Why am I passionate about this?

My name is Lynn Brunelle, and for as long as I can remember, I have been at least two things—a bookhound and an outdoorsy girl. Ever since I was little, I have explored trees, insects, tadpoles, snowflakes, tidepools—whatever I discovered in my home in the woods by the beach. I had so many questions, which led to books. So it seems only natural that I LOVE books—lots of different genres of books, but mostly books for kids and mostly books that make me wonder about science and nature. Bringing this curiosity to others and making the amazing things in nature accessible to kids is what I do. 


I wrote

Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

By Lynn Brunelle, Jason Chin (illustrator),

Book cover of Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

What is my book about?

What happens when the largest animal on earth, the Blue Whale, dies? It’s the end of one beautiful story and…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Over and Under the Snow

Lynn Brunelle Why did I love this book?

Great books reveal new worlds. I am crazy about books that wake up curiosity. These books are fabulous. They make exploration and observation accessible to anyone.

I love the illustrations and the information that introduces readers to the notion that a lot is going on beneath the surface in nature. There always is! It may be hushed and white up top, but beneath is a secret world where animals have different strategies to survive the cold, dark winter. It makes me wonder about all the other things that are happening that we don’t always see.

By Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Over and Under the Snow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book exploring the subnivean zone reveals the tunnels and caves formed beneath the snow but over the ground, where many kinds of animals live through the winter, safe and warm, awake and busy, but hidden beneath the snow.


Book cover of What It's Like to be a Bird

Lynn Brunelle Why did I love this book?

The title is pretty clear, and of course, I immediately wondered—what is it like to be a bird? Why the foot shape? How do woodpeckers NOT get concussions? You wonder that, admit it!

The illustrations are so clear and accessible and the essays about wings and other marvels of “birdness” are so compelling and leave me looking at birds in an entirely new light. 

By David Allen Sibley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What It's Like to be a Bird as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The bird book for birders and nonbirders alike that will excite and inspire by providing a new and deeper understanding of what common, mostly backyard, birds are doing—and why: "Can birds smell?"; "Is this the same cardinal that was at my feeder last year?"; "Do robins 'hear' worms?"

"The book's beauty mirrors the beauty of birds it describes so marvelously." —NPR

In What It's Like to Be a Bird, David Sibley answers the most frequently asked questions about the birds we see most often. This special, large-format volume is geared as much to nonbirders as it is to the out-and-out…


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Book cover of To Do Justice: White Winter

To Do Justice by Laurie Marr Wasmund,

To Do Justice is the first book in the White Winter Trilogy. The other books are To Love Kindness and To Walk Humbly. The Trilogy follows the same set of characters through eight tumultuous years in their lives and in the history of the world. To Do Justice starts…

Book cover of Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

Lynn Brunelle Why did I love this book?

This deliciously visual book is like a journal. I wish I had spent more time drawing in and collecting morsels of natural facts! I devour things like the whys and hows of different types of rocks, weather patterns, and volcanoes, among other wonders. 

The pages are loaded with lovely and informative illustrations, and I want to carry them with me everywhere in case I ever wonder why, how, or what. 

By Julia Rothman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Nature Anatomy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.

Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman's whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.

Nature Anatomy is the second book in Rothman's Anatomy series - you'll love Nature Anatomy Notebook, Ocean Anatomy, Food Anatomy, and Farm Anatomy, too!


Book cover of Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera

Lynn Brunelle Why did I love this book?

We see them all the time. We know they’re important. We may drizzle honey on our toast, but did we ever stop to think about what this creature’s life is all about? This up-close and personal journey is so eye-opening, beautiful, and fresh. It's also so important.

The book makes us curious, makes us stop and spend a little time, and makes us care about these remarkable beings. What more could you ask for in a book?

By Candace Fleming, Eric Rohmann (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Honeybee as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 6, 7, 8, and 9.

What is this book about?

Robert F. Sibert Medal Winner
 
Take to the sky with Apis, one honeybee, as she embarks on her journey through life!

An Orbis Pictus Honor Book
Selected for the Texas Bluebonnnet Master List
Finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books

A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet!

Apis builds wax comb to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage.…


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Book cover of Temple of Dreams: A Novel of Now and Then

Temple of Dreams by Carolyn Mathews,

Homeless following the death of his adoptive parents in a car crash and the subsequent loss of their farm tenancy, Seb decides to enrol as a residential student at the Asklepios Foundation, a College of Natural Medicine, boasting a sanctuary modelled on an ancient Greek healing temple. Spending a night…

Book cover of Island of the Blue Dolphins

Lynn Brunelle Why did I love this book?

I know, I know, this is fiction, but what a glorious story it is! It resonates with me because it is all about a girl being dazzled by nature, working with it, and surviving.

I first read this book in 3rd grade and loved it. I love the character’s resilience, respect, and perspective. Although the world she lived in was so different from my own, there were so many similarities in approach and so many things to learn. It’s the first book that made me think about what it might be like to live in and with nature. 

By Scott O’Dell,

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Island of the Blue Dolphins as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Twelve-year-old Karana escapes death at the hands of treacherous hunters, only to find herself totally alone on a harsh desolate island. How she survives in the face of all sorts of dangers makes gripping and inspiring reading.

Based on a true story.


Explore my book 😀

Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

By Lynn Brunelle, Jason Chin (illustrator),

Book cover of Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall

What is my book about?

What happens when the largest animal on earth, the Blue Whale, dies? It’s the end of one beautiful story and the beginning of another. Her body sinks to the bottom of the sea and creates food and shelter for an entire ecosystem that couldn’t exist without it. A century-long, cascading rollover of thousands of different species of organisms that live, engage, feed, reproduce, and, in turn, die and feed other organisms for generations in a never-ending circle of life. Nature is amazing.

Book cover of Over and Under the Snow
Book cover of What It's Like to be a Bird
Book cover of Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

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