Whaling Season is a book that can be described as a day in the life of a whaler. The book gives informative descriptions of life in a small town in Alaska as whalers get ready to hunt whales. Most people will find this book very interesting but for those who are sensitive to whale hunting, this book may not be for you. ( )

Whaling Season follows Craig George, an Arctic whale scientist, in Barrow, Alaska. Craig and his colleagues have a partnership with the Native Inupiaq Eskimos to study the Bowhead whales. Craig is conducting his research to find about the whales behavior, size, age, and migration patterns. To do this, Craig and his team take measurements and samples of the whales organs and blood.

There are two seasons for whaling. There is a spring and a fall season. The Inupiaq rely on the Bowhead whale for survival. Every year they have midwinter dance festival to give thanks for the whales. It takes a team of Inupiaq to hoist the whale out of the water. Harvesting a whale can take 12 hours. Once a whale has been captured and harvested, the Inupiaq divide the meat and blubber among the community.

The Bowhead is unique in that it can survive in the Arctic climate year round. This is because of the "bow" like shape of its head that can break through ice. The Bowhead population was in danger because of commercial whaling. As a result, the International Whaling Community limited the Inupiaq to 51 whales a year.

The author, Peter Lourie, has published several non-fiction books. While writing this book, he made four trips to the Arctic. He is also a photographer and provided all of the photographs in the book.

There is no table of content for this book, nor are the chapters numbered. The book begins with an "Author's Note" to inform the reader about the Inupiaq Eskimos and how the people group will be identified throughout the book. Every page has pictures accompanied by a caption exampling what is happening in the picture. There is a glossary of terms relating to whales, scientific methods, and whaling. There is also a glossary of Inupiaq terms used throughout the book. The author provides book and websites for further reading. There is also an index.

The book is written partially chronologically beginning with the spring whaling season and ending with the winter season of darkness in Alaska. The year of whaling chapters are broken up by chapters talking about Craig becoming a scientist, the lab, Craig speaking to a local science class, what he does for fun, etc. There is also general information about whaling and the Bowhead whale.

I personally did not enjoy this book very much. I was bored at parts and kept putting the book down. While the book was very informative about the Bowhead whale, I would have liked to learn more about what the Inupiag do once the whale is harvested, how they divide the whale up, how they store it, what they do with the other parts of the whale, etc. Also, I did not feel like the author took us through the scientific method or can to a conclusion. This could be because research is still being conducted. The pictures were a little graphic which I would definitely take into account when picking the audience for this book. ( )

I have been waiting with thinly-veiled impatience for the newest Scientists in the Field book to arrive in my library system. It's finally here!

This is not just the story of an Arctic whale scientist (who just happens to be Jean Craighead George's son) it's also the story of the Inuit people who live in Barrow, Alaska, and whose lives revolve around the bowhead whales.

Peter Lourie details the everyday life of the Inuit and of John Craighead George's life as a whale scientist. We learn about the life cycle of a bowhead whale and how Inuit culture and economics are centered on these huge and fascinating creatures. We learn how "Craig" became a scientist and how he came to study whales in Alaska; a job he's been doing for twenty years. We even discover something of the way whales were studied in the past and how scientists now listen to the native peoples' insights and knowledge of the whales, built over centuries of hunting and living with these giant creatures.

And for reluctant readers, I have only one final thing to say: bloody whale eyeball the size of a softball. What more do you need?

Verdict: Highly recommended

ISBN: 978-0618777099; Published November 2009 by Houghton Mifflin; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library

This is the story of a year in the life of John Craighead George (Craig), a whale scientist who lives in Barrow, Alaska among the Inupiaq Eskimo people. The Inupiat are an indigenous people who are allowed by law to hunt bowhead whales as they have for thousands of years. Author Peter Lourie details how Craig has over the years earned the respect and trust of the Inupiat so that he may live among them and gather important data on the whales they catch before they divide them up and use them. One almost feels as though one has been to Barrow and seen the whales after viewing the very informative and well integrated photographs. In a science classroom, this book would be helpful in getting students to understand the sacrifices some scientists make in order to follow their passion (i.e. living in a remote and isolated region), how scientists must work hard to earn the trust of different peoples, how scientists can learn much from indigenous people, as well as information about the life cycles and behaviors of bowhead whales. ( )

This informational book follows one scientist through a day of his work studying bowhead whales in Northern Alaska. He asks many questions, collects and analyzes samples, and works with the local Inuit community to respect their traditions and learn from their knowledge.

Positive review by School Library Journal 2/1/2010. http://www.mackin.com/MackinOnline/SearchResultsFullRecord.aspx?id=0&Index=0...

The science curriculum we use provides dry, black and white articles about scientists to broaden students perspectives on what scientists do. This serves the same purpose but in a much more engaging way. ( )