School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 5-8 Rainforests and savannahs, coral reefs and tundrareaders are most likely familiar with these fields in which scientists work. But this time, it is the energy of the physical movement of the global ocean that is the field, and here in this world of watery physics, a series of imaginative, innovative engineers have been designing, building, and experimenting to successfully harness this inexorable surge of energy. Rusch's readable text follows three very varied groups of visionary engineers on this quest: Mike Morrow and Mike Delos-Reyes (who are working on a device that will allow people to sit upon the ocean floor), Annette von Jouanne and her team (working on a floating design), and the cofounders of Ocean Power Technologies, the first to win a permit to generate "ocean electricity" to be marketed to homes and businesses on the Oregon coast. Included are sidebars on a rich variety of topics such as "Working with Watts" and a global inventory of "Wild Wave Inventions of the World." Colorful diagrams and a plethora of photos provide visual stimulation as well. This pellucid look into a promising field of alternative energy (so needed in a warming world) and into the scientists devoting their lives to bring concept into reality is informative, intriguing, and inspiring. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

ALA Booklist

From the Scientists in the Field series, this informative book introduces several engineers who are working to turn the force of ocean waves into electric power. The most engaging sections follow "the Mikes," two childhood friends who rode bikes and built forts together. In high school, they helped start a science club, and, as seniors at Oregon State, they teamed up to invent a wave device. More than a decade later, they returned to that idea, won grants, and built an energy apparatus that sits on the ocean floor. In another long-term project begun at the university, an engineering professor and her students invented a floating wave-energy device. Both projects and others profiled are ongoing. Throughout the book, color photos show the teams' work in various stages. Sidebars introduce topics such as the practical applications of wave-energy production and the possible effects of wave-energy devices on marine animals. The author of The Mighty Mars Rovers (2012) and Eruption! (2013), Rusch once again looks at the convergence of science and technology. Writing clearly about the engineers' trial-and-error methods, she conveys the importance of testing, the necessity of funding, and the satisfaction of working toward a worthwhile goal. A fine choice for young people intrigued by engineering and oceanography.

Horn Book

Transferring ocean wave action into electricity (without damaging collection equipment or harming marine life) is a significant engineering challenge with a potentially big financial payoff. Rusch captures the determined, entrepreneurial spirit of the profiled engineers as well as the need for creative problem-solving and ingenuity. Photographs and illustrations feature prototypes in both small-scale laboratory and full-ocean tests. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.