Environment and Nature Books

In this slender volume of short essays, gracefully accompanied by the illustrations of 19th century naturalist and artist John Abbot, Maloof makes her impassioned plea for the lives of trees and forests by introducing them to us one by one.

Local rambles in Maryland provide the settings for her meditations on the lives and strategies of common species like beech, oak, maple, pine, and sycamore and under story trees like dogwood and holly, as well as bald cypress, walnut, redcedar, sweetgum and more. She breathes in the special qualities of "old-growth" air and mourns the lack of "grandfather trees," but most fascinating are the tales of interwoven life in the trees.

Many of these have to do with insects. Black locusts produce extra nectar, which feeds the ants and ladybugs that protect the tree from other insects. Except aphids, which the ants protect in exchange for their "honeydew," a euphemism for aphid urine. Ladybugs eat aphids, but there are still plenty of them and that honeydew is also the substance found all over your car when you park it under a tree, that stuff you probably call sap.

Exploring the teeming life of a tree (without the sycamore alone nine other species would be lost) Maloof, a biologist, distills numerous studies and traces the relationships among the insects, lizards, fungi, mammals, birds and people who obtain benefit from the tree. With a winning combination of science and poetry, Maloof makes her case for compassion and wonder.

--Portsmouth Herald

When I was young, my neighbor told me that when she was a child in early 20th century Philadelphia, she thought that a tree was a particular kind of plant and that was that. Imagine her amazement the first time she left the city and discovered that there were what seemed to be an infinite variety of trees!

Joan Maloof takes the reader to the next level. She explains that far from each tree being merely a unique organism, that each tree is an entire ecosystem; indeed, that each tree is an interdependent universe of organisms that depend on each other in the most unimaginably wonderful and intricate ways.

I have spent my entire life in a rural area surrounded by trees, yet reading this book awakened a new curiosity, a new appreciation, a need to explore and learn that I never felt before.

Anyone will be enriched by reading "Teaching the Trees", but for the young person steeped in consumer culture who thinks that trees are for shade or lumber and that "bugs" are pests, it could be a life-changing experience, leading to an appreciation of the wonders of the forest, and perhaps a lifetime of study and enjoyment of the miracles of nature.

Biologist Joan Maloof's ventures into the forests of the Eastern United states provide a series of lively, scientific essays on connections between tree species and the animals and insects which use it in Teaching The Trees: Lessons From The Forest. In leaving lab for direct environmental observation, Maloff's firsthand observations are lively and personal as well as scientific, exploring some of her favorite trees and their importance.

This is the type of book you savor, that you close your eyes at the end and feel you've received a special gift. I'm buying copies for my friends and family.

This is one of those books you read and it can change your life. It's an intellectually beautiful read by a biologist who has spent her life studying the relationship of trees, forests, organisms, insects and animals and explains their connections simply. I think it's an important book such as Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring". It should be in everyone's library and read over and over.

Tiia-Mai Barrett, Seattle, WA

Summers at South Point for Emily and Reese have been pretty much normal and uneventful- hanging out at Antonio's for the $2.99 pizza slice and drink combo, scoping out boys on the beach, and sleeping over at each other's houses. This summer though, things are starting to get a bit wonky- the weather is acting up, and two of the hottest boys ever have arrived, but are they boyfriend material or something else entirely...?

In Blake Nelson's debut in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, though he's written many other realistic teen novels, it feels as if he's been doing this genre forever. The suspense in this book keeps the pages turning, and it becomes a great adventure. Filled with humorous moments, hot guys, and a subtle hint of appreciation for the Earth's environment, this is one amazing book.

Okay, I'm going to tell you the secret. The mystery to be solved, the secret to be unlocked. Ready? Here it is -- they came from below.

Every summer, Emily Dalton leaves Indianapolis to spend the summer with her scientist father on Cape Cod. She spends most of her time in South Point going to the beach, eating pizza, and meeting boys with her best friend, Reese. A week into the summer, they meet Steve and Dave, two of the cutest boys they have ever seen. They feel drawn to them in a way they have never felt before, almost like they are not human.

Strange things seem to happen wherever the two of them go. A boy falls off of a roof at a local party and breaks his neck, but after a couple of minutes with Steve and Dave, he walks away unharmed. Emily and Reese realize that these guys are not just tourists. They came from below, and they need to find their way back to the bottom of the ocean. Unfortunately, they cannot return to their home until they rescue their friend from a top-secret government facility, and they need Reese, Professor Dalton, and Emily to help them do it.

