The Next Wave: The Quest to Harness the Power of the Oceans

Scientists in the Field

by Elizabeth Rusch

Journey to the wave-battered coast of the Pacific Northwest to meet some of the engineers and scientists working to harness the punishing force of our oceans, one of the nature’s powerful and renewable energy sources. With an array of amazing devices that cling to the bottom of the sea floor and surf on the crests of waves, these explorers are using a combination of science, imagination, and innovation to try to capture wave energy in the hopes of someday powering our lives in a cleaner, more sustainable way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Middle Grade, Childrens, Picture Books, Technology

80 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2014

About the author

ELIZABETH RUSCH is an award-winning book author, magazine writer, editor, writing teacher and speaker. Her wide-ranging passions include astronomy, volcanology, art, music, history, nature, waves, jokes, crayons, and mud — anything that catches her fancy. She is inspired by stories of exploration and discovery, stories that have been overlooked by history, and stories that grapple with persistent questions. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction for children or adults or teaching workshops, she hopes her work opens doors, opens minds, opens possibilities.

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: The Next Wave tells several stories of engineers who are working to use the power of waves as an energy source. All of the engineers had an original idea that had to be thoughtfully created and tested many times. The goal of all these innovations is to one day have a clean and natural resource that will keep our planet safe from global warming.
Evaluation: In terms of content, this book provides the reader with tons of information. The book is organized into chapters, the first explaining how much power waves can have and the rest showing engineers working to use that power. Their are many photos of the engineers working on their inventions and testing them in the lab and ocean, showing the reader that this is a part of science happening right now. There are also several diagrams that help the reader understand waves and the energy they produce in broader terms. The only thing that I thought readers may not like was the layout of the text and the amount of text, it feels like you are reading a textbook at times. Overall, this book is a good example of how to present non-fiction content.
Teaching Idea: This book would be a great way to teach students about the scientific process (observation/research, questioning, hypothesis, experiment, analyze data, draw conclusions) and how it continues through trial and error. A clear example of this is in chapter 2, when the Mikes created a device that could generate electricity with waves. They had the idea, researched materials, and made small models before creating and testing the final product. Students can invent something related to the current standard by using the scientific process, reminding them that even talented scientists go through many trials and errors before their inventions work the way they planned.

[Sean R_C2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one that I really like because of how it is mainly about science. Well, maybe science-fiction. At first glance of the cover, I thought that this book was another fictional book. But, I still gave it a try, since I was not sure if I was right. Turns out, I was half-wrong. This book is not only fictional, it is science fictional. There were engineers, and each engineer had to make their own designs and ways of generating energy and electricity. Some were successful and others failed. For example, Mikes and George both have successful inventions that would work in the ocean. But, they are both at different parts of the ocean. Mikes idea works at the shallow ends of the ocean, and George's idea works at the rough waters. All those engineers behaved like scientist. Throughout their experiment, they had to create hypothesis, build it, test it, analyze the results, and gather the data and information. When the hypothesis or invention failed, they go back and make a completely new idea, until they get it to what they think is right. This book taught me about preserving and about the process that engineers have to encounter to make complicated products. Overall, this was very interesting and informational book to read.

[Selena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This book explores the endless energy and motion in the Earth’s oceans. Readers will learn about the forces of nature in our oceans and how we can possible collect this power. From wildlife to energy preservation, this book covers all aspects of waves.
Evaluation: This non-fiction text teacher young readers about the depths of power held in our oceans. This book is a ‘Scientist in the Field’ series which includes detailed photographs of real life waves in the ocean. Readers are able use text features to quickly search and find topics of interest in this book. Important vocabulary about oceans and energy is also included in this non-fiction text.
Teaching Point: I would use this book in my classroom as a great resource for students. Students can read this book for pleasure to learn more about the ocean or students can select this book for future research projects which include choice. I would like to collect a wide variety of ‘Scientist in the Field’ books for my classroom library.

[Christy Grizzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: The next wave is about a group of engineers who created their own ways of making energy and electricity. It talks about the steps the scientists have to take to take such as making predictions and their hypothesis.

