Coral Reefs are an important ecosystem in our world.  I chose this topic
                    because I have become extremely interested in their preservation since I
                    became a scuba diver.  It is a wonderful world under the water, and indeed
                    a world of its own.  It thrives with so much life, and not only the fish, but
                    the plants we call coral.  I am amazed at the beautiful colors of the different
                    coral.  I believe that the coral reef is an important enough topic to teach as
                    the rain forest or any other environmental unit.

                    There are many books to help in teaching this unit for all ages.  There are books
                    of fiction, informational, and even educational teacher packages.  Some of the
                    books that I will mention will seem a little young for fourth grade students, but
                    they have the information needed to study this unit.
 

                        Informational:
                       Cerullo, Mary M. Coral Reef: A City that Never Sleeps.  New York:
                            Cobblehill Books, 1996.
                             This book is beautifully illustrated with pictures of coral reef life, including fish
                             and other life among the reefs.  It is broken down into seven chapters, each one
                             describing a different aspect of the reef.

                            Earle, Sylvia.  Hello, Fish!: Visiting the Coral Reef.  National Geographic
                            Society, 2001.
                            Dr. Earle takes children on a wonderful journey along the coral reefs for a closer look
                            at the beautiful fish that live there.  Through the wonderful photography of Henry Wolcott
                            children are able to see the beauty that lives underwater.

                            Ethan, Eric, and Marie Bearanger.  Colors of the Sea: Coral Reef Feeders.
                            Milwaukee:  Gareth Stevens Publishing, 1997.
                       This book talks about the different animals that feed on the coral polyps and algae.
                       These animals include fish, snails, starfish, and slugs.  Short book with big colorful photo-
                       graphs for the students to enjoy.

                      Kaplan, Eugene H.  Peterson Field Guides: Coral Reefs.  Boston:
                            Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982.
                      This is a wonderful guide that can be used with any age student.  It can be used by
                      student as well as the teacher for resource.  It contains gives thorough descriptions
                      of different kinds of reefs with pictures, as well as outstanding descriptions of the
                      marine life that lives within the coral reefs.

                            Kalman, Bobbie D. and Niki Walker.  Life in a Coral Reef.  Crabtree
                            Publishing Company, 1996.
                       This book describes the ecosystem, its inhabitants, and how the coral reefs were formed.
                             It has colorful photos and diagrams, and the book explains every class of animal
                             and plant that lives on the coral reef.

 
                        McGovern, Ann.  Night Dive. New York:  Macmillan Publishing, 1984.
                         A 12 year old girl describes her journey as a scuba diver.   She describes the
                                underwater life she experiences while diving during the day as well as during
                                her night dives.

                       Maynard, Caitlin and Thane Maynard.  Rain forests and Reefs.
                            New York:  Franklin Watts, a Division of Grolier Publishing, 1996.
                       This book is about how 18 teenage members of the Junior Zoologists Club traveled
                             to Belize to study the ecosystems of the rain forest and the coral reefs.  The book is
                             put together with great photos of the trip taken by Stan Rullman.  This book is a great
                             resource for students to use because it is told through the eyes of the teenagers.  At the
                             end of the book they list places you can write to for information on how to help
                             these ecosystems.  The teens also included a glossary at the end of the book.

                            Steere, Susan. The Reef and the Wrasse.
                       This book talks about the diverse marine life in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.   The
                             book focuses mainly on the wrasse, which is a little fish that cleans larger fish on
                             the reef.

                           Taylor, Barbara. Look Close:  Coral Reef.
                      This book is one of a series of "Look Closer" books.  Its focus is on the creatures that
                           live on the coral reefs.  The book has great illustrations, and explains the plants and
                           animals, giving their sizes and shapes.

                          Walker, Sally M.  Seahorse Reef: A Story of the South Pacific.
                                Soundprints, 2001.
                          This book follows the days in the life of a seahorse in the Philippines.  The illustrations
                           are done with bright watercolors which capture the beautiful colors underwater.  At
                           end there is a note that talks about the devastation of the seahorse and what is being
                           done to help preserve this animal.
 
