we know the least about. Thick ice, extreme cold, and total darkness have always prevented scientists from uncovering its secrets. Until now.

This science-based guide for middle readers follows the 2019 MOSAiC expedition on the largest expedition to the Arctic ever undertaken. On board the Polarstern, a powerful ice-breaker research vessel, more than five hundred scientists from all over the world turned their attention to this mysterious region. Their mission? To let their vessel freeze in the sea ice and drift towards the North Pole in order to study how the Arctic is changing, and how these changes will affect our world.

Mission: Arctic features:

  • Filled with photographs from the expedition
  • Thrilling facts, illustrations, diagrams, and fact bars about the polar region
  • The dangerous conditions the scientists endured, from freezing temperatures to terrifying storms and polar bears
  • The important discoveries made on the mission

Through this thrilling book, readers will discover the Arctic ice is not as permanent as we thought, and what happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic. The knowledge gathered on the Polarstern has the power to determine our planet’s future―if only we pay attention.

Select format:
Hardcover
$22.95

Kirkus Reviews

Readers curious about the ins and outs of scientific discovery will be intrigued.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 3-7--Could you spend a year in the frigid darkness drifting with ice floes in the Arctic? Join the MOSAiC expedition team aboard the Polarstern to examine ice caps vital to our ecosystem before they disappear. Multidisciplinary scientists from over 20 countries and 37 nationalities studied climate change from the least explored area on Earth, the North Pole. Weiss-Tuider was an expedition member who breaks down the content into three parts: Arctic expedition, climate research, and humanity's future. The Polarstern affords bountiful stargazing, wonderful meals, water basketball, and a sauna; but it is more difficult to communicate with home than it is for astronauts on the International Space Station. The text resembles a logbook or corkboard packed with stunning mixed-media images and bold, colorful graphics explaining scientific concepts and what a typical day looks like, along with the route of the planned drift alongside historical photos and diagrams that compare and contrast prior Arctic experiences. The text is clear and the use of concise vocabulary makes complex concepts accessible. A quiz is included to check how smart our environmental choices are, and Weiss-Tuider discusses the role young people play in making wise decisions and activism. VERDICT Action-packed text is broken down into portions ideal for striving readers who care about protecting our environment and are fascinated by the enormous research gathered, and scientific strides accomplished on the Polarstern. Recommended for nonfiction collections.--Laura Dooley-Taylor

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An enormous amount of information is packed in . . ." —Kirkus

Katharina Weiss-Tuider

Katharina Weiss-Tuider writes about the environment, climate, food and agriculture. She accompanied the MOSAiC Expedition as communications manager at the Alfred Wegener Institute. The protection of the Arctic has become especially important to her ever since she saw her first polar bear in the wild.



Christian Schneider loves nature in all its facets, which he captures on paper with colored pencil. He especially enjoys glimpses of the foxes who live in his neighborhood--a touch of wilderness in the urban jungle of Berlin.

Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781771649568
Lexile Measure
990
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greystone Kids
Publication date
June 20, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Environmental Science & Ecosystems
JNF002000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Adventure & Adventurers
JNF025080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | History | Exploration & Discovery
Library of Congress categories
-

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