School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Consisting of interviews with scientists and microbiologists and outstanding video footage, the eyewitness journeys into the dark annals of the underground provide viewers with a first-hand exploration of caves. Cave explorations have provided a plethora of information which support the thesis that life flourishes amidst these poisonous environments. The "timeless darkness and eerie silence" has yielded proof that microbes are surviving within very harsh surroundings. Scientists speculated that only carbonic acids created caves. Now they are discovering that sulfuric acids create caves. Therefore, biology and not just geology plays a role in the formation of caves; life itself plays a role. The view of New Mexico's Lechugilla Cave, the deepest cave in the Americas, is breathtaking. High school science students will glean much information from the video's content. In addition, Nova provides outstanding online support information for both students and teachers at www.pbs.org, keyword Mysterious Life of Caves. The Web site also offers outstanding diagrams and interactive slide shows. The video integrates very well with the science curriculum and is an outstanding resource for classrooms or libraries.-Barbara L. McMullin, Casita Center for Technology, Science, and Math, Vista, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.