 

                           Juvenile Fiction
 
                           Hallard, Peter.  Coral Reef Castaway.
                            This book is about adventures with skin diving, pearls, dingos and stingrays.

                            Osborne, Mary P.  Dolphins at Daybreak. New York: Random House
                                    1997.
                            This is another book in the Magic Tree House series.  Jack and Annie are on another
                            adventure via the Tree House.   The tree house takes them deep into the sea to solve
                            a mysterious riddle.

                            Warner, G. C.  The Mystery of the Hidden Beach. New York:
                                    Scholastic, 1994.
                            This is book #41 in the Boxcar Children Series.    Henry, Jessie, VIolet and Benny
                            are spending a week at Camp Coral in Florida.  While learning about the ocean and
                            the things in it such as coral, fish, dolphins, etc. they find a beautiful beach that holds
                            a terrible secret.

 
                            Science Fiction
 
                       Verne, J. Adapted by  Lillian Nordlicht.  20,000 Leagues Under the
                                Sea.  Milwaukee:  Raintree Publishers, 1980.
                        This is the 19th century tale of an eccentric captain, Captain Nemo, who develops
                        an electric submarine to take its passengers deep within the oceans.  They
                        encounter strange creatures of all sizes.
 

                       Poetry
 
                       Dunphy, M.  Here is the Coral Reef.
                       This book has its setting on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.  The rhythmic tale
                       introduces the most striking  residents of that ecosystem.

                       Hughes, Ted.  The Mermaid's Purse, poems by Ted Hughes.
                            , 2000.
                        In this book there are 28 poems that "capture the beauty, drama, and mystery
                        of the sea and the seashore."  Children will enjoy this book as well as educators.
 

                       Picture Books

                       Base, Graeme.  The Sign of the Seahorse.  New York:  Harry N.
                            Abrams Inc., Publishers, 1992.
                        This is a great story by a great author.  The illustrations are fantastic as is the story.
                              When a mean grouper makes a shady real estate deal, the coral reefs are threatened
                              as are the inhabitants by toxic waste dumping.  A great picture book, it is a big book
                              so there is not a problem seeing the pictures.  The book is told in rhyme even though
                              it is prose.

                            Cole, Joanna.  The Magic School Bus Takes a Dive.  New York:
                                      Scholastic, 1998.
                       This is another of Joanna Cole's Magic School Bus series.  Ms. Fizzle takes her students
                             on a treasure hunt that leads them to the discovery of the coral reefs and its inhabitants.

                       Quackenbush, Robert.  Evil Under the Sea:  A Miss Mallard Mystery.
                               New York:  Pippen Press, 1992.
                             Jacques Canard asks Miss Mallard to help him find out who is destroying the
                             coral in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.  Jacques Canard is a well known undersea
                             explorer.

                             Rau, Dana M.  Undersea City:  A Story of a Caribbean Coral Reef.
                                Soundprints, 1997.
                       Young readers can enjoy this story of how a hermit crab loses his shell, and must
                             search for a new one.  His survival story takes the reader through the wonders
                             of the coral reef environment in the Dominican Republic.
 

 
                        Folklore

                       Weir, Bob.  Baru Bay, Australia.  Little Brown and Company, 1995.
                        This is a book that teaches about Australia's Baru Bay.  Children will learn about the
                               ecosystem of the coral reefs, plant and animal life, and even folklore.
 
 

                        These books are just  a small number of books that  are available for this topic.  There are many
                        more informational books that are for a range of ages.  These books all include brilliant photos and
                        paintings depicting the beautiful life that exists beneath the ocean.  This would be a great
                        unit to go along with the rain forests.  The coral reef is my weak spot and one that I am most
                        interested in, therefore, when I have the opportunity as a teacher, I will teach this unit with a
                        great passion.

                        Enjoy the books and hope you like my seahorses!  I love them!!