Category Archives: Learning

Engaging Young Children with Interactive Books

Image © parents.com

Many grownups remember their favorite childhood books, especially ones their parents and educators read to them. Or even fairy tales or older siblings’ textbooks. Some children, though, are energetic and may struggle to sit silently and listen to reading. Thankfully, interactive books can entertain children while helping develop vital skills in literacy, communication, and vocabulary.

Kaplan Early Learning Company says that interactive reading between adults and children is essential when it comes to children’s early literacy skills. Interactive books engage infants and capture their natural curiosity. Unique features, such as textures, lift-flaps, moving parts, pull-tabs, or die-cut pages, help support young children’s sensory development.

Pull-tabs and lift-flaps can especially aid in developing toddlers’ pre-reading skills. Vicki, a former teacher and a mother, says on her blog that these book features provide parents and educators with an opportunity to help children develop their basic skills. For example, asking toddlers what they think they will find behind each flap is a fun way to teach them how to make predictions.

Interior spread from Shapes at Play by Jin Choi.

Some of Star Bright Books’s titles contain unique features that can help toddlers develop their essential skills. Shapes at Play by Jin Choi is a casebound board book designed for children to discover shapes in bright primary colors. This wordless book with lift-flaps will help toddlers learn basic geometry and geometric concepts, shape relationships, scale, and proportion, especially if adults ask them questions about what they see and what they might find with flaps closed and opened.

Red Socks by Ellen Mayer, illustrated by Ying-Hwa Hu.

Our Small Talk Books® series, written by Ellen Mayer, features books like Red Socks and Rosa’s Very Big Job that include a note for parents, caregivers, and teachers. Each note advises adults on how to hold rich conversations with toddlers to help develop and nurture vocabulary and emotions. This activity sheet, for example, can be paired with some of Star Bright Books’s laundry-specific books and is a fun way for adults and toddlers to sort clean laundry together while comparing sizes of clothing items.

With unique interactive features, children’s books are an excellent way for toddlers to develop basic skills, expand knowledge, and remember precious moments with their families and educators forever.

Translation Effects on Children’s Books

Movie details are sometimes altered to appeal to wider or local audiences. Disney’s Zootopia is no exception.

Judy Hopps, the first bunny cop in the modern mammal metropolis called Zootopia, teams up with a cunning fox, Nick Wild, to solve a mystery that could potentially ruin the relationship between different types of animals. One of the characters in Zootopia was customized depending on the aired countries. In the US, Canada, and France, a TV news reporter is a moose, but the same character is seen as a panda in China and as a raccoon in Japan.

“Localizing graphics across different countries is just another way to specialize films across the world to make sure films will resonate with audiences,” said Kirsten Acuna, a correspondent for Business Insider. This principle also applies to children’s books.

As a children’s book publisher, Star Bright Books makes a concerted effort to include children of all colors, nationalities, and abilities in its books by working with diverse authors and publishing multilingual, multicultural books. Here are some changes made in our books in translation to respect the cultures, religions, and backgrounds of the target audience.

Covers of Animal Colors (English and Navajo/English editions), illustrated by Brian Wildsmith.

Just like Zootopia, animal characters are altered when publishing books for different peoples and cultures. In this case, the purpose is not to localize the character, but rather to respect cultural connotations. The original version of Animal Colors by Brian Wildsmith, for example, includes snakes and frogs; however, these animals are believed to bring bad luck in some cultures. As a result, the yellow snake was updated to a yellow chick and the green frog became a green chameleon in the Navajo and Navajo/English bilingual versions of the book.

A scene from the English edition of Animal Colors by Brian Wildsmith.

Character names and objects are also often adapted when translating one language into another in order to make them more familiar to the target audience. In the original Greek edition of Comings and Goings, the main character’s name is Phevos. In the English edition (a 2022 USBBY Outstanding International Books selection), Phevos became Alex. In this way, native English readers can pronounce the main character’s name more easily. Similarly, Phevos and his mother’s meal of mashed potatoes and cabbage was changed to sandwiches and French fries because the latter combination is a common lunch option in the US.

