Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia
Series
Scientists in the Field
by
Sy Montgomery
photographs by
Nic Bishop
Edition
-
Publisher
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Imprint
Houghton Mifflin
ISBN
9780618916450
Awards and Honors
Booklist Top 10 Books on the Environment for Youth, 2010
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
"People call it 'the ghost of the mountain.' A pale, spotted, almost cloudlike coat makes the snow leopard uncannily invisible in its rocky mountain habitat. People live their entire life among snow leopards and never see one." Author Sy Montgomery and photographer Nic Bishop accompany conservationist Tom McCarthy and his team as they travel to Mongolia's Altai Mountains to gather data about snow leopard populations in an attempt to save this endangered species. Notes from the author and the photographer. Index. Full-color photographs.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
None
Details
Format
Page Count
80
Trim Size
11" x 9"
Dewey
599.75/5509517
AR
5.5: points 3
Lexile
840L
Genre
Narrative nonfiction.
Scholastic Reading Counts
6
JLG Release
Sep 2009
Book Genres
Topics
Snow leopards. The Snow Leopard Trust. Habitat. Endangered species. Mongolia. Genghis Khan (ca. 1162-1227). The Mongol army. Biology. Becoming a conservationist. The takhi. Scientific expeditions. Supplies. Transportation. Gers. Mongolian culture. The Gobi Desert. Dinosaur fossils. Traps. Radio collars. Camps. The desert landscape. Petroglyphs. Marking territory. Scat. Specimen collection. Navigating difficult terrain. Camels. Camera traps. Yaks. Hospitality. Changing attitudes. Economic incentives for conservation.
Standard MARC Records
Download Standard MARC Records
Cover Art
Download Cover Art
Praise & Reviews
Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:
The Horn Book Magazine, The Horn Book Guide^, School Library Journal*
Praise & Reviews
Junior Library Guild
When Tom McCarthy, conservation director of the Snow Leopard Trust, began traveling to Central Asia, he quickly learned that in order to save the snow leopard, he must first find a way to change the attitude of the region’s people toward it: “We can study the snow leopards, . . . but the local people are the only ones who can save them.” To this end, McCarthy began enlisting families to join Snow Leopard Enterprises: “[O]nly families who promised not to kill leopards could join. If a leopard was killed in their area, they couldn’t take part in the program.” Saving the Ghost of the Mountain recounts McCarthy’s most recent expedition to the region, this time attempting to count snow leopards using statistical analyses based on evidence such as urine markings, scat, and scratchings.
Author Sy Montgomery conveys the experience in a lively, personal narrative. Her explanations of the expedition’s scientific goals are clear and informative. Throughout, she includes appealing details, such as a sign in Cyrillic advising airline passengers to “put their swords in their checked baggage.” Stories and recollections from McCarthy about earlier expeditions add depth to Montgomery’s account. Informational sidebars on such topics as Genghis Khan and how to erect a ger (the traditional Mongolian tent home) enrich the narrative. Nic Bishop’s striking photographs support Montgomery’s text admirably, capturing the landscape and people of Mongolia. Included are photographs taken of snow leopards in captivity. As Montgomery explains, even catching sight of the elusive animal in the wild is a great rarity.
Saving the Ghost of the Mountain is an appealing book for middle- and high-school students interested in conservation and the world beyond their own.
Horn Book
Montgomery and Bishop (Quest for the Tree Kangaroo) tag along with conservationist Tom McCarthy in search of the rare snow leopard in Mongolia. Montgomery describes not just the creatures and scientists who track them but also the land and Mongolian culture. Bishop's excellent photographs feature the region's arid, rocky landscapes, the people who live there, and the research team in action.
Grades 5-8
Nonfiction Middle
For Grades 5-8
Knowledge is power, and no other category speaks to this more. The 12 books in this category range from autobiographies to anthropological studies, these nonfiction titles are just right for middle-school readers . . . and ideal for research and classroom support, too.
12 books per Year
$259.20 per Year
Interests
Clean Books,Biographies,Diversity,History,Nonfiction,Science/STEAM
Grades 5-8
Nonfiction Middle
12 books per Year
$259.20 per Year
Other Recommended Titles From Nonfiction Middle
Nonfiction Middle
December 2022
