MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS: Voice of the Everglades

Reporter, author, and ecology activist, this feisty 94-year-old has fought for more than 60 years to protect the Everglades, but her spice and strength are barely apparent in this subdued biography in the ""Earth Keeper"" series. Emphasizing personal chronology at the expense of activities and accomplishments, Bryant offers memories of special foods and preschool reading, devotes a page to a reunion with Douglas's father when she was 25, and details the deaths of her aunt and parents. A plus: the swamp is described in quotes from Douglas's own writings. The soft-pencil drawings are charming, but don't capture the Everglades' grandeur. Disappointing. Glossary; index.