Inside the Beagle with Charles Darwin (Inside (Enchanted Lion))
Grade 4-6–Macdonald's informative text is complemented by many equally informative watercolor-and-ink illustrations. Readers will learn a great deal about life onboard theBeagleand its ports of call, as well as about Darwin's gathering of species, observations, and subsequent efforts to make scientific sense of both. The author also mentions the ship captain's violence with his crew and rather breezily describes his attempts to Christianize and educate four natives. Unfortunately, her writing is uneven: she does not include the ship's surgeon in the discussion of those onboard but refers to him as being jealous of Darwin on a later page, and she mentions Darwin's taking meals with the captain except when they quarreled. Readers will wonder why they were quarreling. The text is choppy at times, with some lack of clarity. The small maps that show the route are helpful; for some reason, none include the Galapagos Islands. A time line of the voyage and another of Darwin's life and works enhance understanding. In spite of some weaknesses, this book will spark interest in the subject. Overall it is a good introduction to a famous voyage and the scientific theories coming from it.–Peg Glisson, Mendon Center Elementary School, Pittsford, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.