Surtsey: The Newest Place On Earth

by Kathryn Lasky, Christopher Knight (Illustrator)

A photographic essay records the short geological and ecological history of Surtsey Island (created by an eruption of a submarine volcano near Iceland in 1963), which offered scientists an opportunity to see what the world was like when life first began.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although in her Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth author Kathryn Lasky does feature very much interesting information (or rather details that should be interesting) I do have to admit that I for one have found how the latter is textually presented rather monotonously penned (and this in particular with regard to Lasky's intended audience, with regard to appealing to older children from about the age of nine to say twelve or fourteen). For while how through vulcanism in 1963 a new island named Surtsey was formed offshore of Iceland has certainly managed to for the most part retain my own and older adult reading interest (and this even with Kathryn Lasky's tendency to ramble on and on) I do know from my own reading past that if I had encountered Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth as a nine or ten year old, I very likely would have felt both totally bored with and massively overwhelmed by the vast amount of simply too much information being literally and continuously thrown at me without interruption and with little to no narrational breaks or any kind of textual joy.

And then after all of that non fictional scientific detail upon detail, to reach the end of Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth and to have to face the annoying and frustrating fact that Kathryn Lasky has also provided no source acknowledgements whatsoever, that there are neither footnotes/endnotes nor a bibliography included, this has most certainly been both rather unexpected and has equally turned me off to such an extent that I really can and will now only consider but one star for Surtsey: The Newest Place on Earth. For the lack of bibliographical material is indeed and definitely a huge academic shortcoming and no, Kathryn Lasky's featured text just does not make the grade so to speak either (as in my opinion, her printed words on the formation of the island of Surtsey might well be thematically interesting and scientifically sound but penned in such a way that for especially her intended audience, Lasky's narrative is probably just too dragging and uninterestingly written).

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Island Newly Born



After a volcanic eruption of the coast of Iceland, Surtsey, a new island was born. Scientists loved this spectacular event as it gave them a rare opportunity to watch the island slowly transform from a mass of volcanic rock into an island with flora and fauna. To protect it and watch the transformation, only scientists have been allowed access to it, and those only in selected places so as to leave as small as possible human impact. The book includes many photos showing how the evolution happened, but being published in 1992, it would be nice to have an updated sequel. I hadn't heard of this island until I read the book, but it was enlightening and interesting as the scientists themselves were surprised at how quickly some life took root. 

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a volcanic eruption of the coast of Iceland, Surtsey, a new island was born. Scientists loved this spectacular event as it gave them a rare opportunity to watch the island slowly transform from a mass of volcanic rock into an island with flora and fauna. To protect it and watch the transformation, only scientists have been allowed access to it, and those only in selected places so as to leave as small as possible human impact. The book includes many photos showing how the evolution happened, but being published in 1992, it would be nice to have an updated sequel. I hadn't heard of this island until I read the book, but it was enlightening and interesting as the scientists themselves were surprised at how quickly some life took root.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest child loved this book in first grade and did his first school report on Iceland after reading; fond memories.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I read a book about Surtsey by Patricia Lauber, which began my interest in the island. I was pleased to see that Kathryn Lasky wrote a book that updated what I learned back then. It was fascinating to see how the island has slowly developed and become inhabited by various small forms of life. Most interesting, and recommended.

[Dany Hdz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it a little bit boring.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of colorful photographs paired with informative and interesting text about the formation of the island Surtsey, showing how it's birth parallels the mythology of The Prose Edda.

[Jessica Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Describes the formation, naming, and colonization of the twenty-seven-year-old volcanic island Surtsey. Describes the first inhabitants of this island.