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Plastic: it's used to make everything from drink bottles and bags to toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn't belong - like in the Pacific Ocean? How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there? A team of researchers went on a scientific expedition to find out. They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected. The plastic has drifted there from rivers, beaches, and ocean traffic all over the world. Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti. For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch - and what alarming discoveries they made.



About the Author

Patricia Newman

Many people think writers sit in front of their computers sipping coffee waiting for inspiration to strike. My inspiration usually strikes in the car ferrying kids on field trips or driving to music lessons. I do my best to carve out two or three hours in the early morning after my kids leave for school and my husband leaves for work, but it doesn't always work out. After a few hours I have to change hats and work on a volunteer project or drive my kids someplace. In order to eke out another hour or so each day, I taught myself to write on the run. I carry a manuscript wherever I go. If a story needs a bit of research, I take the source with me and makes notes while waiting in the pick-up line at school. I call it power writing.With the publication of Jingle the Brass, I discovered that public speaking is part of the writing process. My lively presentations are popular with schools and libraries, and I like to give my audience a new appreciation for the rigors of writing and selling a children's book. Writing for children is the hardest thing I've ever done. The children's publishing field is extremely competitive, but I'm not deterred. I write because I can't imagine not writing. I write for myself and for the kids who read my work. I write for the joy of seeing a kid sitting in the front row at a school visit, hand stretched high to answer my questions. I write for the kid who tells me he's read my books 15 times.Learn more at www.patriciamnewman.com



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