Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone by Rebecca L. Johnson

Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone Reviews

• 
  Rachel L

  3.5 stars
  
  An extensive look at the area surrounding the Chernobyl plant that malfunctioned and exploded decades ago, it’s a look at the present condition as well as a history overview of the past. The surrounding area was extremely damaged and an exclusion zone erected for safety. Now, almost thirty years later, scientists are studying what’s left of the radioactivity and its effects on surrounding wildlife and people. Animals are able to live in the exclusion zone just fine, some people have moved in nearby and hunters roam the land to hunt the wildlife. It begs the question, is Chernobyl habitable again?
  
  A very thought provoking work. Many tweens today have no clue about this historic and traumatic event of a nuclear power plant exploding and launching radioactive material that stretched very far. The structure of the book is very well done, as the main story is told there are red side bars with extra interesting information that the reader may like to know. Split into five chapters, spanning from the history of Chernobyl’s accident, to how it affected living creatures nearby, to its overall legacy. There is also a wonderful blend of subjects from history, to science, to animals all combined together, so even if this book is only being used for a report there is at least some aspect that all tweens may be interested in.
  
  While this book is perfect for a history report, it can also easily be read for personal enjoyment for young readers, whether it’s specifically on this subject or more information on the Ukraine and its history. The book is very well written and explains the events in an understandable way and yet is not condescending to the young reader. The author also connected this past event with future ones, like Japan’s nuclear accident pointing out that we can still repeat histories mistakes.
• 
  Heidi

  My husband and I recently finished the HBO mini-series, Chernobyl (which I highly recommend!), and since then I’ve been fascinated about the traumatic and frightening incident. Due to this, I picked this goodie up at my local library and really enjoyed it.
  
  Normally, non-fiction can be a genre that can really be a turn-off for me, depending on how the facts are presented. Many times for me, the material can seem rather dry or stale and I don’t make it far into the book. Luckily, this wasn’t the case in Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom. I was captivated the entire time in this short read and appreciated the author’s ability to convey the information in a simple and engrossing way.
  
  One of the interesting facts that I learned was about how little voles are affected by the radioactive dirt and area. One would think since these rodents travel specifically on the ground and perhaps beneath, they would be one of the more affected creatures, but nope! Scientists continually observe and jot down observations of the wildlife, and the voles seem to be relatively healthy and “normal”. Birds, on the other hand, can still have some negative affects being around the area. There were photos of birds with tumors included in the book…the poor creatures. Since closing off the area for human living and activity, several animals have flourished and species that were once in danger have grown. Of course, it isn’t due to the radiation, but to the fact that there aren’t as many people visiting the area. However, it’s still a neat fact to learn.
  
  I also found it interesting to know that there are people who currently live in the exclusion zones of Chernobyl. These people were first evacuated, but then returned back on their own accord. Many of them are of the older generations who would like to live out the rest of their time in familiar and comforting surroundings.
  
  Overall, I truly enjoyed Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom, and wouldn’t mind checking out Ms. Johnson’s other works. I would recommend this to middle grade, young adult, and adults (like me) who can only handle some doses of history. This book would specifically be good for those who enjoy reading about wildlife.
  
  
  https://bookloverblogs.com/2019/07/30...
  
  
• 
  Hilary

  After the horrible nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, most of the people were evacuated. Some died, and many other have felt the lasting effects of the radiation exposure caused by the explosion. The effects are not only physical, but mental and emotional as well. What we don't often hear about is the lingering wildlife in the fallout zone of Chernobyl. Scientists have witnessed thriving wildlife population of many different species, despite the fact that they are "glowing" with radiation. This book answers some interesting questions about how the animals are surviving, and what effects the lethal doses of radiation are having on them as generations pass. Great care was taken to address many curiosities, and the text was complimented fantastically by pictures and diagrams. I liked that the author gave a decent background on what exactly happened at the plant as well as the political and social plunders surrounding the entire situation. Johnson did a wonderful job delving into such a fascinating topic!
• 
  Dm

