The Snake Scientist

Hibernation, estivation, dormancy, and now *brumation* during which the snakes' "blood gets as thick as mayonnaise."

Sy Montgomery writes well, as usual. This is another wonderful entry in the 'scientists in the field' series. For all ages - the youngest can learn a lot just from the pictures, and because this is an active field, there is information here that I didn't know even though I'm an adult fan of lesser-known critters.

Who likes wriggly snakes? Squirming masses of them? Bob Mason the Snake Scientist, that's who! And his amazing helpers, who together are learning some interesting facts about the huge numbers of garter snakes that mysteriously congregate in Manitoba, Canada. This Scientist in the Field book is a little simpler than others I've read/reviewed. The sentence structure is definitely aimed at younger readers, maybe upper elementary, but the content and excellent writing will attract readers of all ages. Nic Bishop's photographs are, of course, amazing. They portray the fascinating world of snakes without being too frightening or icky, if you're a non-snakes lover.

One of best elements of this book is its emphasis on how the profiled scientist show more ended up doing this job - his childhood interest, education, and how anyone can do it! Snake Scientist especially does a great job of debunking the mysterious scientist myth, showing Bob Mason as an ordinary guy who worked hard to follow his interests, even when he was told he couldn't do it. The narrative also emphasizes the importance of questions and curiousity in science and even has a list of questions in the back that the snake scientists are still working on.

Verdict: An excellent nonfiction for reading aloud, reluctant readers, or anyone interested in science or snakes.

ISBN: 978-0395871690; Published March 1999 by Houghton Mifflin (later editions still in print); Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library (not by me) show less

The reader follows Bob Mason and his team of "snake scientists" in this exploration about a species of red-sided garter snakes that live in Manitoba, Canada. This illustrated nonfiction book includes high-quality color photographs from the field that instruct the reader on what the field and laboratory of a scientist might look like. And of course, we learn a lot about snakes in general, and this unique species in particular!

Snake Scientist a well-written book for late primary grades because the writing is straightforward and the vocabulary seems controlled. I really like the narration, especially the up-close impression we get of what the scientific method is all about. It's helpful, I think, to know that Bob Mason failed a science show more aptitude test as a young man. There's a thread in the story about how the reader may choose to do anything s/he wants if s/he is passionate about it.

Really cool book! I'm definitely more knowledgeable about snakes now! show less

This book is a wonderful book about snakes geared at upper elementary students and beyond. The photographs that accompany the book are eye catchers for young readers. I would recommend this book for children who have an interest in possibly delving further into the world of science or becoming scientist as it includes how the scientist in the book became a scientist. It shows how one has to work hard to become a scientist and the value of taking a childhood interest and making it a life's pursuit. This added feature of a scientist telling his story is a great discussion piece for exploring jobs and talking about taking on different challenges and roles. This book is also fun for students to think about the questions we ask as science is show more about asking the questions and finding the answers. show less

I cannot stress enough how much I love the Scientists in the Field series for children. This book is interesting for children and deals with a subject matter that they are more often than not absolutely fascinated with, SNAKES! I would have any of Sy Montgomery's books in my classroom, as they provide abundant information that keep kids interested.

This book came in handy because my dad had just gotten a garter snake the other day. The pictures in this book were about average. I didn't see anything that looked too extraordinary, but they got the point across. I definitely learned a fair amount about snakes in this book, but I wish they would have given more individual attention to specific species of snake.

BEAUTIFUL photographs of snakes. (I can't believe I would say that....lol) but they are so detailed and awesome to look at. Great way to peak interest of young scientists.