Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World

This is one of the best books written about Rachel Carson for an elementary audience. Lawlor manages to convey the major events of Rachel's life without confusing or overwhelming readers; her poetic prose is a delight to read. Beingessner's illustrations are also a true asset; they truly communicate the Carson's whimsical, naturalist perspective and prove that she was definitely more "at home" in nature. Extensive source notes, additional sources, and an author's note appear in the back. Unfortunately, upon reading this book with third graders, it appears as if I like this text more than they did-- the text did "read" overly wordy at times. With practice, or with a different group of students, perhaps this book will provoke more show more interest. Honestly, I think many students expect to be "wowed" by biographies-- reading about daring Joan of Arc or the amazing feats of Wilma Rudolph-- so the "power" of a female scientist who wrote a world-changing book may seem, somehow, less exciting or important. Next time I read this I will do more to make Rachel Carson "come alive." show less

I absolutely loved this book! As a big fan of Rachel Carson and her work, I was a little skeptical about how this children's informational book would handle her life story, but Lawlor does a fantastic job depicting not only her life but her passions as well. If I had my students read any of her work, I might also have them quickly skim through this just to get some background information on who she was as a person. The epilogue at the end is a plus because it lets readers know what happened after the publication of Silent Spring since Carson herself couldn't be around to see its effects. I do wish there was a more extensive list of sources and recommended reading.

Rachel Carson is a brave and robust environmentalist who did all she could to save the environment from dangerous chemicals like pesticides. This book shows what Rachel Carson's life was like as an environmentalist. It is inspiring to young kids to know that she would go to her backyard and explore all of the fascinating insects and animals as they were living when Rachel was young. Soon she published books and worked intelligent and hard to do what had to be done for the environment. If it weren't for her, we would not be aware of the critical impacts harmful pesticides and chemicals have on the environment. I loved this book because of this. After reading the book, I was more aware of pesticides than before.

I had heard of "Silent Spring" and the book's author, Rachel Carson, before reading this biography. I had learned briefly about them in one of my freshman college courses, though this book taught me many new things about Carson and her passion for the environment. Rachel Carson published several books in her lifetime, but her book "Silent Spring," is the most well-known. "Silent Spring" helped to create several environmental protection laws and agencies, as well as to inform the average reader about the dangers the environment- and humans- face. Her book was so impactful that chemical agencies attempted to prevent it from being published. Carson had always loved nature and writing; when she was eleven her writing was published in St. show more Nicholas Magazine, which made her decide to become a writer. She later attended Pennsylvania College for Women, where a biology professor had inspired her to pursue a career in science. After receiving her master's degree from Johns Hopkins University, she eventually began working as a biologist at the Bureau of Fisheries, where she was one of the only two professional women on staff. She still wrote in her spare time, eventually writing and publishing two books, which caused her to quit her job and write full-time. Her concern over environmental pollution was growing stronger; after World War II she began her research on "Silent Spring," all while taking care of her adopted five-year-old child. She aimed to write a book that anyone could understand, working for four years to complete the book. She did this all while battling breast cancer. "Silent Spring" was published in 1962, and Rachel Carson died on April 14, 1964, never seeing the large affect her book had on the world. This biography is a wonderful description of Carson's life and her work to help the environment. Everything is well-written and organized, giving just enough details so the reader isn't wanting more, but isn't overwhelmed with information either. show less

I enjoyed this story because of its organization and use of illustrations. This biography told the story of Rachel Carson and how her life left an impact on today’s world. The book was organized in terms of Carson’s life from when she was a young child up to her death at a young age of fifty three. Rachel Carson decided to become a writer when she was eleven years old. Her research and writings allowed scientists to discover new findings about different species and the environment. Carson loved nature and had a large interest in biology. Throughout her life period, women were not accepted as scholars or scientists, but Carson continued to study and write regardless. The levels of details are definitely appropriate for the targeted show more audience because this biography leaves out Carson’s sexual orientation and relationships. The book also leaves out details of World War two and Pearl Harbor, and instead focuses on Rachel Carson’s positive impacts on society. One of Carson’s biggest accomplishments was writing her book “Silent Spring.” This book described the effects of insecticides and how chemicals could wipe out certain bird populations. Carson’s research provided new laws, environmental changes and congressional hearings. It took Carson over four years to conduct research and findings to write her successful novel. Also, I liked the illustrations in the story because they covered up the entire page, as if they were surrounding the bodies of text. The pictures were drawn with detail and used eye catching colors and designs.
I feel that the overall idea of this story is to learn about the life of Rachel Carson. If it was not for this remarkable woman we would not have certain species of birds, and would still not know about the harmful effects of chemicals. Carson won many awards and wrote a ton of books including best sellers. In 1941 she wrote in her journal, “Once you are aware of the wonder and beauty of earth, you will want to learn about it.” I think that Rachel Carson is an inspiration not only to women, but to anyone who wants to explore the world and conduct their own research. show less

This book explains the life of Rachel Carson, with beautiful illustrations and very easily understood text. Rachel was a nature lover, born on May 27, 1907 in Pennsylvania, she was born curious and often explored her family's property. The land was sixty-five acres of area for Rachel to discover and learn new and wonderful things about the nature around her. The story truly describes a pioneering environmentalist in an comprehendible way for students in the grades of third through sixth. She went on to diving at coral reefs and tracking alligators. However, Rachel Carson is known for her stunning book, "Silent Spring". Overall, the book was very interesting and touched on a subject that really gets skipped over a lot. Our environmental show more state is definitely something that our students should know and learn about, especially with the state our world is in now! show less

Rachel Carson proves that with perseverance and passion, you can do anything. I think this book is an amazing message in many ways. One it shows that women can just anything men can do, go feminism. Something young women, especially in the south, need to hear. It also shows that we need take our environment and the effects we put on it more seriously. I feel like this book will spark a fire in the belly of any child who is wanting to become a scientist.