Jun 292013
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor
- Joanna Cole Illustrations Bruce Degen.
- Cole and Degen continue to hone their unique mix of humor fact and sound teaching technique.
- This book captures readers.
- Publishers Weekly starred review.
- Paperback.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Scholastic is re-releasing the ten original Magic School Bus titles in paperback. With updated scientific information, the bestselling science series ever is back!
When Ms. Frizzle drives the Magic School Bus full speed ahead into the ocean, the class takes a submarine expedition that’s anything but ordinary. With a well-meaning lifeguard in tow, the class takes a deep breath and learns about hot water vents, coral reefs, plant and animal life on the oce
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20,000 Leaks Under the Sea,
At this point, Ms. Frizzle and her class have explored things like the waterworks, the many layers of the earth, the human body, and even outer space. So it’s only natural that Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen would decide to lead their readers on an under-sea adventure. “The Magic School Bus: On the Ocean Floor” is another top-notch collaboration by two people who show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Written in 1992, “On the Ocean Floor” picks up where “Lost in the Solar System” left off. Ms. Frizzle’s students are working on their ocean science projects, which makes their teacher very happy. However, it makes them hot and tired; the temperature on this day is soaring!
“I wish we could go swimming,” comments one student while putting the finishing touches on a display about how ocean animals swim.
“As a matter of fact, children,” says the Friz, “I’ve been planning a class trip to the ocean for tomorrow.”
And, just like that, the class – as well as the reader at home – is being whisked away on yet another magical field trip. The kids think they’re just going to spend a day having fun in the sun, but Ms. Frizzle has other ideas!
“On the Ocean Floor” rivals “Inside the Human Body” for the amount of information – not to mention good-natured humor – packed into one 48-page book. Just about everything you can imagine – and anything you can’t – is touched on in this compelling romp through the heart of the ocean. At the end of Ms. Frizzle’s latest underwater voyage, you will have a better understanding of what hidden treasures abound in the deep blue sea.
Ms. Frizzle’s class learns all about ocean life; the kids come across things such as barnacles, grunts, limpets, sponges, sugar kelp, tubeworms, and whelks. More familiar entities include coral reefs, dolphins, lobsters, plankton, sharks, tunas, and whales. The students explore high tides, low tides, continental shelves, continental slopes, the ocean floor, hot-water vents, and waves. And I’m only bobbing the surface of what Ms. Frizzle has lined up for her class.
The end of the book leaves us with two things: 1) a little quiz distinguishing what things were true in the story and what things were made up; and 2) another clue as to what the Friz’s next adventure will entail. From the looks of it, her idea of a field trip is so old, it’s practically prehistoric!
As so often happens, it is common for the things we love in life to grow stale. Rarely does a book series get better with age. But Cole and Degen have managed to do just that. With each “Magic School Bus” story they produce, the product becomes more polished. I had never heard of even half the things this tale delves into, and I thoroughly enjoyed absorbing myself in the read. “On the Ocean Floor” is yet another high-quality effort from two people who wouldn’t settle for anything less.
The fifth book in this wonderful series is definitely a keeper, as are the four volumes that precede it. Do yourself a favor, and take a ride on the magic school bus!
As Ms. Frizzle herself would say, “Wahoo!”
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|Excellent coverage!,
Another triumph for the Magic School Bus series. The class takes a field trip to the ocean (not the beach; the ocean) where they learn about the wondrous creatures that live there. Everything from plankton to mammals, including the strange lifeforms around hot water vents, is touched on in this fabulous book. The inserts on each page from the kids’ projects add valuable information. The science is current and presented in an entertaining and easy-to-understand manner. Even though the series is designed for older kids, my two-year-old loves the pictures and carries the book with him everywhere.
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|Minus One for Lenny,
Humorous, engaging, and packed with information, this best-selling science series is aptly illustrated with lively pictures. My kids adore the cartoon bubbles and short “reports” from the students in the story. Their teacher, Ms Frizzle, is an amazing character who challenges her pupils and leads them on amazing fieldtrips. Her equally fascinating wardrobe changes with each subject and situation. All this has made it a read-aloud favorite since my eldest was three. In ON THE OCEAN FLOOR, the inimitable school bus undergoes several transformations as it transports us to and through the ocean; from tidal pools, down to the deep ocean floor, and, after a brief visit to a tropical island, home. I was touched by the inclusion of a specimen of fish, well known in my home state of Hawaii. However, I must say OUR lifeguards are nothing like Lenny, who, unlike the rest of the book, is definitely lacking on several points. Real lifeguards patrol their strip of beach and keep watch over the waters from their perch. They also patiently answer my children`s questions about the local sea life (most recently, about jellyfish) and just as patiently patch up even the smallest of “boo-boos.” Minus one star for Lenny.
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