The Miracle Seed

by Martin Lemelman

Overview

Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award in Juvenile Nonfiction Gold Winner (2023)

The thrilling true story of an ancient plant, wonderfully reborn in the modern era through the hard work of two female scientists.

Thousands of years ago, in a time of rebellion, the Jewish people fought against their Roman rulers. The brutal Emperor Titus ordered the destruction of everything precious to the Jews: towns, villages, even their beloved Judean date palm trees. Centuries passed. The Jewish people were scattered, and the Judean date palm faded into extinction. Then, in 1963, a team of archaeologists uncovered two-thousand-year-old date palm seeds at the ruined fortress of Masada. For another forty years the seeds waited—until 2004, when Israeli scientist Dr. Sarah Sallon had a big, courageous idea. What if those ancient seeds could bring the Judean date palm back to life? Dr. Sallon recruited her friend Dr. Elaine Solowey, and their amazing experiment began…

Intertwining world history, the scientific process, and colorfully detailed artwork, The Miracle Seed follows the Judean date palm’s journey from tragic extinction to incredible rebirth. Captivating and hopeful, this graphic novel is an unforgettable look at perseverance and survival in the face of impossible odds. 

The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award in Children’s Nonfiction Long List (2024)

WORLD Children’s Books of Year - Nonfiction (2023)

Tablet Best Jewish Books List (2023)

PJ Library Selection (2023)

Junior Library Guild Selection (2023)

 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802855909
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	03/28/2023
Series:	Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR)
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	411,434
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	GN820L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

Martin Lemelman has illustrated over thirty children's books and is the author-illustrator of the graphic memoirs Two Cents Plain (Bloomsbury) and Mendel's Daughter: A Memoir (Free Press). He hopes that The Miracle Seed inspires his granddaughters and other young women to ask hard questions about the world and persevere in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Martin lives in Florida, where he is a certified Florida Master Gardener. Visit Martin's website at lemelmanart.com and follow him on Twitter @MartinLemelman.

Editorial Reviews

★ 2023-03-14
An extinct seed was reborn after two millennia thanks to the work of two 21st-century Israeli scientists.

Our tale begins in ancient Israel, when Romans vanquished embattled Jews atop their last stronghold—the mountaintop fortress of Masada. Among the items abandoned there were Judean date-palm seeds; these trees were considered a “treasure in Israel and throughout the ancient world,” and their fruit was believed to have medicinal purposes. The seeds remained hidden by time and sand until archaeologists unearthed six in 1963. In 2004, Jerusalem physician Dr. Sarah Sallon decided to study their potential health benefits. No one had ever resuscitated an extinct plant, but she wanted to try and contacted Dr. Elaine Solowey, PhD, a prominent Israeli plant expert, to ask if it were possible. It was. She planted a seed that miraculously sprouted; six years later, Dr. Solowey replanted her thriving success in the desert. Over the next several years, Dr. Sallon located additional ancient seeds; Dr. Solowey sprouted them, too, and pollinated one from her first plant. Amazingly, in 2020, she picked dates from the first tree she’d so carefully developed years before. Students interested in science will be fascinated by this unique blend of ancient history and modern science, skillfully combined in an easy-to-understand, easily navigable graphic novel. The writing is smooth, with a conversational tone; pronunciation guides and diagrams are included. The unfussy, fine-lined digital illustrations are atmospheric, beautifully capturing time and place.

Restores hope in the idea that all things are possible; especially empowering for young women interested in STEM subjects. (author’s note, timeline, map of Israel, photos) (Graphic nonfiction. 7-11)

Kirkus Reviews