  I enjoyed this title immensely. It is well written, informative (without going over my head or talking down) and excellently organized. It is also brief. A perfect taste of important information. I love that it included sections on Japan's nuclear disaster, data on where other nuclear reactors exist in the world, source notes, a select bibliography and information about free complementary education resources....and more! What a great little resource. I can't wait to recommend it.
• 
  Amy Soma

  I've long been fascinated by Chernobyl since writing a research paper about it in high school. This book gives an unbiased look at the long lasting impact of nuclear disaster and educates a new generation about Chernobyl.
• 
  Courtney

  Short and simple. I wish it was a bit longer and I felt the author is a bit biased against nuclear power plants.
  
  However, it was easy to read and she was succulent.
• 
  Cole Schutte

  I would like to see a book about Fukushima.
• 
  Aleap

  This title was provided by NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review.
  
  The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion left many scientists and laymen alike under the impression that the areas surrounding the plant would be a lifeless, barren wasteland that could not support life. Humans who lived within the Exclusion Zone were evacuated within days and many who were exposed to the worst of it immediately following the explosion grew sick or died from the exposure to radioactive fallout. The wildlife, however, stayed in place and to the surprise of many, some appeared to be thriving and perfectly healthy. Although scientists don't agree on whether certain levels of radiation are helpful or harmful to living creatures -they have evidence to argue both sides of the matter- they continue to study the wildlife in an attempt to determine the long-term effects of living in such a hotbed of radioactivity. Tables, maps, and occasionally haunting, occasionally disturbing images support accessible and informative, but always fascinating, text. Johnson does an exceptional job of presenting pertinent background information to a generation that is likely entirely unfamiliar with the accident and expertly provides multiple viewpoints on the state of wildlife in the zone, making it clear that science isn't always clearcut. An abundance of captioned, large color photographs as well as historical images are coupled with in-text definitions and supplemental breakout boxes to make this well-designed title visually appealing and easy to navigate. The well-rounded back matter includes author's note, glossary, source notes, a selected bibliography, print and digital additional resources, and an extensive index. This title would make an excellent resource for those studying the environment but would serve equally well as a source of pleasure reading to those interested in wildlife, world history, or the sciences.
• 
  Meredith

  An absolutely fascinating and also terrifying book about not only Chernobyl, but also nuclear power in general. Basically, we're all going to die. Reading this sort of thing always freaks me out, and it always makes me feel like human beings are honestly lame. The fact that nature is thriving more in a nuclear dead zone than it does around human beings is pretty pathetic.
  
  The one downside to this book: not enough pictures! I would have spent a lot of time looking at pictures of animals wandering around the dead zone.
• 
  Heather Gunnell

  Staff Pick
  
  This is a great introduction to the Chernobyl disaster. I was only a toddler when it happened, so I only knew the bare minimum about what really happened. It is fascinating to think that wildlife is somehow surviving in the Exclusion Zone. Whether or not it's thriving is up for debate, but it's there.
• 
  Patrick McGrady

  The nuclear explosion at Chernobyl happened 3 years before I was born, so I don't remember it happening live the way I am sure those who are older than me do. I can only imagine what it was like to witness live via news broadcasts. Just as fascinating to me are the long lasting affects of the fallout; particularly how plants and wildlife were affected, which was the main perspective of this book. The book wasn't as deep in terms as breadth as I would have liked but I think that is just because this book was targeted at a younger demographic, which I think is great. Young people should read and learn about this event and let it sculpt their plans in taking care of this planet in the decades to come.
  
  I found it interesting to read different scientists thoughts and theories on how surviving populations of plants and animals were coping with living in the most radiated place in the world. I was baffled when I read that large populations of voles that were studied seemed almost completely unaffected by the radiation, both in appearance and behavior. The part about swallows showing unusual plumage variations and tumors seemed more to be what I expected.
  
