The Last Unexplored Place on Earth: Investigating the Ocean Floor with Alvin the Submersible

by Aly Brown

Dive into the world of Alvin the Submersible, as award winning journalist Aly Brown shares the stories of what lies beneath the waves, including lost hydrogen bombs, underwater volcanoes, storied shipwrecks, and hundreds of new species.

Humans have explored the far reaches of the globe, from the top of Mount Everest to Badwater Basin—a stretch of land 282 feet below sea level. But for most of our time on this planet, the ocean has been a huge mystery. It's only in the last 50 years that scientists have really started studying the ocean floor, with the help of one amazing creation: Alvin the submersible.

A deep-sea vessel that can sink miles below the surface with three people inside, Alvin and its crew have uncovered a treasure trove of information in the last 50 years. From tracking down lost hydrogen bombs to exploring underwater volcanoes known as black smokers to capturing footage of the Titanic's watery grave, there's so much waiting to be discovered beneath the waves!

Join award winning journalist Aly Brown as she dives into the wonders of Alvin’s world and see for yourself what lies in the last unexplored place on earth!

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Middle Grade

176 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

Reviews

[Pam C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remarkable Research and Story

While this book was essentially written for someone much younger than a grandmother, it peaked my interest as I was fascinated by Alvin in the ‘60s. I always thought of him as a little “critter”, not a mere machine. This is obviously the thought of the author as well. And I had no idea he was still going strong. All his stories captured my curiosity and my heart. What an amazing boon to science he has been. The book made me curious to know more about his discoveries. Thank you Ms Brown for sharing his stories.

[Brooks Barker]

This is Aly Brown's first book; her only award is the Gold Standard selection, and it was published on October 17th, 2023. Aly Brown is a newspaper editor who wrote this book because she had a deep love for Oceanography and thought that this program was amazing for all of the cool and new creatures they discovered. This book was really fun to read. It was very visual, and it made me feel like I was there as she described all of the different areas and creatures throughout the book. I feel like I learned a ton of information about the different creatures that live deep in the ocean and about Oceanography. I love the way that she explains the scientific terms in ways people can understand, and how she did all the research on Alvin and the program to write the book. This book teaches readers the importance of responsibility and perseverance, as it shows all of the research and effort that the scientists had to put into the program to be successful. It also has a strong theme about having the courage to never give up, whether it's getting back the sunken sub or being the first female captain. If you like Oceanography and the exploration of old tech, then this is a book for you. I also think this is a great way to learn more about our current knowledge of the ocean and how we have explored it in different ways. This book showed readers that history does not always have to be boring, as this program started almost 60 years ago, and that sometimes “new” technology is not always better. It also showed how the reader should be open to giving new people a chance by explaining how the program didn’t let women lead missions until almost a decade after the program had started. The women who joined the group were key contributors to ensuring the program continued to grow as they offered a new and different perspective to the men who had been working in the program. It also teaches you that perseverance and determination are key to a job like this because you can’t give up the first time that things get hard, and that just because technology continues to change and grow, sometimes the “old” technology is better. Alvin continued to be able to do more than many of the new subs that joined the program.

I think that the author was trying to show us different examples of how Alvin was used and restructured over the years. The author had a very joyful tone, and she was also very animated. I believe that reading this book changed my point of view on Oceanography because I used to think that the animals that were deep in the ocean were straight out of a horror movie, but now I realize that they are just misunderstood, or at least some of them. All in all, I believe that I would recommend this book to a wide range of people, including people with Thalassophobia (the fear of deep water) or Ichthyophobia(the fear of fish), or even people who are just unsure overall about the ocean and the animals and creatures that live underneath. I would say that this was a very enjoyable and entertaining book, and I will definitely read more books like this in the future.

[The Book Nerd's Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and informational middle grade book featuring the submersible Alvin and the many discoveries that it helped obtain.

I must honestly say, there is no reason for me reading this book besides I randomly won it from the author's newsletter. Despite it being written for upper elementary students, I still found myself learning a ton. Before reading this book, I didn't even know that the submarine Alvin existed, so it should come as no surprise that I learned many things.

Some of the things that I found the most impressive about Alvin is that he helped discover the remains of the Titanic, prove the theory of tectonic plates, found geothermal vents on the ocean floor, and even retrieved a nuclear bomb from the ocean depths! I found it fascinating to learn about the 50+ years of history that this little submarine helped create.

This book is perfect for children due to the many photographs scattered throughout, the science experiments they can do at home, and the various asides explaining random topics about the sea floor. I probably could have done without most of them, but I can see the allure they would have for young children.

The thing that I liked learning about the most was an octopus hatching ground that Alvin helped discover. Alvin was a big part in discovering many species deep in the ocean depths that had never been discovered previously, but I am a sucker for octopuses, so it's no surprise that I found that segment especially enjoyable.

Overall, I feel that Brown was well read on this topic and I learned a bunch from her book. It is cool that she talked to some of these scientists in person, and I trust that her information is accurate. I enjoyed learning more about the ocean, though this book reminded me how much I fear the ocean's depths. I think it is a great intro to the subject of submarines in general, and that children and adult's with a childlike wonder and an interest in subs could enjoy this one.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history of the special submarine, Alvin, reinforced to go to extraordinary depths, the people behind its creation and operation, and the scientific and historical moments it has be instrumental to.

This was an interesting look at our understanding of deeper places of the ocean and how Alvin has been a vital tool in that understanding. I found it really interesting how often they revamp and improve Alvin and the training that goes into being part of its crew. This was a unique little marine biology/marine history that is an engaging read and includes photos.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Some shipwrecks are mentioned (such as Titanic, which was found via Alvin) and the lives lost are also mentioned, but there isn't anything gory.
Ethnic diversity: Most of the people working on/with Alvin are white Americans, some joint work with Europeans and others.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: It talks about claustrophobia a bit in one chapter.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well done! An excellent introduction to the submersible Alvin, as well as the scientists who explored and discovered with each adventure they took with Alvin. I look forward to recommending to curious upper elementary

[Megan Eliason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smooth spread of the progression of science, women in science, maintaining the momentum of our youth in science, and positive & negative impacts.

With that run on sentence completed, my 11 year old recommended I work this book in my already overloaded list. Glad I did!

[Leon Boehmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story behind one of the longest and deepest operating vehicles in history.