Check out this middle grade graphic novel about my hero, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

It’s Earth Week! I am often writing about nature, but this week is especially important for a little nature Kidlit! Log Life is the perfect book for a nature-loving family, a science teacher, or a forest preserve educator.

This is the beginning of all naturalist’s stories: time in childhood to touch and feel the awe of nature. Ragged rocks and windswept feathers become treasured gifts.

Jennifer Thermes, a map illustrator and author-illustrator has created one of the best books I have ever encountered, A Place Called America: A Story of the Land and People.

Give this book as a gift. Teacher appreciation day? Baby shower? Graduation? This book will inspire anyone who believes in working towards change for the greater good.

Who doesn’t love an excellent graphic novel? I highly, highly recommend Wildfire by Breena Bard to all middle schoolers. T

Stacy McAnulty takes us on a fun journey learning about Pluto in her narrative nonfiction picture book, “Pluto! Not a Planet? Not a Problem!”

Can you imagine living in an abandoned shack with no electricity, no running water? Can you imagine sleeping in that shack with a skunk and a pine marten?

I welcome new faces to this blog in the new year. What can new faces expect to find when subscribing to my blog?

Author Priya Narayanan wrote the picture book biography, Friend of Numbers: The Life of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. In this book, you follow the life of young Ramanujan growing up in rural India, finding patterns and numbers in everyday life.

My favorite part is the chapter titled “Tuna and Tears.” She thinks her “sad-stinky” tuna sandwich was actually intended for her cat, Mimi, not her. This series is great for 2nd-4th graders!

This book takes the reader from the early days of spring when birds lay their eggs to the chilly days of fall when migratory birds make their way south towards the ocean.

This sweet story of a grandmother who takes her granddaughter on a walk to gather her fellow neighbors and head to the polls highlights the simplicity and power of voting.

This is a true story of Prasit Hemmin and his soccer-loving friends who spent their 1980’s childhood desperate to actually PLAY soccer.

Her musical talent was undeniable and she courageously embarked on an adventure – studying at conservatories around the world. When she returned home to Rapa Nui, she was overwhelmed by the plastic garbage accumulating on Rapa Nui’s shores. She co-founded NGO Toki and worked with her community to build an earthship with the trash.

One beautiful summer day, Lauren and James head with their moshom on a trip to the lake. Their moshom falls asleep near a tree when they arrive at the lake. Lauren and James quickly head out in their canoe to fish. Time passes and they realize how far out they’ve drifted when their canoe suddenly starts to shake.

Think it’s impossible to teach a 5 year-old about evolution, natural selection and adaptation? It’s not. This is a simple story about the peppered moth.

The devastation in Maui weighs heavy on my heart and has me reflecting on our connection with the land and our dedication to preserving it. We are all hurt when our beautiful, natural environment burns, but the impact is often felt more profoundly for indigenous groups.

As I post this book review, I am feeling devastated about the destruction in Maui. This fire shows how fragile our environment is and this book gives clear, tangible ways you can preserve our environment…by using your yard! “Nature’s Best Hope” was originally an adult book and then a Young Reader’s version was adapted for kids. I

“Make Way for Butterfly” tells a story of a butterfly who desperately wants to help the ecosystem and become a pollinating bee.