Evaluation: I rated this book 5 stars. It is extremely informative and really interesting to read about the waves and the way they produce energy. It includes pictures, maps, and other engaging pieces. It includes so many details about waves and provides you with a wealth of information.

Teaching Point: I would use this book to teach about waves as well as the scientific process. I could teach the students about how waves generate energy by using the text as a tool. I could use this book to model the process. The students could learn how to assess a problem, demonstrate a hypothesis, do research, observe, and come to a detailed conclusion.

[Kelsey Breseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and surprisingly comprehensive introduction to wave energy. I enjoyed this as an adult engineer (it's always inspiring to see design-build experiments that can prove something novel on a shoestring plastic-spoons budget). I would love for the young and curious kids in my life to read this and books like it; I think it could inspire some great backyard invention.

[Kim Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Scientists in the Field series. This one was not my favorite. It was really technical. Finally, I looked at some videos on YouTube and it became a little clearer.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how this book really got personal with people and projects involved in wave energy, and provided recent information and data.

[Amanda Guilbault · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book called The Next Wave by Elizabeth Rusch was a very interesting and informational book to read. This book was about many engineers that created inventions to generate energy and electricity. Each engineer had their own designs and ways of developing these inventions. Some were successful and others failed. Some inventions were successful in different locations of the ocean. For example, the Mikes invention was successful in the shallow areas of the ocean and George W. Taylor’s invention was successful in the rougher waters of the sea. These engineers are all scientists. They had to create a hypothesis, build their invention, test their invention, observe the results, and gather the data and information. When the hypothesis and or invention failed, they had to go back and test another way of developing these inventions to be successful. This process that scientist go through would be a great tool and model to use with in my classroom. This would teach my students how to assess a problem, make a prediction/hypothesis, demonstrate their hypothesis, observe, collect data, and find a conclusion. I could also use this book to introduce the subject of waves, the ocean, and or the process of generating electricity. This book is appropriate for grade levels fifth through seventh grade.

[Carol Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book presents a vivid picture of what it is like to be an experimental engineer. It shows how even with cutting-edge technology it is sometimes possible to build and test prototypes of new inventions using materials from the hardware store. It profiles engineers whose early life experiences developed their interest in harnessing wave energy to produce electricity. It gives the reader a feel for the roller-coaster ride of successes and setbacks experienced by teams of researchers. It illustrates the way successful teams form by making use of different people's different special talents. It also shows how critical funding is, and how unhappy investors can derail a project. These are all great lessons for a kid considering a career in technology.
There is one addition that would make this an even better book. The wave-powered electrical generators described in the book use several different ways to turn mechanical energy (wave action) into electrical energy. All rely on the basic fact that when you move a coil of copper wire inside a magnet, or vice versa, an electric current is generated in the wire. This basic lesson in physics could be conveyed by a diagram or two, which would nicely supplement the diagrams of the different devices.

[Amanda Shreve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary
"Never turn your back on the ocean!" When you are riding waves in the ocean ever wonder about how they roll continuously. Can we use the ocean to power energy? What about the wildlife? All your questions about waves are answered in this book along with real photos.
Evaluation
I love the scientist in the field series. It offers real information with pictures and engaging stories. I grew up on the ocean sailing with my grandpa. This book shares a variety of information about the ocean including vocabulary you students may need to know.
Teaching Point
The Scientist in the field book series is great for teaching science and connect it to reading. This book is all about waves and how the work. This would be a great book for older students when learning about the ocean, water, and waves.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the research and ideas currently being generated in using waves to create energy. Rusch introduces readers to several different engineering teams and their varied designs. She follows several of them from concept to full ocean testing, and thereby highlights many of the challenges faced by these scientists but also the great potential of wave energy to provide a renewable energy source.

A great resource for classes studying the process inventors follow from design to finished product, oceanography, or energy. Rusch's writing is very readable, and I like how her conclusion emphasizes that these different design teams aren't necessarily competitors but could all be useful.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, and the series it is a part of, "Scientists in the Field", is a wonderful example of narrative non-fiction (currently emphasized by common core standards) and just an overall great book. People I've shared it with have been pleasantly surprised by how readable it is, and how interesting they found it. One person said, "Man, if I had read this when I was a kid, I would have been convinced being a wave scientist was the coolest thing a person would be." All the books in this series give you a look into the life of a scientist, and an overview of their subject matter in a highly engaging way.Strongly recommend! Written for a middle school audience, I believe.

