Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom

December 1, 2014

Gr 5-8-In April 1986, Reactor Number 4 in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded, emitting a flood of radioactive material that devastated the surrounding countryside. The residual radioactivity permeating soil, water, plants and animals led to the creation of a miles-wide Exclusion Zone closed to human residents and dubbed the Dead Zone by the press, the general public, and scientists alike. Scientists have continued to study the ecology of this site during the intervening years, and Johnson's lucid text describes their methods and findings in this chunk of land on the border between the Ukraine and Belarus. She has read their written reports and consulted scientists in the field to determine long-term effects on local wildlife after almost 30 years of exposure to varying doses of radioactivity. While some animals and plants appear to have been adversely affected, a large number of species seem to be coping relatively untouched. Even some former human residents (mostly elderly women) have returned to small hamlets and farms on the edge of the Zone, and poachers appear to be active in the area as well. (Other humans, massively exposed at the time of the explosion, have not fared so well.) The readable text is interspersed with dark red sidebars on such topics as how the researchers maintain safety in hot zones, the resistance of some plants to effects of long-term radiation, and reports of the damage suffered by human evacuees from the contaminated zone. Small color photos and maps provide visual evidence and geographical information. A final chapter reports on the tsunami-driven nuclear failure in the 2011 Fukushima disaster and ponders the future for similar "accidents." Thought-provoking.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2014
To the surprise of many, some wildlife flourishes in Chernobyl, Ukraine, more than 25 years after the explosion at the nuclear power plant there. After opening with a background chapter describing the 1986 disaster, evacuation and cleanup efforts, Johnson goes on to describe scientific studies on the wildlife in the area from which humans have been excluded. The present-day Exclusion Zone is an area along the Ukraine-Belarus border about the size of South Carolina. A very few human residents have returned; occasional visitors include scientists and journalists. But other large mammals survive. The author includes a scientist's photographs of a red fox and a moose. Observers have seen wild boar and stray dogs. A herd of Przewalski's horses, captive-bred and released into this isolated area, seems to be flourishing. The author devotes chapters to radioactive bank voles, rodents that seem to have developed some resistance, and to barn swallows that, in contrast, display obvious abnormalities. Finally, she reminds readers that in 2011 the world experienced a similar nuclear meltdown, in Fukushima, Japan. Continued research on radiation effects is crucial. Still, life carries on. This clear presentation is supplemented with captioned photographs, explanatory boxes and a helpful map. The appropriate background and clear, easy-to-understand explanations make this one-of-a-kind title both accessible and interesting. An important story clearly and engagingly told by an experienced science writer. (author's note, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further resources, index) (Nonfiction.12-16)

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November 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 When Ukraine's Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded in April 1986, the unleashed radioactivity was four times that of the Hiroshima bomb. Johnson's fascinating look at the fallout begins with a horrifying history lesson: how the Soviet government delayed in evacuating citizens and how so many people died from radiation poisoningbetween 4,000 and 96,000, depending on whom you believe. The focus here, however, is on the shocking return of wildlife to an area written off as a wasteland. Indeed, the lack of humans, industry, and traffic have turned Chernobyl into a unique sanctuary for biodiversity. Boars, deer, wolves, and countless other species roam in huge numbers. But are they normal? Johnson describes one controversial study that suggests that some animals, in fact, are even healthier because of radiation exposure. Mainly, though, she focuses on the work of Timothy Mosseau and Anders Mller, who have found numerous mutated creaturesthough they admit the big picture remains incomplete and confusing. Creepy shots of ghost towns and tumor-ridden animals help make this a high-interest look at a low point in world events.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)