{"product_id":"radar-and-the-raft-isbn-9781623543457","title":"Radar and the Raft","description":"\u003cb\u003eThis science-history nonfiction adventure mash-up will be on every middle grade reader's radar.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWho knew that an improbable rescue during WWII would be facilitated by scientific discoveries in the 18th century?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExpert researcher and educator Jeff Lantos makes the history-science connection between batteries and radar and one oceanic adventure in this engaging middle-grade escapade told in two intertwining storylines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders are first invited to follow scientific discoveries in the 1700s that eventually lead to the creation of radar, and are then immersed in a world where World War II rages. German U-boats sink ships, and the ship just hit has an American mom and her two young kids aboard. Now Ethel, Robert, and Mary Bell are on a raft with fourteen other people, floating in the ocean and hoping for rescue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLantos expertly weaves radar's story of discovery with the Bell family's harrowing journey, bringing readers on an exciting fast-paced adventure through history.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e♦ \"A rare and exhilarating mix of hard science and seagoing terror.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/b\u003e♦ Interwoven storylines link a triumphant technological advance with a harrowing tale of survival at sea.\u003cbr\u003eIn  a real pleaser for readers with an expansive range of interests, Lantos  twines a meaty account of the invention of radar with the story of how  that device came into play in rescuing a raft crowded with the survivors  of an American cargo ship torpedoed weeks before by a U-boat in  shark-infested waters. He traces the history of radar from 18th-century  Italian anatomy professor Luigi Galvani’s experiments with twitching  frog legs to the powerful detection device that gave the Allies a  significant, perhaps even decisive, advantage in World War II. Lantos  also tells some absorbing side stories along the way. He not only  describes the development of electromagnetic theory in specific but  largely non-mathematical terms, but also—drawing from eyewitness  accounts of raft survivors who were Christian missionaries returning  from Ivory Coast—vividly captures the perils faced by those deemed enemy  foreigners, trapped in countries suddenly under Nazi control. Likewise  notable are his follow-up passages on radar’s myriad offspring from  microwave ovens to GPS, as well as thrilling mentions of the  still-unrecovered $50 million in Congolese gold that went down with the  torpedoed cargo ship. The illustrations mix old photos and documents  with Marks’ watercolor views of figures in West African and nautical  settings in a mishmash that somehow suits the broad range of themes and  topics. The bibliography and endnotes are likewise admirable in both  bulk and scope.\u003cbr\u003e A rare and exhilarating mix of hard science and seagoing terror.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of radar, its inventors and contributing scientists are  combined in this true story about the technology’s emergence and  lifesaving uses. Written for readers around the ages of 10 to 13, \"Radar  and the Raft\"\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eis for those with an interest in history and technology.\u003cbr\u003eUnlike  many technology-based non-fiction books, this story largely focuses on  the people and families behind the technology, as well as life during  World War II. The book includes a combination of character storylines  and multiple scientific discoveries, intriguing the reader as to how  they will connect together. Toward the end of the book, these stories  and inventions meet in a dramatic scene that demonstrates the lifesaving  potential of science.\u003cbr\u003e\"Radar and the Raft\" \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003egrips  readers through both personal stories and the evolution of technology.  By connecting the story of the Bell family’s near-death experience at  sea during World War II with the story of radar’s discovery, the author  has produced an engaging and informative storyline. This is a great read  that explores the direct consequences of scientific discoveries.\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eLiveScience\u003c\/i\u003eJeff Lantos was a fifth-grade teacher in Pacific Palisades, California, where he often wrote history-based musicals for his students to perform. He still often works with schoolkids and history-based productions. A UCLA study showed that his students' retention of history is higher than their peers. He was nominated for a 2015 Excellence in Theatre Education Award from the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University. He holds a degree from Brown University and has worked producing musicals on Broadway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlan Marks began his career illustrating for magazines and newspapers in England. His first children's book \u003ci\u003eStorm\u003c\/i\u003e, written by Kevin Crossley Holland, won the Carnegie Medal. He is also the illustrator of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book \u003ci\u003eA Mother’s Journey\u003c\/i\u003e, as well as \u003ci\u003eBehold the Beautiful Dung Beetle\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePlanet Zoo\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Spirit of the Forest\u003c\/i\u003e, and more. Alan lives in an old house in the Kent countryside with his wife and two daughters. www.marksonpaper.co.uk","brand":"Charlesbridge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303960203493,"sku":"NP9781623543457","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781623543457.jpg?v=1767735340","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/radar-and-the-raft-isbn-9781623543457","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}