Jellyfish: A Natural History

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Serendipitously, I found this book displayed at my local library two days before a planned Sunday family outing to the aquarium. I was mesmerized by the jellyfish exhibit and was able to impress my kids with my newfound "expertise" on jellyfish. For example, 17,000 stings occur worldwide every hour. "One, two, three, four, five. Another twenty-three people." Sometimes you want things to change so badly, you can’t even stand to be in the same room with the way things actually are. The book shows there is an enormous variation in jellyfish: there are much more differences between some species of jellyfish than there are differences between humans and, let’s say, turtles, or cod, or jays. On the other hand, salps are more closely related to humans than bees or scorpions. The list of nuggets at the end of this review shows a bit of this diversity. One issue I did have with this book was the way the dialogue was written. There was seemingly no variation, besides Suzy's internal dialogue, in the way everyone spoke. Sure, they could be mean, they could be kind, they could be just giving a report, but it all felt like the same person was talking each time. The dialogue was also handled in a sort of "after school special" kind of way. Don't get me wrong, "Sesame Street" is great, but not if a twelve-year-old boy is talking to a girl his age in that manner, the same way her parent or her teacher or her older brother would talk to her.

Morefield, Juliet (12 August 2015). "The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin". School Library Journal . Retrieved 10 June 2018. Quanto a mim satisfatoriamente, pois oferece-nos um caminho...uma receita de sobrevivência, por assim dizer!... Suzy and Franny had been the best of friends since they met in swim class at the age of five. However, during the process of adjusting to the land mine known as middle school, a rift forms between the two girls. Then the summer before the seventh grade, Franny drowns while swimming in the ocean. Suzy refuses to accept that it was a mere accident and becomes obsessed with finding out the truth about her friend's death. I will admit that this cover totally sold The Thing About Jellyfish to me. It's melancholy but hopeful... We understand immediately that the jellyfish are a symbol of a greater idea. An adult and a middle grader would be attracted to the illustration, perfect for those buying for a young reader and a young reader both. Burnett, Matia (2015-12-11). "Fall 2015 Flying Starts: Ali Benjamin". PublishersWeekly.com . Retrieved 2016-03-09.

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It’s a story that warrants repeated readings, for entertainment and to appreciate the small but mighty hero Jellyfish. Hannah Taylor-Rose, Magpies

There's no single right way to say goodbye to someone you love. But the most important thing is that you keep some part of them inside you."For many, the Natural History Museum is a place that inspires learning, gives purpose and provides hope. People tell us they 'still get shivers walking through the front door', and thank us for inspiring the next generation of scientists. To reverse the damage we've done and protect the future, we need the knowledge that comes from scientific discovery. Understanding and protecting life on our planet is the greatest scientific challenge of our age. And you can help. Benjamin, Ali (22 September 2015). The Thing About Jellyfish. Hachette. ISBN 9780316380836 . Retrieved 10 June 2018.