The shore was my first great love, the falling in love-kind. I grew up in Houston, a short distance from the Texas coast. My parents took us there often. Back then, in the 70s, I found a wealth of treasures: sand dollars, urchins, seahorses, starfish, and mollusks. Since then, the treasures have diminished considerably. It’s rare to find any of these animals that were once common. In my research on oceans, reefs, and Earth’s many animals and habitats, I’ve learned that many are endangered and that habitat loss due to human activity is the primary culprit. My contribution to help restore the Earth’s health is through children’s books.
I love this book because it features one of my favorite kinds of nonfiction children’s books–female scientists who make important contributions to understanding and enlightening people about little-known animals.
Eugenie loved sharks from childhood. Her curiosity about them made her face any challenges, and with courage and passion, she pursued her dream of studying sharks and eventually, fearlessly swimming with them! In her early years, people didn’t encourage girls to be scientists, and it was commonly thought that sharks were evil and dumb. She proved them wrong on all counts. This book inspires girls–and boys–to pursue their passion with perseverance and courage.
One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls! This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike! An Amazon Best Book of the Month Named a Best Children's Book of 2017 by Parents magazine Eugenie Clark fell in love with sharks from the first moment she saw them at the aquarium. She couldn't imagine anything more exciting than studying these graceful creatures. But…
I love this book because its title reflects how I feel about water: protective. Young Nokomis, a girl of the indigenous Ojibwe people, learns that humans are born of water, and it is sacred. She says that the “river’s rhythm runs through my veins.” I feel the same way.
Finding ways to protect it is a large undertaking, but there are simple ways too. Praying, especially in song, is one. Nokomis reminds us that all of us, humans, animals, and elements, are interconnected. I agree with this sentiment: We Are One. Her prayer is mine. We must stand strong and work together, pray, and sing together as one of the everyday activities to acknowledge the sacredness of water.
Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal #1 New York Times Bestseller
Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption―a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.
Water is the first medicine. It affects and connects us all . . .
When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth And poison her people’s water, one young water protector Takes a stand to defend Earth’s most sacred resource.
Germany 1938. Herman watches in horror as his cousin is arrested. As a Jew, he realizes he must flee Germany, a decision that catapults him into a life changed forever by the gathering storm of world events.
Part coming-of-age fiction, part immigrant tale, part military adventure, Immigrant Soldier follows Herman’s…
I love this book because it is about water crystals and the effects of positivity and negativity on their formation. I also love that it contains a theme I consistently seek: pursuing your dreams despite what others say to discourage you or belittle your idea.
Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto shows us through text and photos what form a water crystal takes when it “hears” beautiful music and benedictions versus heavy metal sounds and demeaning, scary words. Though not technically for children, I think its message is one they should know and even be raised on. The fascinating photos show the beauty of crystals and, sadly, their deformity depending on what they are exposed to. The simple acts of singing and praying not only lift us up, but they also have a mysterious power to honor water and acknowledge its sacredness.
This book has the potential to profoundly transform your world view. Using high-speed photography, Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors. The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.
I love this nonfiction book because it is about innovatively rebuilding Earth’s dying reefs. I also love biographies about ordinary humans who have achieved great things by pursuing their dreams–achievements born of compassion for the planet, its people, and the health and survival of all.
It’s the story of one man’s efforts to build more coral reefs. A second subtitle is The Story of Ken Nedimyer and the Coral Restoration Foundation. The book begins and ends with a provocative sentence: “It starts with one.” One polyp can grow into a life-giving reef. One person can rebuild dying reefs, create new ones, and create foundations so that others can support his vital work. Ken’s method is working!
The Brilliant Deep is the proud recipient of the ALA Notable Children's Books Award, the NSTA-CBC Best STEM Trade Books Award, the Junior Library Guild Selection and the ILA Teacher's Choices.
All it takes is one: one coral gamete to start a colony in the ocean, one person to make a difference in the world, one idea to help us heal the earth. The ongoing conservation efforts to save and rebuild the world's coral reefs-with hammer and glue, and grafts of newly grown coral-are the living legacy of environmental scientist Ken Nedimyer, founder of the Coral Restoration Foundation.
On the planet of the Sentient Cities, City of Mann is by all accounts an ordinary city. Leaving his home for Epicurea where he gets his first job as an intern at CitiCorp, life as a grown up City could not be any better. But as the questions of existence…
What is a whale fall? The title captivated me. I learned, via lyrical text, that whale fall is when a dead whale sinks to the ocean floor and, like a tree, provides food and shelter to a host of animals, “deep-sea denizens,” for 50 years or more. Its skin, blubber, bones, and all invite the scavengers to feast: hagfish, sleeper sharks, eelpouts, rattails, crabs, mollusks, microbes, and more until eventually, the “last trace of the mighty whale is gone.”
I also love that the back matter includes esoteric and detailed facts about the scavengers. The book inspires curiosity. I had never thought that animals could provide food and shelter for decades. Now I want to know what other animals do this!
This fascinating nonfiction picture book filled with stunning illustrations details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea.
When a whale dies, its massive body silently sinks down, down, through the inky darkness, finally coming to rest on the silty seafloor. For the whale, it's the end of a 70-year-long life. But for a little-known community of deep-sea dwellers, it's a new beginning. First come the hungry hagfish, which can smell the whale from…
In my book, a trio of best mermaid friends sing to their friends in the coral reef, home to whales and turtles, angels and dragons, blue-eyed scallops and piglet squids, nurses, surgeons, kings, and queens. (Yes, really!)
Their song is a rhyming lullaby of blessings, a deeply heartfelt prayer that their friends–and every crystal of water!–have a happy, safe, and healthy life under the sea.
When Miranda’s fiancé, Russ, is being vetted for his dream job in the U.S. attorney’s office, the couple joke that Miranda’s parents’ history as antiwar activists in the Sixties might jeopardize Russ’s security clearance. In fact, the real threat emerges when Russ’s future employer discovers that Miranda was arrested for…
The Stark Beauty of Last Things
by
Céline Keating,
This book is set in Montauk, under looming threat from a warming climate and overdevelopment. Now outsider Clancy, a thirty-six-year-old claims adjuster scarred by his orphan childhood, has inherited an unexpected legacy: the power to decide the fate of Montauk’s last parcel of undeveloped land. Everyone in town has a…