The English version of Comings and Goings contains changes to character names and food items. Art from Fotini Tikkou.

Certain words and phrases cannot and should not be translated into other languages because readers might misinterpret an author’s intention or find the situation unrelatable. Which sounds better: sushi or raw fish on top of a vinegar rice ball? Translators also choose words and phrases that convey appropriate meaning and sometimes avoid translating word-for-word.

Children will immerse themselves in cultural stories when words, characters, and other design elements are adapted for easy understanding. Young readers can travel around the world by safely reading diverse books at home thanks to translators’ careful considerations.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2022 Reviews

On January 28, Star Bright Books proudly returned as a bronze sponsor for Multicultural Children’s Book Day! We appreciate the opportunity to participate in this celebration of representation and diverse stories. Multicultural Children’s Book Day, now in its tenth year, aims to connect young readers with multicultural books and expose them to new perspectives. This year, volunteers read and reviewed Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuild the Community, I Have Cerebral Palsy, and The Magic of Clay. We would like to share their amazing words below!*

*Click each link to read the full review.

Books and Bricks: How a School Rebuilt the Community

Mindfulece (Twitter: @TheMindfulECE)
“I loved this book for children. It’s wonderful to read out loud. It’s informative and includes a little bit of mystery that keeps the reader engaged. As the story unfolds it’s heartwarming to see the transformation of the main characters from hopeless to hopeful about what a thriving school can do for the community.”

Hannah Stere (Goodreads and Amazon)
“[This] is an engaging story about a South African community that bands together to create a mutually beneficial relationship in an engaging and thoughtful way. Books and Bricks highlights the importance of a school as a community support system.”

Medha Tare (Instagram: @picklebunny_books)
“An inspiring example of #communitybuilding with parallels around the world.”

I Have Cerebral Palsy

MaryAnne Kofenderfer (Twitter & Instagram: @mamasmiles)
“This book represents beautifully MCBD’s mission to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves.”

Shenna Bogetti (Instagram: @librarian_shenna)
“[I Have Cerebral Palsy] is a great book to help build that world knowledge and help students be comfortable around others that may have cerebral palsy or another type of disability.”

Rachana Ramanan (Instagram: @rach_artnmore)
“This book is so beautiful – it blew my mind away – it journeys through the life of Sydney – a day at school, home, her struggle with Cerebral Palsy and makes you realize that she’s just like any other girl with hopes and dreams! As she says, ‘I’m a lot like you, but I do have to do some things differently!’”

Bev Baird (Blog and Goodreads)
“I thoroughly enjoyed Sydney’s story and would highly recommend it. Thank you, Sydney, for your candor and sweetness.”

The Magic of Clay

Leanna Guillén Mora (Blog and Instagram: @craftymomsshare)
“If you have a little art lover in your life – or one that just loves playing with modeling clay! – then they will love The Magic of Clay, a wonderful new picture book from Star Bright Books, a MCBD Bronze sponsor! It is a deep dive into the science and art of clay, including how it is formed and how it can be used to make new creations.”

Kelsey Ray (Twitter: @ReadingRay)
“This book is very enlightening about clay and its properties. I learned so much about the process of creating items from clay in a clear, concrete manner.”

Checking in on Your Child’s Mental Health and Academic Motivation!

As in-person schooling marches on, and the school year carries our children to greater heights, now is a good time to check in on your little learner! Over the past two years, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, children have been dealt a hard hand: the COVID-19 virus itself, less time with friends, and a year (or more) of missing classroom time. With many schools reopening, children may have some difficulty readjusting to in-person learning.

Less social interactions and more time at home may cause difficulty in resuming in-person classes with the same standard of mental presence and effort as prior to the pandemic. Checking in with your child is the best way to assess their motivation and mental health levels and offer unwavering support.

