Scott of the Antarctic

Gr 2–4—This spare biography provides a brief introduction to Robert F. Scott and his two expeditions to Antarctica. An explorer and scientist, Scott wanted to be the first person to reach the South Pole but missed that opportunity by only a month. This book, with a focus more on the expeditions than on his life, describes the conditions that the teams faced, both on the journey to Antarctica and once they landed. Scott and several of his men died on the return trip, in rather gruesome circumstances, but this issue is handled well and is quite matter-of-fact. Ample black-and-white photographs accompany the simple, straightforward text. With icicles dripping off caption boxes and ghostlike expeditioners trudging across the bottom of each page, the layout is both appealing and atmospheric. Sandra Markle's Animals Robert Scott Saw (Chronicle, 2008) would be an excellent pairing. Overall, this is a solid and interesting beginner biography for most elementary collections.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA