
This review is from: Nelson Telson: The Story of a True Blue Blood (Paperback)
In the tradition of EB White, this beautifully illustrated middle school reader will appeal to all ages. Without a hint of pedantic style, Ms. Mayo manages to imbed both scientific content and ageless themes into a fast-moving, emotionally turbulent plot.
Mariah, a young `tween newly arrived in a coastal New England town, transforms into a mature young adult as we watch her cope with various challenges. Mariah discovers an old horseshoe crab, Nelson Telson, who communicates to her the wisdom of the ages and ultimately helps her understand and appreciate aquatic and human life as it relates to the health of the planet.
Fluidly blending ecology, marine science, history, philosophy and some profound life lessons into Mariah’s transformation, this book offers important insights that are accessible to all ages.
Nelson Telson is one of those rare books that might inspire struggling or reluctant readers toward further study. I would love to see our local schools acquire this book, as student readers stand to gain an appreciation for the wonders of their coastal ecology.
Readers of Nelson Telson will never again view horseshoe crabs as ugly or fail to feel a sense of appreciation and curiosity when spotting one of these now-rare creatures crawling along at the shoreline. Instead, they might even consider attempting to start a conversation with the noble crab.