First, take note of your child’s behavior. What have you noticed since the school year started? Is your child happy with their teacher and peers? How do they talk about their assignments and course load? Answering these questions can be a good indicator of where your child stands on their academic track.

Some dissatisfaction is normal. Expressing excitement about classes but lackluster enthusiasm over a teacher is also a typical response. But if it seems like your child is uninterested in any aspect of school, they are likely struggling to readapt to a full-time, in-person school schedule.

Once you’ve gauged your child’s motivation level, talk with them about the new normal. Share and empathize with them over the tasks you both face on a daily basis. Help them realize it’s okay to feel upset, confused, and even question things. Some disconnection is okay. COVID-19 has changed the way children see life—for better and worse.

It is also important for children to understand and rationalize why we do the things we do. Explain the benefits of school, as well as how work helps you support the family. Doing so will help avoid confusion and ease the separation anxiety some children may experience.

“Parent support – now open for registration” by BC Gov Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Help your child find a routine that fits. Perhaps they need to come home and immediately complete their homework. Or, they might benefit from a snack, some TV, and a quick nap before homework and dinner. With siblings, commit to helping each child figure it out individually. Most importantly, let them know they aren’t alone.

Find small rewards that your kid will want to work for! Incentives might include a milkshake on Fridays after school, seeing a movie of their choice for good marks, or treating them to a toy at the end of each month for completing their assignments. Teaching a child healthy incentives is a lifelong lesson they’ll carry with them from schooling to a career. (Adults use incentives all the time: coffee or tea to lure ourselves out of bed, a favorite panini on our lunch break, etc.)

Children’s mental health has been severely impacted by the pandemic. Adults can help children balance and ground themselves as they reacquaint with in-person reality. Above all, our children need support and love during this transitional time.

How to Talk to Children about Climate Change

Climate change is a challenging topic for children, as it often involves scientific facts that can be difficult to understand. Related worldly issues—extreme weather, food shortages, or even pandemics—can be alarming or fear-inducing to discuss. Parents and caregivers may find it daunting to decide how and when to talk with their children about climate change.

As with other complex topics like racism, body autonomy, or alcohol use, conversations you have with your child about climate change should start early, be ongoing, and change based on your child’s developmental level. Here are some techniques you can use to introduce and build on conversations about climate change as your child grows.

Toddlers: Build a Love for Nature

Spend time outside with your toddler to help them cultivate respect for nature. Prioritizing outdoor play is increasingly important for children’s mental and physical health, but it also helps toddlers experience a sense of wonder at the beauty of nature. A toddler may not have the developmental capacity to understand the climate crisis, but their love for the environment will be foundational in caring about how they impact the earth when they’re older.

From Let’s Play Outside by Pat Rumbaugh, photographs by Daniel Nakamura

Preschool and Kindergarten: Nurture a Sense of Responsibility for the Planet

Give your preschool or kindergarten-aged child ways to nurture nature. Houseplants wither when we don’t feed them; gardens wilt if we don’t water them. Children can understand these cause-and-effect relationships at a very early age; by taking on responsibilities like watering and feeding indoor or outdoor plants, youngsters can begin to see how people impact the planet. These chores are also opportunities to discuss our larger responsibility to care for nature.

Elementary School: Make Real-Life Connections and Share the Science

Beginning in first grade, have more direct conversations about climate change with your child. While climate change is a global issue, it is important to show children in this age group how it impacts them personally. Ask your child how the weather affects them—how sunny days make them feel or how rainy days make it hard to play outside. Then, compare the weather today to the weather fifty or one hundred years ago. Explain that while weather variation is normal, humans cause expected weather conditions to change in an unexpected way.

Children in upper elementary school may also want more detailed explanations, like the difference between weather and climate, or the science behind the greenhouse effect. NASA Climate Kids has basic explanations, interesting visuals, and engaging videos to help.

