Sea Otter Heroes from Millbrook Press Named a Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book
February 12, 2018
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem written by Patricia Newman and published in 2017 by Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, has been named a 2018 Robert F. Sibert Informational Honor Book. The Sibert Medal was named in honor of Robert F. Sibert, the long-time president of Bound to Stay Bound Books, Inc. of Jacksonville, Illinois. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished informational picture book for children published in the United States, with Honor Books named each year as well. The ALA awards were announced this morning at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting in Denver.
Sea Otter Heroes takes readers to Elkhorn Slough, an inlet on the California coast, where seagrass grows healthy and strong in the shallow water. This healthy seagrass baffled marine biologist Brent Hughes. The scientist expected this estuary to be overrun with algae, causing the seagrass to die, but instead the seagrass was thriving.
As Brent investigated, signs pointed to an unexpected player helping to keep the seagrass healthy: sea otters! Sea Otter Heroes explores what these top predators have to do with an aquatic grass at the opposite end of the food chain and reveals the amazing discovery that gave scientists insight into the delicate balance of ecosystems.
“Sea Otter Heroes is an enthralling addition to nonfiction that connects young readers to a modern science mystery,” said Adam Lerner, Publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group. “Patricia Newman’s amazing research brings scientific concepts to life and we’re honored that the Sibert committee is just as enthralled by Sea Otter Heroes as we are.”
For more information about Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem, including free downloads and a teaching guide, click here.
About the Publisher
Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, publishes informative picture books, illustrated nonfiction series, and inspiring photo-driven titles for grades K–5. Readers of all ages will easily identify with the delightful cast of people and animals featured in these charming stories. With simple text and supportive illustrations, these books are just right for read-alouds, new readers, reluctant readers, and literacy programs.
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