  The most amazing thing I took away from this book was that after such a catastrophic disaster, which seemingly wiped all life from the immediate area, plants and animals made an amazing comeback and still exist there today. The truly incredible antidote was that due to the massive evacuation of humans from the area, plants and animals are actually thriving. What I glean from this is that the human race is actually more detrimental to wildlife than LITERALLY the most nuclear radiated place on the planet... Think about that for a minute.
• 
  Erin Thompson

  The Chernobyl disaster happened almost a year before I was born, and while I didn't grow up hearing much about it I was still always fascinated by it from the bits I had learned over time. I'm glad to see that even though the place is still so radioactive that some of the the wildlife is thriving, it is sad to see that is also still affecting them negatively as well in some ways. I knew that the giant catfish were there thanks to Jeremy Wade (from the show River Monsters) and a little about the wolves but I didn't now as much about other species in the area, so this book offered a nice look into what is known to be there. A lot of information on smaller species like the voles and swallows was given, and mention of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster from 2011 was also mentioned in some detail.
  
  I do wish that there were more images, especially of images of the area to see what the nature in the radioactive areas looked like. Most images I've seen, and the few that are in this book seem to have been of images in winter and everything looks bleak and deadish but there was mention of green and growth so it would have been nice to see something to show that. Or just more images in general would have been nice. Otherwise, very informative.
• 
  Debra

  Amazingly short 64 page look at Chernobyl and the mammal, bird, and insect life still existing in the Exclusion Zone(Dead Zone). It starts with the experiment that would trigger the explosion of Reactor #4, (The startling thing was that from the start of the experiment to the explosion was under a minute), then continues with how the situation was "handled" and the effects on the citizens of the area and the resulting countries that experiences the fallout from the disaster. A very good overview if you are unfamiliar with the subject.
  I was amazed that people are studying the effects on the animals by catching them and reading their internal radioactivity and comparing the reading to the measure of the radioactivity in the area they were living in. They are then banded and often equipped with a dosimeter to measure the external radiation they are exposed to. The whole thing is fascinating.
  
• 
  Katie Mac

  I started the HBO miniseries about Chernobyl and stopped watching after one episode (excellent, but too real and too devastating to binge). I wanted to learn more about it, so I picked up this children's book to get some accessible information; I was not disappointed.
  
  Johnson does an admirable job with this topic, not only outlining how the animals in Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone are living and thriving (some species more than others), but also providing concrete information about radiation in this and other nuclear disasters. Instead of having blocks of text, she segments the narrative by inserting red boxes with additional information. The vocabulary may be challenging for younger readers, and Johnson's definition choices are puzzling (for example, she defines "vertibrates" within the text but not "lichen"), but it would be a good resource for a middle-school history report (or as a personal read for an adult like me who wants to learn more about the topic).
• 
  Shelley

  Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom surprisingly gives a very comprehensive overview of the history, science, and aftermath behind the event. The story even goes beyond Chernobyl and explores other nuclear explosions that were just like it.
  
  From this readers can learn why and how the accident happened, learn about the science behind detecting radioactivity and how the fallout affected the genetic makeup of animals and wildlife such as swallows, insects, and voles, that were left behind.
  
  On a personal note, I’ve always been really intrigued by the idea of a radioactive wasteland. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve always been into WWII, if it’s because I play too much Fallout or because I’ve always found Chernobyl to be mysterious and terrifying.
  
  Either way this is an excellent simple explanation to satisfy your curiosities or to teach about the negative impacts of a nuclear fallout on wildlife.
• 
  Kari

  In 1986 there as a nuclear explosion. This zone filled with radiation is now known as the Dead Zone, this book looks into what is now happening to the wildlife in the area. Scientists believed the area would be a dead wasteland, but the wildlife is coming back, even though anything in that area is radioactive. Scientists are researching the area and how the plants and animals are able to survive in the radiation.
  