Teenagers: Talk about Climate Inequity

With your teenager, talk about how the climate crisis reinforces inequalities—the ways in which poor or marginalized people are more harshly impacted by extreme weather. These issues naturally fit with conversations you have with your teenager about racial and socioeconomic inequity. Here are two examples of how climate change and inequity are connected:

When severe weather strikes a high-income country or community, people and governments have the resources to rebuild cities and homes. However, low-income countries and communities lack resources to deal with the major impacts. Climate change means low-income countries are more often impacted by natural disasters.

Recent heatwaves and drought are associated with increases in wheat prices. In wealthy countries, this may mean slightly higher prices at the grocery store; in lower-income places around the globe, climate change means that food has become scarce or completely unaffordable, resulting in widespread civil unrest.

From A Circle of Friends by Giora Carmi

All Ages: Focus on Making a Difference

Details about the climate crisis may be overwhelming for children (and adults). It can be reassuring for a child to hear that there are many people working together to solve the problems. Another way to combat fear is to focus on action: there are many ways to help! Below are a few options for you and your child to get involved.

Live Sustainably

Sustainable Living Tips from Conservation International: This list includes over seventy ways you and your child can live more sustainably. Some of these actions may not seem like much, but together, we can all make a big difference.

Conserve the Environment

Youth Conservation Corps: Youth ages fifteen to eighteen can apply to participate in regional environmental conservation projects like maintaining nature trails, cleaning up campgrounds, improving wildlife habitats, restoring streams, and more.

Advocate for the Planet

Become a member of YOUNGO: YOUNGO, the official youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is a network of youth organizations from all over the world. Their common goal is to mobilize youth to address the climate crisis.

Learning and Dismantling Discriminatory Language

Language is one of the most powerful tools an individual possesses—it is essential in connecting with and learning about each other. However, when language causes harm to certain individuals or communities, it fosters an environment of non-acceptance and discrimination.

Despite noticeable efforts to do away with implicit racist language, some people continue to use common terms and phrases without realizing the inherent racism in them. Activists and educators create awareness of such terms and encourage parents to teach children the implicit racist connotations in everyday language. According to Nikki Tennermann, administrative director of the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion at Boston Children’s Hospital, children who hear offensive terms directed at them or their family members develop negative internalized feelings (toward themselves), impacting their identity development.

Mother giving piggyback ride to daughter

Image by shotphoto2u from Vecteezy.com

Below is a list of common American English terms that are normalized in everyday usage, but extremely harmful and insulting to marginalized communities. It’s imperative that we understand the negative impact of these words and their history, especially when inculcating language development in children.

Powwow: Considered an offensive appropriation of a culturally important term in Indigenous communities.
Master bedroom: The word “master” has problematic ties with slavery as it implies ownership and existence of “enslaved people’s quarters.”
Blacklist/Blacklisted: Terms that imply Black is bad in comparison to the “whitelist” of accepted terms.
Urban: In references to literature and music, this term reinforces negative stereotypes and marginalizes Black artists.
Thug: Although the Indian origin word “ruffian” means thief, in the US, this term is a nominally “polite” way of using the N-word.
Uppity: According to T he Atlantic, this is a term racist Southerners used to describe Black people, especially Black women, who “didn’t know their place.”
Spirit animal: Similar to “powwow,” this term also appropriates Indigenous cultures and puts forth misconceptions about their sacred beliefs.
Long time, no see: Although NPR says this as an accepted form of American slang, some believe it mocks people of Asian descent who speak with broken English.
Tribe: When a non-Indigenous person uses “tribe,” it erases the significance of Tribal sovereignty and identity.
Eskimo: A derogatory term used by colonizers that contains racist connotations of barbarism.

Many parents and caregivers now take initiative to speak with their children about racism and discrimination in language. Although these conversations are not easy to navigate, they foster a sense of understanding and empathy in young children. Moreover, they are the first step toward building an anti-racist household.

How can I teach my child to identify and deal with racial/ethnic slurs?

