Melting glaciers is a frequent topic in today’s headlines, and one that is explored on anthropological and environmental levels in James M. Deem’s fascinating work. Explaining the scientific aspects of glacier formation as well as geographic conditions, Deem discusses how glaciers operate like “a giant conveyor belt—essentially a moving river of ice.” With force and power, glaciers churn up, and turn up, mountain debris. This debris sometimes includes human remains that offer amazing insights into the past. From discoveries of an iceman in the Alps to ancient children of the Andes and the remains of native North Americans, Deem reveals how mysteries of human history are decoded from glacial meltings worldwide. Fascinating photographs complement the captivating narrative. (Ages 10–15)

A 2009 Sibert Honor Book



In 1991, mountain climbers on the Niederjoch Glacier on the Italian-Austrian border came across something unexpected: a body. It had been a very warm summer, and five bodies had already turned up in the area. But something here was different. The materials found with the body suggested it might be very old, perhaps from the 1800s. But radiocarbon dating proved the iceman was 5,300 years older, from the Copper Age. He was named Ötzi and he is the oldest human mummy preserved in ice ever found. In this Sibert Honor Book, James M. Deem takes us on a captivating and creepy journey to learn about glaciers, hulking masses of moving ice that are now offering up many secrets of the past.