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From School Library Journal

October 18, 2024

Gr 3-8-In the spring of 2021, Cusolito did a 14-day COVID-19 quarantine followed by a 24-day marine expedition on a research vessel chartered by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. A team of 43 was aboard, including scientists, researchers, crew, and communications. This book is about the nitty gritty of how research on the Twilight Zone (650 to 3,300 feet below the ocean surface) is conducted. Cusolito covers the types of machines that are used, how they are deployed and recovered, what happens when they break or fail, and what kind of data they collect. The water samples, flash frozen organisms, and images taken on this mission will be used to help scientists learn about the movement of carbon in the ocean, amongst other questions of importance. While Cusolito is certainly a capable and thorough writer, it is hard to pinpoint an audience for this lengthy account of oceanographic research techniques; this treatment of a somewhat esoteric topic lacks many of the fun facts that young nonfiction readers are accustomed to. The accounts of dealing with foul weather and turbulence at sea are thought-provoking and detailed. They had to use quick thinking to secure equipment and find creative ways to sleep, eat, shower, and stay in good spirits during severe turbulence. Cusolito provides thorough back matter including explanations of how she collected and checked the quotes and information, sources, websites, and podcasts to learn more, and a detailed index. VERDICT A somewhat flat but thorough, rigorously researched and reported first-person nonfiction text; it should be considered for school libraries only to support curriculum or student interests.-Mallory Weber

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

May 1, 2024
Grades 4-8 During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cusolito accompanied a research team for the Ocean Twilight Zone Project at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Although WHOI is based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, this team conducted studies on a major global-class research ship off of Vigo, Spain, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The goal was to learn more about the ocean's twilight zone, how it moves carbon from surface waters to the deep ocean, its role in regulating Earth's climate, and how this might be impacted by climate change. Cusolito documents the 24-day journey in this documentary-style STEM book. She blends her detailed observations of each day with quotes from scientists, related boxed information, and numerous photographs of unusual and rarely seen ocean creatures and the research team in action. The emphasis is on data collection of the water and its marine inhabitants through different, specially designed small and large equipment. Engaging passages on feeding the large crew, harrowing storms, and unexpected events break up lengthy descriptions with appeal to more sophisticated readers.

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