• Age: 8 to 11
• Grade: 3 to 6

With beautiful, scientifically accurate illustrations, this fascinating story teaches children about the many fish, crustaceans, marine mammals, and micro-organisms that live in and feed off the eelgrass meadows of the north Pacific coastal region.

“Recommended for school and public libraries regardless of their proximity to the west coast. Although works of fiction, the books contain a wealth of accessible facts.”—Resource Links

“A major theme that emerges is the need to respect and care for the ocean environment and to understand the harmony among its inhabitants. These appealing, fact-rich books go a long way to enhancing that understanding for young readers. Highly recommended.”—CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Sam and Crystal’s coastal adventure continues as brother and sister dive deeper—literally—into the marine habitats of Eagle Cove, home of Aunt Kate and Uncle Charlie. In their third adventure, the kids learn about one of the most ecologically important ecosystems on the west coast: the eelgrass meadow. This rich habitat provides food and shelter to countless marine critters—from tiny micro-organisms to juvenile fish, and is the basis of a gigantic food web that supports herring, salmon, black bears, humpback whales and many other species. Ada, an Indigenous woman from nearby Salmon Bay Village, tells the children about her people’s knowledge of land and sea, complementing Aunt Kate’s Western scientific teachings and reinforcing the importance of respecting nature. Combining an entertaining story with gorgeous imagery and the author’s scientific background and extensive work with Indigenous Elders and educators, Explore the Eelgrass Meadow with Sam and Crystal brings the coastline to life for children ages eight and up.

Gloria Snively is a professor emeritus of science, environmental, and marine education in the Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, and a former classroom teacher of primary and junior secondary grades. She is a founding member of the Northwest Association of Marine Educators and the author of the classic bestselling field guide Exploring the Seashore in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, now in its eleventh printing. Her passions include curriculum development; First Nations education; giving natural history workshops to teachers, park interpreters, and community groups; and exploring the stunning seashores of the west coast. She lives in Sooke, BC.

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Karen Gillmore has been an artist since she could hold crayons. In addition to being a children’s book illustrator—most notably of the Sam and Crystal series—she also draws and writes comics and illustrates graphic novels.

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