[Sacramento Public Library]

Rusch's newest addition to the Scientists in the Field series focuses on two scientists working on different aspects of harnessing wave energy. Along the way, readers learn the basics of wave energy, the mechanics involved in converting that energy, and the larger environmental context surrounding this growing field. As always, the scientists themselves are front and center, and young readers gain insight into how childhood interests can lead to careers in science and engineering, as well as both the challenges and triumphs of scientific investigation. A well-rounded and engaging introduction to an interesting and little-known field. -CC

[Penny Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series, this focuses on two men and one women who are developing energy resources using waves in Oregon. The book design is quite engaging, with a wealth of color and b&w photos, maps, sidebars, and other material. The narrative focuses on the lives and interests of the three scientists, starting when they were kids and how they developed their interest in the subject. Readers will grasp how waves can potentially be a source of energy because the text is clear and expansive - to shorten the explanations would have made them confusing. An excellent example of how to make science interesting to all students, not just nerds.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, another great addition to the 'Scientists in the Field' series as Rusch captures the readers attention with a blend of narrative and informational writing.
A few of the illustrations area bit less than dynamic (a full page image of Weatherford Hall??), but most are informative. The blue/green backgrounds that simulates water and other backdrops provide variety, but on a few pages it made the text difficult to read for me. The backmatter shows how much work is involved in writing such a book, and provides sources for students to examine.
Students could research the people and organizations mentioned in the book to find out what has developed since its publication.

[Pam Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a great deal of detailed information about using waves to create energy. I found it interesting, especially the backgrounds of the scientists and how many years they have devoted to studying this area. The book is long - over 75 pages - with advanced vocabulary, photographs, diagrams, etc. making me wonder the age of children that would be interested in it. It is organized by chapters and all of the photographs have captions to increase understanding. I did not find it that compelling to use as a read aloud for non-fiction so it might be best used in middle school.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! It is no easy task to make physics and engineering research and testing exciting reading but Rusch does just that. Her clear dynamic writing made this not only fascinating to read about but I came away feeling as if I really understood what the projects are all about - not an easy thing for this non-hard sciences reader. Terrific graphics and photography add wonderfully to the package.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we use the power of the ocean? Engineers around the world are working on this very question right now, including here in the PNW. What is going wrong? What is going right? What do the different designs look like? Lots of clear photos make this visually pop, and the very occasional sidebars and bibliography/index give further information. Give this to your mechanically-minded reader, or even your ecologically-minded reader, especially if they don't go for fiction.

[Annie Oosterwyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very engaging for a nonfiction engineering and technology book. Rusch explains the relevance and importance of discovering new sources of energy and then the scientists make it real. Each idea is so different that readers can believe that their idea might be the next great thing. The process of ideation and creation are outlined for each type of wave generator, along with failures and taking it back to the drawing board. This would be a terrific read before a science or invention convention.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this a 3 when it's really a 2.5; the information is scattered, with scientists disappearing for large portions of the book and then reappearing at random. It felt like some information was missing, or could have been added in to help younger readers understand the diagrams.

Copy provided by publisher.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Children's books about engineering? through research? awesome.

but -

1. I found the science content level to be further along than most of the kids who would pick up a book like this one. (grades 7-8)

2. I wish the science were explained a bit more.

3. I found the black text on wave layout horrendous

4. I expected a little more.... passion, energy, oomph in the writing.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual for this series, this book is well written and more interesting than I had expected. I'm not sure how many of my students will be interested in reading about this topic though. This one might be a hard sell.

[Dutchbaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-written book, just not a topic in which I'm that interested.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally awesome! I appreciate how well the science is explained with simple diagrams. The technology is exciting, and the pictures are inspiring.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really interesting topic, but very text heavy.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and informative look at two scientists working on different aspects of harnessing wave energy.