Brenda PetersonCritiques

This book is about Orca whales and how they are studied. This would be a fantastic boon for 2nd or 3rd graders learning about animals on land and in the sea. It also touches on the concerns that Orca's face out in the wild such as boats, lack of food supply, and trash. This book could pair well with a science lesson on animals and caring for the environment. This book could also do well in a lesson on cause and effects.

The book was a bit ideologically driven for my tastes. I am in favor of wolf reintroduction. I do not feel I ned to buy into an anti capitalist narrative, or embrace climate change hysteria to favor introducing a keystone predator adept at preventing ungulates such as elk and deer from wrecking the forests.

Primary; Intermediate; Realistic Fiction; Informational; This tells the story of a young girl on the San Juan Islands at an Orca Sing. She waits to see Granny and her three families. Throughout the story, the author incorporates many facts about whales and Granny specifically in a subtle and engaging way. This is a great book for a whale unit, read aloud, or class library. Children who love animals or the sea would love this story.

Primary-Int. Mia waits patiently on the beach of San Juan Island to see Granny, the 100-year-old Orca whale to appear with her pod. While she waits she remembers all she has learned about Orcas. I would definitely use this book to teach about Orcas but also Washington history. I live fairly close to this area and it would be awesome to share with my students.

Fascinating anf beautifully written.

Outstanding Science Trade Book - NSTA Award (2019)

This amazing children's book is a moving homage to one of the world's oldest known orcas named Granny, and a young girl Mia who is on a whale watching excursion in the San Juan islands. Granny lived to be approximately 105 years old, born in 1911 as researchers believe. She watches over her three families that were named by scientists, known as the J, K, and L pods. Mia and her family watch the family of orcas play and splash their fins. I love how easily this book could be incorporated into just about any lesson plan. It is full of interesting facts, all while having incredible illustrations.

This was a really good read. Shows a bunch of different perspectives, includes well-researched information, and makes thoughtful arguments. Definitely recommend for any armchair wolf enthusiasts out there.

A long and drawn-out treatise on the movement to protect and reestablish our country’s wild wolf population. A political and emotional plea to save one of our most important resources and in the process learn more about ourselves. A wolf’s loyalty to its pack and family, its willingness to sacrifice itself for the sake of the whole, and its love for play and recreation offers much to the ignorant population taught to be afraid and suspect of these animals. The control of public lands by big money and the cattle industry threatens to destroy one of the most important components of our nation’s history. And this reader hopes the world is watching us.

The descriptions of wolf killings in this book are brutal. I couldn't finish it.

Wolves are my favorite animal. So, when I saw this book, I was instantly intrigued. Brenda Peterson does a nice job with portraying the historic and scientific aspect of saving the wild American wolves. I am knowledgeable about wolves, yet I learned a lot through this book. It is well documented, researched, and supported. WOLF NATION is skillfully written and an informative read. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Miles, a young volunteer who loves seals tells people not to crowd around the baby seals on the beach. He tells them to leave them alone and takes out caution tape to keep the people away. He does a good job at protecting the seals.

It should be titled 'How I survived my fundamentalist family.' To be honest it is mostly juvenile; however, it did make a turn when she finally realizes her own bigotry and intolerance at play.

Your Life is a Book is an indispensable companion for anyone thinking of writing their memoir, especially with the hope of getting it published. Peterson is a writing teacher and author. Freeman is a literary agent who has led memoir workshops since 2009.

The authors break down the memoir-writing process into particular and palatable chapters. Each chapter includes practical and creative advice, as well as exercises, writing prompts, and publishing tips. Even if you are not writing for publication, Your Life is a Book may inspire and guide you to write your own “legacy memoir” to hand down to your family.

A wonderful book. I would recommend this to anyone who is passionate about gray whales.

Need a text to illustrate features of a narrative, informational text? Grab this book about a baby seal pup in Washington and of the efforts of a young Seal Sitters to protect him and other young seals. Do your students think that non-fiction can't inspire? They'll all be hooked with Leopard & Silkie, leaving with more questions & curiosities.

Great photographs and a wonderful subject but the book suffers from a weak narrative.

I wonderful gathering of women's writings about spirituality. It covers the everyday to nature to the divine. I highly recommend this one to anyone who is open to looking at, not only their beliefs, but the beliefs of others through new eyes..

I liked how the story concentrated on the babies. I was rooting for their mother to return the entire time I was reading the book.

I really enjoyed this memoir. It was well-written, compelling, funny, serious, and engaging. My background is different from Peterson's but we share a love of forests, Puget Sound, and the awe that comes from the world around us. I appreciated the struggles she went through, and her deep love for her family despite all the differences.

***** At first I almost put this book down, because at the beginning there are quite a few references to the author's mother's Southern Baptist religion. I just didn't want to read a book socked with religion. But I am glad that I continued, as most mention of religion ceased except for passing comments. Instead the author related quite successfully her spirituality with animals, particularly whales and wolves. As I ended the last page, I had to sit and think about our world and what we are doing to destroy it by killing certain species of animals. A sobering thought. Peterson's story was riveting in the way she describes her connection to the animal world -- her world.