APRIL 2025
Christy Ottaviano Books/Little Brown Books for young readers
"THERE ARE NO OTHER EVERGLADES IN THE WORLD. THEY ARE, THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE REGIONS OF THE EARTH, REMOTE, NEVER WHOLLY KNOWN. NOTHING ANYWHERE ELSE IS LIKE THEM."
–MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS
Booklist Starred Review
"An invigorating story that should inspire young readers to enlist in environmental efforts."
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School Library Journal
"An excellent starting place for educators and young environmentalists alike, this is highly recommended for classrooms and libraries."
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Publishers Weekly
"James's straightforward storytelling and gentle, artwork capture the abiding appreciation of nature writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998) for the Florida Everglades."
"Mankind everywhere has an insane desire to waste and destroy the good and beautiful things that nature has lavished upon him." –Charles Torrey Simpson 1846-1932
click below to listen to marjory talk about water
"I HAD A BLANK CANVAS TO FILL WITH EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES."
– Marie Tharp
NCSS 2021 Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
Publishers Weekly 2020-2022 STEM/STEAM Biographies for Young Readers.
Kirkus Reviews describes MARIE'S OCEAN as "A winning combination of lyric description, accessible explanation, scientific history, feminism, and accomplishment."
School Library Journal says: "James provides a deep dive into the STEM concepts and the detailed process that Tharp employed to show the world what lies at the bottom of our oceans. Highly recommended for public and school libraries."
The Horn Book says: "...This empowering, accessible account of Tharp's career serves as a reminder that "sometimes it's hard to convince people to believe something new" –and shows readers precisely how the groundbreaking Tharp did just that."
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HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF MARIE THARP?
Marie Tharp said about her groundbreaking work, "I had a blank canvas to fill with extraordinary possibilities." I felt similarly when embarking upon my journey to tell her tale. Tharp's life story is fascinating. She was the first person to map the ocean floor and discovered the largest geological feature on earth; a rift valley which encircles the entire globe. Her astounding discovery supported the theory of continental drift which led to the unifying theory of plate tectonics. It was not an easy road, and Marie struggled to receive the credit she deserved for her discovery. From Marie Tharp's earliest childhood dreams all the way to her defining achievement, this is the story of one of earth science's greatest hidden figures.