This book is smart and funny. Emily and Reese are like any teens you might meet on your summer vacation. They are interesting and quirky and fun. It is so easy to get wrapped up in their story of crushes and friendship that you might not realize what the book is truly about until you have finished it. It is also about close encounters of the third kind, but it is so much more than your typical sci-fi alien encounter book. The aliens look and act like humans, but their emotional range is much deeper than anything we can feel. They experience the world in a way that we cannot imagine.

THEY CAME FROM BELOW also looks at the way that we treat the Earth. In my opinion, this is the best kind of book; one that keeps your interest, has a great story, and delivers a message with a strong impact that does not get in the way. It is science fiction, but reads like contemporary fiction. Definitely worth picking up!

Reviewed by: Becca Boland

Blake Nelson's first science fiction book for teens provides a fine blend of social commentary and science fiction. Two teen girls vacationing in Cape Cod meet two cute boys - but there the tale diverges from the usual romance, for the boys are unusual and they have an important message to impart about Earth's ecological state. In blending a familiar romance with a saga of friendly aliens and ecological concerns, THEY CAME FROM BELOW succeeds in producing a unique, involving and unpredictably satisfying story line.

Two aliens from under the ocean come up to try to save their friend. They have to find him before the world discovers his secret powers. This book was really exciting and I want to know what happens to Reese. if there is a sequal I will definitely read it.

Seventeen year old Emily and her best friend Reese have one thing on their mind (and other parts of their bodies), finding boyfriends for the summer at Cape Cod. However, their vacation starts with a strange twist as Emily finds a white blob on the beach. However, the authorities take it away so Emily gets back to the prime directive of finding a boyfriend.

Emily and Reese meet handsome German exchange students Steve and Dave; they know they have found their boyfriends. However, the male teens, who have the ability to heal people and communicate with any living organism, are leaving the planet shortly due to the levels of pollution harming them. First they must rescue a fellow ET captured by the government, followed by heroes' kisses from the girls, and then finally depart.

The fun in this young adult science fiction lies in the comparisons between the sets of teens. The American females have one goal: boyfriends; the exchange students also have one goal: rescuing an ET (though hugs and kisses with the girls is a nice byproduct). Teens will enjoy this lighthearted romp as the two teenage girls believe they finally succeeded in obtaining boyfriends even if THEY CAME FROM BELOW. Emily and Reese understand the most wonderful summer of their lives.

Harriet Klausner

As far as I'm concerned, you can never begin too early in teaching children how the innumerable elements of nature connect with each other and that messing with one element will affect everything else. Robert Baldwin's wonderful rhyming blends beautifully with Don Dyen's rich and evocative illustrations. This is a delightful book that will make young folks smile and learn a valuable lesson at the same time. On a personal note, I am so lucky that Don Dyen (whom I've never met) was chosen to illustrate my first children's book, "Benjamin and the Word," coming out spring 2005. Don, if you see this, drop me an e-mail!

My children and grandchildren are getting copies of this book for Christmas! It shows how all food is ultimately derived from sunlight and the tiny creatures that live in the seas and oceans, but it also shows how we are all connected to the sea and to each other. It is a joyful experience to read this book and enjoy the incredible illustrations.

I bought this book for my 7 year old daughter, but I'm enjoying it just as much as she is. The cumulative verse rolls with the rhythm of ocean waves. Not only is it fun to read, it teaches vital information about the food chain simply and clearly. The illustrations are beautifully appropriate, evoking the feel of the seashore, and bringing extra life to the imaginative images introduced in the verse, such as huge storm clouds looking like flying whales. I love this book!

It isn't often you come across a book that you could sit down and read to a four year old and an eight year old and still manage to capture the attention of both. "This Is the Sea That Feeds Us" has that ability. It's beautiful illustrations and the author's wondrous ability of explanation combine in that magical way that allows learning to be fun. Every child deserves to own this book.

This book has been a real find. My son, who has just turned two,absolutely loves the pictures and the rhyming text. He holds the book and gleefully waits for the next page. I love this book because I feel it is aimed at quite a wide age group. For the toddlers it has amazing pictures and the musical rhyming text; the four to six year olds, a book they can read themselves with the help of an adult; and the older reader will enjoy the scientific explanations. To sum it up, this book is beautifully written and extremely lyrical, and the artwork is delightful. Well done Robert F Baldwin, and his artist Don Dyen.

Tobias, the Quig and the Rumplenut Tree has become the family favorite book. It will be our family gift to everyone we know for the holidays. Great illustrations and a wonderful lyrical story. Put this on your list for holiday gifts.