Here are some strategies you can use to facilitate a conversation with your preschooler/toddler. To engage with your child at an earlier age, refer to the resources at the end!

Address the situation immediately: If your child says something hurtful or disrespectful, be swift and firm in your response. Let them know that it is harmful to the other person or community. Use phrases like “It is not okay to use that term. It is inappropriate and unkind.”
Explain the origin of the word(s): Do not downplay the racism and use age-appropriate descriptions. For instance: “Their feelings are hurt because it is not the right way to describe them.” You can also explain how the term(s) is/are racist and teach your child the appropriate words. “We do not use the word ‘Eskimo. The correct word is Inuit.”
Acknowledge your child’s feelings: If your child is a target of any slur, comfort and acknowledge their feelings. “I know it made you angry when they called you that name. It’s okay to feel angry about that.”
Start an open dialogue: You can also ask questions like “Why do you think they said that?” Reaffirm their identity by saying, “We are proud of our heritage. Even if people say such things, it doesn’t affect who we are.”
Engage in positive media: Read and watch positive portrayals of different communities. To counter negative media stereotypes, expose your child to stories, books, films, etc. that accurately represent diverse racial and ethnic groups. For example, the film Zootopia explores stereotypes among animal groups, which is a great way of teaching children the impact of prejudices and false perceptions.
Understand your own biases: Acknowledge your own implicit bias(es) and make a conscious effort to be a role model for your child. If your child observes you making an effort, they are likely to follow suit. Have regular conversations about racism and bigotry to develop an anti-racist environment.

Image by notecocktail915705 from Vecteezy.com

These are just some of the ways you can teach your child about bias-free language. Consult the following resources for more information on ways to talk to your child about racial bias.

Tips for Learning a Second Language with Your Child

Greetings in many languages, image created in Canva

Hundreds of thousands of people who’ve immigrated to the US have felt implicit and explicit pressure to switch from using their native tongue(s) to fit the wide use of English. In due process, generations of families have lost their original languages, resulting in monolingualism. While many adults struggle to learn new languages as their brains are accustomed to the sound and structure of English, it is well documented that children are quicker to absorb new languages.

Try learning a new language with your child! The benefits of English-speaking parents learning a new language with their child are innumerable. Language engages different parts of the brain, and is said to even out bring out different sides in people. We can learn more about ourselves and the world around us through other languages.

Early childhood is the best time to introduce another language, as children build essential language and vocabulary skills. It can also be a good time for adult parents and caregivers to embrace a new language. Immersion is a fundamental way to learn a second language. You and your child can make this a fun family project!

First, identify a language that you and your child are interested in learning together! This can come from family history: maybe your family tree boasts an array of mother languages that haven’t been spoken in generations. Honoring your ancestors and heritage while learning the language with your child is a perfect full circle.

Another option is to consider your neighborhood. Maybe the area where you live has a high secondary language rate. Maybe it’s French if you’re in the New Orleans area, or Spanish in the Los Angeles area. Depending on your location, English may not even be the dominant language.

Once you’ve chosen your language, the fun part begins! There are many ways to implement the new language into the daily lives of you and your child. Find the best activities for your family to immerse in the language.

The alphabet, early fundamental vocabulary, and simple sentence-building are the first steps in comprehending and speaking a new language. Luckily, most languages have free resources online, such as alphabet songs on YouTube. Listening to how each letter in the alphabet is properly pronounced will enhance your accent as well as your child’s, no matter their age.

For slightly older children, you can reinforce key vocabulary words by placing sticky notes on common household items with the name in English and your chosen language. For instance, if you are learning Italian, every morning you can get breakfast / colazione from your refrigerator / frigo and put it on a plate / piatto. Repetition helps retain basic vocabulary words, making practice important. You may even consider making this activity part of your daily family routine.

