On the Origin of Species: Young Readers Edition

by Rebecca Stefoff (Adapted by), Charles Darwin (From an Idea by)

Overview

Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking On the Origin of Species is now available in an accessible, illustrated edition for young readers that includes an introduction, glossary, modern insight and information, and more!

Charles Darwin’s famous theory of natural selection shook the world of science to its core, challenging centuries of orthodox beliefs about life itself. Darwin’s boundary-shattering treatise was captured in On the Origin of Species, originally published in 1859, a groundbreaking and detailed study on ecological interrelatedness, the complexity of animal and plant life, and the realities of evolution.

This Young Reader’s Edition makes Darwin’s cornerstone of modern science accessible to readers of all ages. Meticulously curated to honor Darwin’s original text, this compelling edition also provides contemporary insight, photographs, illustrations, and more. This adaptation is a must-have for any reader with a curious mind and the desire to explore one of the most influential books of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481462495
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Edition description:	Young Readers ed.
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	11.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Rebecca Stefoff published her first books when she was in college and has been writing ever since. She has written many nonfiction books for children and young adults, with an emphasis on science and history. Through her books, teenage readers can explore topics as varied as ghosts, robots, bacteria, evolution, women pioneers, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, forensic crime solving, and more. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882) was an English naturalist, biologist, and geologist, and is considered one of the most influential figures in human history. He is best known for his contributions to the science of evolution and his theory on natural selection, which he published in his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species.

Read an Excerpt

On the Origin of Species

Wheat still produces new variations, even though it has been domesticated for ten thousand years or so.

Editorial Reviews

Because [Darwin's] theory was so world-rocking—to the scientific community and beyond—the original edition includes mountains of dense evidence. Stefoff's edition doesn't have to work so hard, and the result is a streamlined, simplified version, helped along by an introduction covering biographical information on Darwin…

The New York Times Book Review - Jenny Rosenstrach

09/17/2018
This attractive, oversize adaptation of Charles Darwin’s classic work of science has been shortened, updated, and streamlined for clarity and readability. Stefoff’s introduction provides biographical detail about Darwin and how the naturalist’s excursions on the HMS Beagle were instrumental to his theory’s development. She also describes the fundamental concepts behind Darwin’s “Big Idea” as well as its significant controversy. Vocabulary words appear in bold throughout the text, while sidebars and supplemental sections delve into related topics: myths and misinterpretations of evolution; how modern research has deepened scientific understanding of evolutionary processes; and the concept of “artificial selection” as it applies to modern dogs. Bright photographs and illustrations of plants, animals, and habitats provide an expansive and inviting visual element. With valuable modifications and enhancements, Stefoff preserves the richness of Darwin’s content for contemporary young readers. Ages 10–up. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"A streamlined, simplified version [of Darwin's manifesto], helped along by an introduction covering biographical information on Darwin—kids might be interested to know he was not a standout student."

The New York Times Book Review

"This handsome, large-format book offers a “young readers edition” of Darwin’s classic, adapted by Stefoff. In the introduction, she explains that her process involved shortening the text by removing outdated sections and multiple examples supporting aspects of his theory. She also simplified the writing somewhat, while preserving “as much of Darwin’s original language as possible.” In addition to her many useful notes in the margins, commenting on words and phrases highlighted in the text, she has added sidebars and full-page articles usually intended to bring the science up-to-date, discussing topics such as continental drift, DNA, and the term species as used by Darwin, his contemporaries, and scientists today. Most of the spacious double-page spreads feature one or more illustrations, including many color photos as well as period drawings, prints, and photos. An ever-increasing number of science books introduce Darwin’s work to young readers. The strength of this attractive volume is that it gives them direct access to Darwin's words on the topic of natural selection, along with informative updates and explanations."

Booklist

"This handsome, large-format book offers a “young readers edition” of Darwin’s classic, adapted by Stefoff. In the introduction, she explains that her process involved shortening the text by removing outdated sections and multiple examples supporting aspects of his theory. She also simplified the writing somewhat, while preserving “as much of Darwin’s original language as possible.” In addition to her many useful notes in the margins, commenting on words and phrases highlighted in the text, she has added sidebars and full-page articles usually intended to bring the science up-to-date, discussing topics such as continental drift, DNA, and the term species as used by Darwin, his contemporaries, and scientists today. Most of the spacious double-page spreads feature one or more illustrations, including many color photos as well as period drawings, prints, and photos. An ever-increasing number of science books introduce Darwin’s work to young readers. The strength of this attractive volume is that it gives them direct access to Darwin's words on the topic of natural selection, along with informative updates and explanations."

Booklist

2018-08-27

The bible of evolution theory—condensed, glossed, furnished with updates, and enlivened with vivid photos and images.

Darwin's magnum opus needs all the enlivening it can get, as even with considerable editorial work—which includes a substantial introduction, cutting two-thirds of the original text by removing outdated passages and excessive examples, combining chapters, defining unfamiliar words or usages in the margins, and reshaping some of the language—what remains is a lucid but dry mix of (now, at least) cautious claims and undocumented observations: "Mysterious laws govern the way variations occur within a species" Big, bright nature photos or period engravings and paintings on nearly every large spread do inject some juice, even if many seem more decorative than functional. More helpfully, supplemented by the occasional diagram, Stefoff's frequent glosses and boxed side essays unpack major concepts, add historical context, explain how later scientific discoveries modify or support Darwin's broad picture, and even studiously point out where the author went wrong. Young readers seeking to understand Darwin's revolutionary insights and how he achieved them will have no trouble finding more concise accounts (including Stefoff's own Charles Darwin and the Evolution Revolution, 1996), if none at once so handsomely presented and so close to the source.

Old news, even to younger audiences, but a glossy edition of one of science's most fundamental works. (index, glossary, print and web resources) (Nonfiction. 13-17)

Kirkus Reviews