This is our birthday gift of choice this year for all the young people and babies we know. It's a timely, gentle adventure story embellished by sumptuous drawings and the rhymes of a truly clever wordsmith. Mr. Robinson clearly has a high opinion of young children and their ability to understand a fable with an environmental message couched in intelligent verse. Thanks to him and his publisher from a grateful parent!

First drawn to the brilliant cover illustration, the story inside was beyond expectation! A moral tale for all from 4 to 99, amusingly told (and with much better rhyme!) A young good samaritan helps endangered species, in this case the quigs and the rumplenut trees. The last page sums up what Mr. Robinson has done; told a story to be passed from the old to the young.

Tobias, the Quig and the Rumplenut Tree is artfully written and beautifully illustrated. When read aloud, the rhythm and rhyme of the words flow over one with grace and style. The accompanying drawings are vibrant with color and movement and are bound to capture any child's attention. I highly recommend this book and do hope that parents will take the time to share this wonderful tale with their children.

I gave "Tobias" to my nephew on his 4th birthday and he carries it with him everywhere. Each time I've visited since, he insists that I read it to him. A wonderful story with colorful, creative illustrations.

Remarkable book beautifully done, for both children and adults. I'm going to purchase several more. What a find!

A wonderful little book for the youngest to the oldest to enjoy -- beautiful information about the rainforest!

A Walk in the Rain Forest is a wonderful introduction to the tropical rain forest- its plants, animals, and people. The book tells the story of XYZ- a small ant- and his journey through the rainforest. The beautiful pictures and simple text appeals to children of all ages. Additional factual information appeals to older children. This is a great book to use in the classroom to help introduce children to the wonders of the rain forest

This is a colorful look at different Rainforest creatures, written by a teenager. It follows a frog introducing animals you might meet in the Rainforest. It is not quite as good as her other book Under the Sea. I would recommend it for 4-8 year olds, it can be wordy.

I found this book in my quest for interesting books for a course I was teaching on the rainforest. At the ripe old age of 15, Kristin Joy Pratt (now Pratt-Serafini) developed this lovely book. Her illustrations take you on the journey through the rainforest with XYZ the ant. As the reader explores the ABC's, s/he also learns about the life within and the biodiversity. Words, facts and colorful illustrations will encourage discussion about this habitat and make learning the ABC's and exciting journey.

I really love this mystery series. They always take place at a national park and provides enough history and geography to be educational yet be included in the book as to not be preachy. Kids love the varied plots that come from being in different parts of the country as well as learn about different points of view. This book in particular pointed out the split between people who wanted to have wild wolves in the park as a natural predator and those who were ranchers who feared for their livestock. The book has a lot of suspence and yet is not too long. Great for early chapter book readers.

Wolf Stalker

I thought Wolf Stalker was an amazing book it made me want to keep reading and reading and it made me want to keep guessing what was going to happen next.


Wolf Stalker is about a boy named jack and his sister ashley and their mom and dad Steven and Olivia. Their mom is a vet and when strabge things happen in national parks they call her to investigate. Their dad is a photogropher and he goes will Olivia to the parks and takes pictuers of the wildlife. Both their parents are foster care parents and they usually take the foster kid on trips with them. In this story Olivia gets called to Yellowstone National Park to investigate on a wolf attack that killed a dog. The aslo bing a foster kid named Troy.When their parents leave to looks and the scene where the dead dog was. Troy runs of to look for a wolf and then Jack and Ashly follow him but then they see two wolfs chase a group of deer and then ashley saw a man shoot one of the wolfs. Then the wounded wolf gets up and limps away. Then Troy runs off after it and Jack and Ashley follow him. Next thing they no they are in the middle of Yellowstone with Troy and the wounded wolf.

I would recomen this book to a 10-13 yr old or a person who loves mystery books.

I am a 3rd grade student and thought this book was great! There were some scary parts with children lost in the woods, I learned a lot about what to do when you are lost in the woods. There were great descriptions of wolves and how they behave.

This series is wonderful! It has everything a mystery/adventure story should PLUS more.We picked up Wolf Stalker in Yellowstone and have been buying the series ever since. Listen parents, my son is devouring them, he normally is instructed to read but not with these. The books are factual yet fun. Each book is set in a beautiful park that inspire your imagination and makes you want to visit them. I could tell you the valuable lessons they will learn but I just have to say get this series and watch your kid get obsorbed.

