Book Review

When most people eat lobster, they only think about how delicious the lobster tastes. Very few people actually think about the lives lobsters had before they were cooked. Lobsters, Gangsters of the Sea by Mary M. Cerullo tells all about lobsters and helped me understand more about a lobster’s life in the sea.

I really liked this book because I found it interesting learning new and exciting facts about lobsters that I had never known before. I liked how the book is divided up into different chapters, each one a separate topic. This made the book very easy to understand. My favorite part of Lobsters, Gangsters of the Sea was the chapter called "Lobster Lore." This chapter is about lobster birth and the differences between a male and female lobsters. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it repeated a little bit. However, Cerullo explains everything before new ideas are introduced. After reading this book, I would not want to learn more about lobsters because I have learned a lot about them already.

I liked the pictures because they helped to explain the written ideas. They were mostly clear, the only time they were not clear is when the pictures were taken in the ocean and it would be hard to take good pictures in the ocean. The pictures in Lobsters, Gangsters of the Sea had a little color, but not too much, since lobsters are not very colorful animals. I would improve the pictures by not making them quite so graphic.

There was an index and a list of books for young readers. I did find this information somewhat helpful, though I do not plan to read any more books on lobsters. I would give this book three stars out of five stars and would recommend it to my friends. I think this book should stay a Cornerstone nominee.

~ Michelle B., Mt. Ararat Middle School student, Topsham
"Read, Write & Win" 2005, 1st place / 6th grade

The pictures in this book are wonderful. This book is kind of hard to read, so I would recommend it for 4th. - 6th. graders to read. It's a wonderful science book to read.

~ Valerie S., Hawthorne School student, Brunswick

What a fine book. Start the first chapter and you won't stop. Filled with fascinating facts, told by a story teller. How to tell the male from the female. How lobsters behave during courtship. How lobsters and lobsterman depend on each other! And lots about the lobstermen and their trade. Highly recommended for all ages.

~ Lee Grodzins, Ph.D., Physicist, Professor Emeritus, MIT