Image by Nontanun Chaiprakon from Vecteezy.com

Another easy way to add doses of a new language into your routine is to consume media in your new language. Look up famous singers, movies, TV and radio stations, daily talk shows, online magazines, etc. Switch your phone and tablet into the language too. Surrounding yourself with native words and sounds allows you to pick up nuances and pronunciations you might otherwise miss through traditional language learning practices. You also have the benefit of hearing how words are pronounced by native speakers. This part can be different, especially for adults! While children aren’t entirely used to or settled on the way English sounds, adult brains have a stronger association between a letter of the Western alphabet and its English pronunciation.

Pick an English movie that you and your child know very well, one you can nearly recite word-for-word. Watch the movie in your chosen language, if such an option is available. As you don’t have to decipher the plot, you and your child can soak up the vocabulary and most importantly, the pronunciations. Listen to the words; pick out words you recognize and ones you aren’t familiar with. Talk to your child about how the movie seems similar and different.

And finally: read together! Sit down and read a book in the language you are learning or in a bilingual format. Read aloud together and practice speaking words and sentences. This is a good comprehension exercise for you and your child.

Image by MotionLantern from Vecteezy.com

Language is a lengthy process to master; it can take years to even reach proficiency. That’s okay! Keep things ongoing—it means slow and steady progress. Learning with your child is beneficial for them and for you. Instead of learning alone, you have a built-in buddy to practice with. Good luck!

Rebuild the Planet with Reading: Inspiring Children’s Books to Celebrate World Environment Day

What is World Environment Day?

Celebrated annually on June 5, World Environment Day highlights the importance of protecting the environment and ensuring that our planet remains a better place for current and future generations. The first World Environment Day was held in 1974 by the United Nations with the theme “Only One Earth.”

This year, in an effort to help rebuild the planet, the United Nations announced the theme for World Environment Day 2021 is ecosystem restoration and introduced the slogan, “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” In the last few decades, worldwide issues such as plastic pollution, global warming, illegal wildlife trade, and water scarcity have destroyed millions of natural habitats and have endangered multiple species, some of which are now extinct.

Page excerpt from Professor Noah's Spaceship

From Professor Noah’s Spaceship, written and illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

How Can You Celebrate?

For World Environment Day, you can contribute by teaching your children good habits for sustaining the environment. Through education and exploration, children develop a love for nature and nurture other beneficial skills like social responsibility, tolerance, and critical thinking.

Be it an exciting story on saving a swamp from disaster or a somber tale on poisonous waste, books can be influential teaching materials. Below is a list of books that will inspire children of all ages to be a part of the green literate force and protector of Planet Earth!

Books for Babies and Toddlers

Baby Loves Green Energy!
By Ruth Spiro, illustrated by Irene Chan
Board Book, Ages 0-2
Expertly written for babies, this book is a great introduction to climate change and green energy options. It includes STEM concepts in age-appropriate language that will spark babies’ interest in nature.

Hello, World! Planet Earth
By Jill McDonald
Board Book, Ages 0-2
The latest installment in the Hello, World! series, this board book details different countries, continents, oceans, landforms, habitats, and Earth’s place in space.

Mrs. Peanuckle’s Hiking Alphabet
By Mrs. Peanuckle, illustrated by Jessie Ford
Board Book, Ages 0-3
Learn about animals, plants, and more with this unique set of ABCs! Using vivid images and playful text, this book is sure to engage little ones and inculcate a love for the outdoors.

Books for Preschoolers and Early Elementary Readers

The Boy who Grew a Forest
By Sophia Gholz, illustrated by Kayla Harren
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 5-8
The Boy Who Grew a Forest follows the real-life story of Jadav Payeng, a young boy who single-handedly planted over twelve hundred acres of lush forest on a barren island in northeastern India.

Greta and the Giants
By Zoë Tucker, illustrated by Zoe Persico
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 4-7
Author Zoë Tucker explores the journey of young environment activist Greta Thunberg who rose to global recognition while raising awareness about the climate crisis. This book was also included on the 2020 Green Earth Book Awards’ recommended reading list.

