This Orca Timeline book delves into the age-old question “Are we there yet?”, providing information on why and how humans have travelled over time, from the practice of migration 80,000 years ago to the space travel of today. Birmingham includes information on why and how humans travel, the evolution and transformation of modes of transportation, brain activity when orienting oneself, the origins of mapping and navigation strategies, and possible future travel innovations. Interspersed throughout the book are “Timeline” sections of text where change over time is chronicled by date in table or list format. “Right This Way” and “You Are Here” sections of text, housed in sidebars and textboxes, provide definitions, explanations, and facts related to the content in the main body of text. Key terms appear in bold, italicized text. Colour illustrations as well as colour and black-and-white photos complement the text. Additional print and online resources are provided.

Other End Matter: Glossary, Resources, Acknowledgements
Images: Colour photographs, Colour illustrations, b&w photographs
Bibliography: No
Index: Yes

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

MARIA BIRMINGHAM is a longstanding contributor to OWL and Chickadee magazines, and the award-winning author of several books for young people, including Acting Wild, Biometrics, and A Beginner's Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars. Maria lives in Brampton, Ontario.

Maria Birmingham's profile page

Drew Shannon is an illustrator who lives in Toronto. Drew earned a bachelor of arts at Sheridan College and has worked with many different clients, including CBC, VICE Media, UNICEF, The Washington Post and NPR. He is the illustrator of Extreme Battlefields: When War Meets the Forces of Nature and Out of the Ice: How Climate Change is Revealing the Past.

Drew Shannon's profile page

• Commended, TD Summer Reading Club Recommended Reads
• Commended, Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection
• Long-listed, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards - Youth Category

“Fascinating…Readers will enjoy learning about humanity’s desire to travel and ability to do so, as well as past and current marvels of transport…This book is an easily accessible historical journey for middle-grade readers.”

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)

“With its conversational tone, Are We There Yet? draws readers into a fascinating look at the ways in which humans have travelled throughout history and provides a glimpse into the future of travel…[The author] does a very good job of selecting the highlights in all aspects of travel and provides interesting facts in the text boxes. She also encourages readers to hone their map-reading skills...and to weigh the pros and cons of some modes of transportation in terms of their environmental impact. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“What elevates this beyond encyclopedia fare are references to current events and instances where readers are invited to imagine themselves in problem-solving, relatable scenarios. The bright, colorful graphics that bounce off pages are also helpful and complement accessible, manageable chunks of information...A great resource for report writers that offers a perfect segue from the picture books treasured by the vehicle obsessed.”

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