The Frog Scientist (Scientists in the Field Series)
Starred Review. Grade 5–8—Being raised in then strictly segregated Columbia, SC, couldn't keep a smart young African-American man out of college, even prestigious Harvard University. Floundering in an unfamiliar milieu, Tyrone Hayes caught the attention of a serious science professor who recognized the potential of this struggling student and became his mentor. Turner's lucid text and Comins's clear color photos follow Hayes's developing career to his present respected place as a gifted member of the scientific community. Researching the effects of atrazine-contaminated water on vulnerable amphibians, he is surrounded by the "Frog Squad," a group of enthusiastic students pouncing on frogs in ponds or collecting careful data in the lab. Grinning from pierced ear to pierced ear (and that is a story in itself), the genial scientist nurtures his assistants, encouraging their enthusiasms while demanding serious work. Of the same sterling quality as Sy Montgomery's engagingThe Tarantula Scientist(2004) or her excitingQuest for the Tree Kangaroo(2006, both Houghton), this new addition to a stellar series opens an upbeat window to the adult application of youthful enthusiasms.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYEND