What's in your pocket? Collecting nature's treasures

Who hasn't walked along a beach or through a forest and pocketed a shiny stone, a seashell, or a flower? Heather L. Montgomery's terrific book suggests that this kind of casual curiosity can spark a lifelong love of science and nature. A series of humorous anecdotes briefly presents the extraordinary lives of nine scientists, along with interesting scientific facts. The stories have surprising outcomes, such as a worm-loving girl who becomes primatologist Jane Goodall, and a budding insect collector who turns out to be Charles Darwin. Also included are many lesser-known names from different eras and varied backgrounds: in the 17th century, Maria Sibylla Merian discovers that butterflies grow from caterpillars, while Bonnie Lei, in the present day, continues to work with marine animals.