Farming on the Sea

I live near the mouth of the Housatonic River in Connecticut and I sit by the river with a cup of coffee almost every day watching the oyster boats coming and going. I've always wanted to know more about the work they do out there, but I've found there are precious few books, for adults or kids, written about oyster fishing or shell fishing in general. Considering the millions of oysters that we eat every year, it's kind of amazing that so little has been written about them.This is a pretty thin and simple book, but it does a very nice job of introducing the subject and providing a good overview. While the book is no doubt aimed at kids I think anyone that lives near the water in New England will enjoy it. I still have some questions (particularly about how the beds are created and established) and wish some of the explanations had been more detailed, but this book taught me a lot and gave me a very good basic understanding of the process. The photos are good (though I wish there were a lot more of them) and I hope that this book is a success and that the author (or one of the young subjects!) will consider writing an expanded edition.One of the nice things about publishing these days is that you don't have to have a giant publisher behind you to produce interesting books and books of value. I'm glad that Kellie Peters put the effort into creating this book--and into her teaching!

As a K-4 librarian I am always looking for good non-fiction books for middle-grade readers. This book fits the bill in so many ways. Readers are taken on a trip with 11-year-old twins Sam and Kate to visit their father's oyster farm. Children will relate to these peers who spend a day with their dad, and along the way they will learn an amazing amount about oyster farming and aquaculture. Besides full-color photos, the book also features helpful maps and diagrams.This book is rich with non-fiction text features that are so important for good middle-grade non-fiction. It contains an index, glossary, and table of contents, as well as "applicable science standards," suggested resources and thought questions for further research.'Farming on the Sea' fills a hole in every children's library collection, because there are virtually no current books for children on aquaculture, and none specifically on oyster farming.Kellie Peters has a winner here.

This is a great book for kids, but it has a very limited scope for overall sea farming. I will donate my copy to our local library.

Wonderful resource for elementary classroom teachers. Illustrations effective, narration done from child's point of view. Lots of good information about oyster farming. Includes appropriate science standards.

Kellie Peters has written an informative and engaging book on a subject that is both interesting and under-reported. As a public librarian, I read a lot of nonfiction aimed at elementary school students and I found this book to be a great example. The combination of science and story is engaging and the presentation is excellent.

This book is not only educational but is also a fun and great book to read unlike some books with no pictures and all words it is a great balance between pictures and words it would be an amazing and helpful book to read to students!