In 1984, the students of Jackson Elementary School in Everett, Washington, adopted polluted Pigeon Creek. With help from teachers and advice from state conservation agencies, the children removed debris, educated the community concerning the dangers of careless dumping, and raised several hundred coho salmon that were later released into the water. The project proved enormously successful, and in the fall of 1987, some of the original salmon returned to spawn. Cone's lively text, based on taped interviews with students and teachers, enhances Wheelwright's numerous full-color photographs. The author also includes information about the varieties of salmon and their life cycles. Appealing for browsers and well organized for report writers, this may inspire young readers to attempt similar projects of their own. (Reviewed May 1, 1992)

The Jackson Elementary School in Everett, Washington, in conjunction with Adopt-a-Stream Foundation, adopted Pigeon Creek and brought it back to life. Personal and inspiring, the text alternates between descriptions of the project, background information, and dialogue of the students; additional scientific information is displayed in panels set off from the main text. The photographs are superb. Ind.

An inspiring story of young scientists in action, featured on Nova: how schoolchildren in Everett, Washington, worked with their teachers to clean up Pigeon Creek and reclaim it as a salmon spawning ground. Candid color photos of boys and girls of several ethnic groups, plus a text based on recorded conversations with the kids, lend drama and immediacy; additional scientific facts (e.g., how salmon scales tell the age of the fish; how salmon build a nest or ``redd'') appear in boxes. Glossary; index. (Nonfiction. 10-12)"

Gr 4-6-- The story of how an elementary school in Washington state ``adopted'' a polluted stream that had once been a spawning ground for salmon. The children launched a major community effort to clean it up and, with the aid of grants, stocked an aquarium with salmon eggs from a state hatchery. The entire school was involved in caring for the eggs as they hatched, grew, and were eventually released into the now clean stream. It would be hard not to get caught up in the excitement and anxiety of the students as they wait for the fish to return to Pigeon Creek to spawn. Cone includes facts on the life cycle of the salmon in her clear, lively text, while Wheelwright's excellent illustrations and full-color photographs add to the overall quality of the presentation.-- Tina Smith Entwistle, Oakley Park Elem . School, Walled Lake, MI