Marjory Saves the Everglades: The Story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas
By Sandra Neil Wallace, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 5-9
Named a Green Earth Book Award recommended title, this is a biography of journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas who fought to save the Florida Everglades from becoming an abandoned swamp and land for a jetport.

The Mess We Made
By Michelle Lord, illustrated by Julia Blattman
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 5-7
Using a rhythmic crescendo and digital artwork, The Mess We Made dives into the impact of waste on marine biodiversity. The book also provides details on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch disaster and ocean pollution and conservation.

Artwork from Professor Noah's Spaceship featuring wildlife against a background of artistic trees and smoke

From Professor Noah’s Spaceship, written and illustrated by Brian Wildsmith

My Friend Earth
By Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Francesca Sanna
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 3-5
A perfect book for any beginner! It covers interesting environmental facts through interactive die-cuts and poetic text, making it a dynamic reading experience for toddlers and young readers alike.

Professor Noah’s Spaceship
By Brian Wildsmith
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 4-8
Written and illustrated by renown artist Brian Wildsmith, this book unfolds a quirky tale of animals whose habitats are destroyed. When they seek new homes, the animals are transported back to the time after Noah’s biblical flood.

We Are Water Protectors
By Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 3-6
Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal, this is a lyrical narration of a young Indigenous girl’s quest to save water, the most revered resource, from harm and corruption.

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet
By Jess French
Hardcover Picture Book, Ages 6-9
Written by Dr. Jess French, a qualified veterinarian, What a Waste takes readers on an informative journey on issues of pollution and solutions like recycling and renewable energy. Filled with fun facts and illustrations, this book is apt for any budding ecologist!

Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School Readers

Darcy Moon and The Aroona Frogs
By Catherine Carvell, illustrated by Michael Scott Parkinson
Paperback Chapter Book, Ages 8-11
This book weaves a delightful tale about Darcy Moon, who feels like a misfit around everyone else. Darcy soon learns that she is an Earth Guardian and her mission is to save the local swamp from disaster!

Monarch Mysteries
By Claire Datnow, illustrated by Ruth Palmer
Hardcover & Paperback Chapter Book, Ages 9-12
Part of the Adventures of the Sizzling Six eco-mystery series, this installment follows a group of six preteen girls as they try to protect endangered monarch butterflies from interfering city officials and even the weather!

Unraveling the Monarch Butterfly Migration Mystery

Monarch butterflies at Gulf State Park, Alabama, on the fall migration south. (Photo by Boris Datnow)

Guest Written by Author Claire Datnow.

It’s one of nature’s biggest mysteries. Every year, a super generation of monarch butterflies—which lives eight months longer than other generations of monarchs—migrates to one specific location: the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, nestled in the majestic oyamel fir forests in the central mountains of Mexico. As many as one million butterflies from wide areas of North America fly to the reserve, a place that they’ve never seen. The trees seem to turn orange, branches bending under the collective weight of thousands of monarch butterflies.

In my book Adventures of the Sizzling Six: Monarch Mysteries, jovial science teacher Mr. Ernie Fix describes this phenomenon to his class:

‘The monarchs will live here [at the Biosphere Reserve] until the spring comes and mating can begin,’ Mr. Fix says. ‘They must wait for spring when the milkweed starts to grow in the United States and southern Canada. The milkweed provides a place for monarchs to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch into caterpillars, they will feed only on milkweed and no other plant.’

Monarchs make the trip to the reserve once in their lives, some navigating as much as three thousand miles to a tiny point on a map. For more than ten thousand years, these monarchs, each weighing no more a paper clip, have traveled without a map, a compass, or GPS. How do they know where to go?

Scientists have devoted years to studying monarchs, unraveling part of this mystery: these butterflies are guided by the position of the sun. It’s pretty miraculous if you think of the monarchs as tiny, orange solar compasses with wings.