  I picked this book up after we starting watching the new HBO show Chernobyl and I wanted to learn more. This was a really interesting book, filled with picture and facts about the wildlife. The book also briefly went into what had happened before moving on into the wildlife in the present day.
  
  Apparently scientist are divided a bit on the topic of radiation. Some believe the low levels of radiation could actually be beneficial and help the animals be healthier while other scientists believe the low levels of radiation is deadly.
  
  There was a map of all the present nuclear power plants around the world and I was shocked there were so many. The book is a few years old by now, so the map could be off a bit, but it gives you a general idea.
  
  It also mentioned how people like the nuclear power plants since they are able to produce so much energy, even if they are dangerous. The author went on to point out that otherwise most of our energy is coming from burning coal, which leads to more carbon dioxide in the air, and eventually more global warming. The population keeps growing and we need more electricity and the demand keeps growing.
  
  It was a really interesting book about what is happening to that area that is filled with radiation.
  
  More of my book reviews can be found at
  http://bookswithkari.blogspot.com/
• 
  Holly

  I read this book as part of my required reading for my master's program. The overall aesthetics of the book will no doubt appeal to young adults – the title, Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom, sounds fun and appealing, and as a nonfiction book, the incredibly short length will no doubt be appreciated. The content within is informative and engaging without getting bogged down with too much scientific detail, and provides resources for further explanation and research. This is a perfect nonfiction book for teens and young adults.
• 
  R. G. Nairam

  I put this on my "history" shelves, but it is pretty heavily about science, although done in a way this non-sciencey person could follow (that's probably because it is for children. hush.).
  
  Really good information in here! Also nice formatting and pictures. Sometimes the set-up of sidebars and additional information sections in these kinds of books drive me crazy, but these worked well with the main text. There's also a moderate bibliography in the back.
  
  I would've liked it to be at least a couple chapters longer, but maybe that's because I'm an adult.
• 
  Lyndsay-ann

  Chernobyl is a wild and scary but amazing place. I have the privilege of being able to say that I have been inside the exclusion zone. Being there is so different and the wildlife is one of the biggest things. You can hear it. Gone is the sounds of traffic and humans and all that is present is nature.
  This book was really cool to read. It goes to show that not knly were humans impacted by this disaster, but nature as well. But also the fact thaf nature really is powerful and can come back in amazing ways from such a tragedy.
• 
  Nancy

  This was a book written for young readers with a basic knowledge of science. One does not need a university education to realize how terrible these events are. Anyone who reads this book will, I hope, see how it is imperative for all educators of children and YA, as well as adults who were not alive in 1986, to include works like this one, and other resources recommended by its author, Rebecca L. Johnson.
• 
  Amy

  I ordered this from the library, and when I got it I was disappointed - what sounded like (and had been catalogued as) an adult non fiction book appeared to actually be one targeted towards children. I flicked through it anyway, and soon found myself reading it cover to cover. Although it’s geared towards young adult readers, it was fascinating and explained concepts clearly to the average layperson without dumbing it down. It’s a deeply interesting topic presented well, no matter your age.
• 
  Heather Gunnell

  Staff Pick
  Heather
  
  This is a great introduction to the Chernobyl disaster. I was only a toddler when it happened, so I only knew the bare minimum about what really happened. It is fascinating to think that wildlife is somehow surviving in the Exclusion Zone. Whether or not it's thriving is up for debate, but it's there.
• 
  Kathleen Guinnane

  A fascinating look at the effects of radiation on the plants and animals in the area around Chernobyl. Amazing how life continues despite the radiation and mutations.
• 
  Pam

  Middle school nonfiction. Discussion of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the ensuing radioactive fallout. Why are there anaimals and plants thriving inthe dead zone?
• 
  Chris

  Engaging and informative.
• 
  Karly

  Easy to understand accounts of research from the exclusion zone of Chernobyl and how the wildlife is doing there now