The Extraordinary Adventures of Darwin

Title: One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Darwin

Author: Katheryn Lasky

Illustrated: Matthew Traueman

Published: Candlewick Press 2009

Topic: Science

Grade: 5th

TEKS: §112.16. Science, Grade 5,

•   (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that there are relationships, systems, and cycles within environments.
•  (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms undergo similar life processes and have structures that help them survive within their environments.

Why I suggest this book: Science is one of those great subjects that is so exciting; especially when we find a great way to explore its different channels. Using literature in the science classroom is a great way to promote different types of text, and also allows us to use a catalyst to help students get amped and excited to learn. I chose Lasky’s book because of the manageable and engaging information, the possibilities to make connections in the classroom and the beautiful illustrations. As the author gives us a quirky view on Charles Darwin’s adventures in becoming one of the most influential scientists in history, we are able to apply the information to our science standards required by the state. The beautiful illustrations give a whimsical interpretation of the text which makes this reading accessible to elementary aged children, and can be used as a transition into a much more dense text! I strongly suggest using this book to introduce Darwin, scientific exploration, questioning, diversity and much more. Hopefully you will love Lasky’s text as much as I did!

Snippet: “No one ever said ‘don’t touch!’ in the house where Charles Darwin grew up. And there was so much to touch, because the Darwin household was a scramble of children, odd pets, and wonderful books. Charles’s father, was an immense man who weighed 336 pounds. He would drive all over the countryside to visit his patients in a single-seat carriage stuffed with snacks. When he returned from a long day of house calls, his six children would swirl about the huge man like little moons orbiting Jupiter. Charles was happiest when he was out alone collecting. He especially liked to collect beetles. He found them under the bark of trees, in rotten logs, between the cracks of old stone walls, and even in puddles and ponds. Looking through his magnifying glass, he would wonder why the diving beetle had a smooth back and the Whirligig beetle that spun in circles on the pond’s surface had no grooves at all. Why would one beetle’s legs be hairy and another’s nearly bare? As he grew up, he continued to collect specimens. Once, out on a beetling expedition, he found under the bark of a tree two beetles he had never seen before. Within seconds a third strange beetle crawled out, and Charles, lacking a free hand, quickly popped one beetle into his mouth and scooped up the third one. The he ran for his collecting bottle.”