Earth Week Extravaganza, Day 1: Author Melissa Stewart

Greetings fellow readers!

The 'Fins, Wings, and Other Things' blog tour from Peachtree Publishers continues today here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers with a special Guest Post from author Melissa Stewart as she shares her thoughts about Earth Day.  Let's have a look, shall we?

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Guest Post:  Melissa Stewart
Author of A Place for Fish

Earth Day is a time to think about our precious planet and our place in it. And that makes it a perfect time to share the books in the A Place for series with children.

Thinking about the environment and environmental issues can be hard on young people. They take it all to heart. Based on the stages of cognitive development, they see the world in black and white. They have trouble compartmentalizing all the problems we know are happening right now on Earth. They see a problem, and they want to jump to action. They want to make a difference. And there are plenty of examples of how that can-do attitude has led groups of children to raise money to buy plots of land, to find ways to make their schools more energy efficient, to create new habitat for endangered animals, and much, much more.

A Place for Fish, along with its predecessors A Place for Frogs,  A Place for Birds, and A Place for Butterflies describes environmental problems—and solutions. Some people may think the books are a bit idealistic, but young readers need that. They need hope. We all do.

Sure there are many environmental problems that haven’t been solved. But plenty have. And those are the ones I highlight. I want kids to see that simple local actions can and do make a difference. By working together, we can protect fish, frogs, birds, butterflies, and countless other creatures. We can preserve their habitats far into the future. That’s a message kids need to hear loud and clear—on Earth Day and every other day of the year.


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Author Bio

Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 100 science books for children. She has always been fascinated by the natural world and is passionate about sharing its beauty and wonder with readers of all ages.


After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children’s book editor for nine years before becoming a fulltime writer in 2000. She has written everything from board books for preschoolers to magazine articles for adults.

Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands.

When Melissa isn’t writing or exploring the natural world, she spends time speaking at schools, libraries, nature centers, and educator conferences. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Board of Advisors and a judge for the American Institute of Physics Children’s Science Writing Award.

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Thank you so much for that inspiring post Ms. Stewart!

What do you think guys....good stuff, right?
By turning the focus inward to those items that HAVE been tackled successfully, we can see just how far our efforts have taken us and that a positive outcome IS possible for those daunting issues still plaguing us today.  What a great way to instill new life into a timeless message.

Time for today's challenge...and your opportunity to gain another entry to win that Peachtree Publishers prize pack of bookish goodness.  Are you ready?



FIRST...
Author Melissa Stewart has written several titles in the Peachtree Publishers catalog with focuses ranging from animals to habitat weather but always centering on nature.  Take a look at her current body of work.  Which of her titles appeals to YOU most...and why?

Leave you answer in the comments below. 




SECOND...
Fill out THIS FORM.

That's it!

You've gained an entry into the week long contest AND if you entered yesterday, well than that's TWO entries.  Way to go!

Check back tomorrow for another great guest post from one of the fabulous authors or illustrators on this tour.  In the mean time, be sure to check out A Word’s Worth as they feature a review of Planting the Wild Garden by Kathryn O. Galbraith.


Until next time...happy reading.