Karen Romano Young

Karen Romano Young’s Galápagos Islands: The World's Living Laboratory is a visually stunning and engaging introduction to one of Earth’s most unique ecosystems, perfectly suited for young readers. The book’s vibrant photographs, detailed maps, and illustrations bring the Galápagos to life, making complex ecological concepts accessible and fascinating. Young’s clear and engaging descriptions break down topics like evolution and conservation without oversimplifying them, helping show more children understand why the islands are called a "living laboratory." The book also provides captivating insights into Charles Darwin’s journey and the region’s fragile ecosystem while highlighting conservation efforts to protect its biodiversity. With its well-structured content that encourages curiosity and discovery, this book is an excellent resource for school projects or young naturalists eager to learn about marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and the finches that shaped Darwin’s theory. A perfect blend of education and adventure, Galápagos Islands: The World's Living Laboratory is an inspiring and informative read for children interested in nature and science. show less

Highly recommend this book! First of all, I love the format. It’s as though we are on vacation with the author, and she is taking us with her each day on her explorations. It is packed full of fantastic information. Honestly, as a Christian, I was nervous of how the evolution vs religion issue would be handled, but I think it was handled fairly well and mostly non biased. (Science & religion can exist perfectly together! My statement, not theirs. :p) I would be happy to recommend this to show more my fellow homeschooling families and anyone else learning about Ecuador, biology, etc, and I’m eager to see what other books the author has written! If another edition is made, I only have one suggestion- I have no problem discussing the breeding program of the tortoises, but I think the sentence that goes into detail about how tortoises mate is unnecessary for kids and could be removed. If you’re considering adding it to your library, go for it! show less

Karen Romano Young has captured sixth grade thinking, complexities, personalities, conversations, and attitudes perfectly, i.e., this novel is "one hundred percent" spot-on! So many changes occur at this age. Will I fit in? Where will I fit in? Do I want to fit in? What will other kids think of me? Do I care what they think of me? Who are my real friends? Do people change? Am I changing? Am I ready?

I read many marvelous books growing up, but I wish Hundred Percent had been around then to add show more to the list. Ms. Young, thanks for giving our tweens a voice and a place to feel accepted. show less

Multiple full page illustrations are often excluded from children’s chapter books once they reach a certain grade level/target age. Not only does this books have fun, detailed ones, but it also includes sidebars and footnotes telling the reader interesting facts and what they can find in real life or not! For example, multiple newspapers are mentioned and the footnotes tell you which ones are made up. It really aids the reader in recognizing references that they may not know or have been show more exposed to. All of the extra features the book has helps bring out the plot and the information that is important to the characters and the readers to know. For example, even though it was not extremely vital to the plot, one footnote noted the difference in titles for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which changes depending if you live in the United States or not. It’s just a fun little note that can make the book interesting for people who don’t like fiction or who are easily turned off from reading long passages of the same thing. show less