22. The Frog Scientist

The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner (Houghton Miflin Books for Children) 2009.

Genre

Non-fiction; Science

Honors

SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Middle Grades 2009

Review

The Frog Scientist details the work of Tyrone Hayes.  He set out to determine the effects of pesticides on frogs (one effect is that some male frogs raised in atrazine-contaminated areas produce eggs instead of sperm).  The book details the importance of repeated experiments and shows Hayes conduct a blind experiment to test the results of a previous one.  Notably, the book doesn't answer all of the questions it sets out to.  It helps reveal that science is a process.

Opinion

Even more than The Prairie Builders, this book seems to set up its main figure as a role model.  Hayes is African American and was born in a segregated hospital in South Carolina.  His students come from varied backgrounds and shots of them working in the lab are likely to encourage many young scientists.  Like every book in the series, part of the message here is that you too can pursue a career in science regardless of your background.  Interestingly, this book also notes two scientists' struggles with bad grades in college.  The message seems to be, "keep working."

Ideas

The book would be great in a science class, showing the everyday work of working scientists in the field.  The book would be great coupled with a program on experiments or in a class where dissection was occurring.