After wintering in the mountains for eight months, when the temperature starts to warm the monarchs begin their return journey, traveling as far north as Canada. When summer ends, the monarchs migrate south again—and so the cycle of life keeps on turning, like a giant Ferris wheel, through the seasons.

Unlike the migrations of other insects, four successive generations of monarchs are born and die within two to three weeks along the way. The fourth generation to hatch, known as the super generation, is bigger than the previous three generations and can survive for eight months in the mountains.

The monarch butterfly isn’t just fascinating—it’s essential. Without pollinators like monarchs our agriculture and food system would collapse. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (UFWS) estimates the North American monarch population has dropped over 90 percent since the 1990s. In December 2020, the UFWS announced that listing monarchs as a threatened and endangered species is “warranted but precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions.”

One conservation concern for monarch butterflies is illegal logging in the reserve that destroys their winter habitat. Their food sources are also disappearing in the US because some farmers consider milkweed a weed and spray it with insecticides.

It’s now more important than ever for us to protect these natural wonders! The best thing we can do is plant native milkweed. It’s a great way to learn about nature. Click here for other conservation tips.

Teachers and Educators: Visit my website for a FREE handout with role-playing cards featuring characters from Monarch Mysteries.

Developing Child Literacy Through Technology

Image from Pexels.

The Link Between Education and Technology

Recent innovations in technology have enabled education to become more personalized and efficient than ever before. This change is especially visible in digital resources for children’s literacy.

With technology, parents, caregivers, and educators can nurture reading skills in new, exciting ways. Digital resources like apps, online games, and ebooks help promote literacy for children with different learning styles and abilities.

It is important, however, to be aware of children’s screen time. These education strategies can be implemented in moderation from the time they begin to read or write. A combination of digital and offline resources offers an effective teaching strategy. Experts note that technology can complement traditional literacy teaching, but not replace it.

Smartphone and Tablet Apps

Applications for smartphones and tablets provide an interactive medium for young children to develop reading comprehension and writing skills. They also create an inviting and personalized digital environment that inspires regular reading habits.

For children ages three to six, tracing apps model the proper way to write letters and allow children to practice. The opportunity to observe and replicate promotes technique through a fun format. Some apps, such as iTrace, allow children to practice writing their names, common words, and letters.

Other apps, like TeeRead, are used by educators to assess a student’s reading comprehension and recommend a personalized library. TeeRead encourages children to continue reading and rewards their progress.

Online Games

As children become more comfortable with reading and writing, they can practice with free online word games. For instance, Word Game Time provides fun options for children from kindergarten to seventh grade. Starfall offers materials for pre-K through kindergarten and first through third grade to promote vocabulary development, grammar, and interest in reading. Parents and caregivers can play these word games with children, allowing them to shape literacy skills through a bonding opportunity.

Ebooks and Audiobooks

Ebooks are a readily available resource to help children practice their reading skills. Since the start of the pandemic, many libraries have expanded their ebook collections, allowing more free digital reading options. With applications like OverDrive, library ebooks can be accessed on a phone, tablet, or computer.

Audiobooks are also a helpful resource to develop literacy skills. Hearing intonations, pacing, and even the function of punctuation can help shape comprehension during early childhood. Listening to an audiobook alone or reading the physical copy in tandem can help children understand new stories.

Star Bright Books is proud to offer free digital access to four of its picture books on a weekly basis, as well as expanded read-aloud permissions. We hope that these resources will be helpful for parents and caregivers!

Other Benefits of Technology Integration

Integrating technology into children’s lives can also help to develop digital literacy—the ability to seek out, evaluate, and understand information online. It is crucial to develop a healthy and responsible relationship with technology at a young age, and implementing these strategies can help to do so.

Each child is different! Technology allows parents, caregivers, and educators to tailor learning experiences to meet individual needs. Introducing these resources in moderation will encourage kids to be curious about reading and technology. Providing these opportunities will allow children to have fun, develop their literacy skills, and instill a love of reading.