Review of the Wolf stalker
Have you ever read a book and liked it so much, you wanted to critique it? Well I have, and I want to share a book with you.
The title of my book is Wolf Stalker by Gloria Skurzynski. She is a great author and has written ten of these great mysteries. They all go together in order, but each series has different settings. Wolf Stalker was very good and I would like to talk about this first mystery.
The author did a good job of making you feel like you were apart of the story. She was very descriptive and made you want to read on! The tension in the story builds with each suspenseful scene!! I would recommend this book for grades five and six. This book was so good that I didn't think it had any weaknesses.
This book starts out with two kids (twelve year old Jack Landon and his younger sister Ashley). Yellowstone National Park buzzes with rumors about a wolf attack. A stalker runs through the trees. It's dark, and he is ready to kill, but who is the stalker? At this time, Troy Haverson, a teenage foster child who is a troublemaker, came to live with the Landon family. This is because he lost his mother and his father died.
This is a great book if you like suspense and mystery. You will have to read and find out what happens in the Wolf Stalker. Remember, this is only the first out of ten mysteries!

This is a great follow-up to the classic book that alerted us all to the dangers facing the environment. It is at once a renewed call for action, a how-to for making change, and a guide for building community resources. It offers tons of creative suggestions for uniting with other to save our planet and also provides a wealth of information about what's affecting the environment and why we should care. A great book all around!

I have used the older version of the "50 Simple Things Kids Can do to Save the Earth" every year in my classroom for the last seven years. I am so excited for an updated adult version. For my students, I read one "tip" of the kid's version almost every day. They LOVE it! During our electricity unit, I read all of the appropriate tips for that. When I teach the water cycle, I share all of the tips about water use. I am thrilled that they have updated this book so that the data is current. (The factoids they share make the learning so accessible.) I am working with other teachers this summer on the subject of sustainability and will encourage them each to get the adult version for themselves and the kid's version for their class.

After I spent my evening going through "50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save Earth." front to back and back to front again and marveling at the plain and powerful facts expressed in the book, NUMBER ONE on my list of things you can do if you care about this planet and want to help preserve it for future generations is to buy the Javna family's illuminating book. Not only does the book offer clear and simple solutions to what seem like unsolvable problems, the authors have teamed up with 50 of America's top environmental groups who are already working to turn the tide against the terrible losses our planet is enduring. This thoughtful and well organized book will help you quickly identify specific ways you can make a difference as an individual and connect you with a community of experts, caring and hard working people already fighting to change our culture and save the planet. "50 Simple Things" is a blueprint for the grassroots movement necessary if we are to protect our environment and the creatures in it. Congratulations to the Javnas on delivering a thoughtful, honest and challenging primer on our responsibilities to this planet, and ultimately to ourselves.

John Javna completely revised this book from it's original 17 years ago and this time his 17 year old son, Jesse, and 14 year old daughter, Sophie, help.

Javna writes that he had become disillusioned with the environmental cause, as just applying tips wouldn't save the planet. It was his kids who motivated him to think--and act--once again.

Javna believes that we must do more than green our lives to save the planet. 5o Simple Things You can do to Save the Earth, is an "interactive partnership between individual readers, environmental organizations and us."

Not a list of things to do, but 50 separate environmental issues. The point is for the reader to pick one environmental issue that resonates and commit to helping that cause. To make the cause part of one's life.

What a great idea! This book provides 50 terrific causes to get involved with. A website and resources in the book directly link you to the organizations to make it easy to get involved and help.

If you care about your kids and the future of the planet, read this book and get involved in a cause!

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet.

I liked seeing the photographs of the tigers. There is a lot of information about other animals, too, and a scientist with antlers.

Collaboratively written by Amanda Lumry and Laura Hurwitz, and enhanced with the colorful artistry of Sarah McIntyre who combines photos and illustrations, Adventures Of Riley: Tigers In Terai is set in the lowlands of Nepal where young Riley explores this home of tigers, elephants, and other fascinating creatures with his Uncle Max. The text is enhanced with frequent sidebars providing information on specific animals. There is an added bonus of "adventure stickers" and a website where children can continue the adventure well beyond the pages of this particular book. Approved by The Smithsonian Institution, The Wildlife Conservation Society, and The World Wildlife Fund, Adventures Of Riley: Tigers In Terai is an approved and recommended addition to personal reading lists, school, and community library collections.

This book is adorable! Finally there is a book that teaches children about real facts and information in a delightful setting. The photos of the real animals jump off the page and the illustrations are charming! My youngest will sit and look at the pictures over and over, while my seven year old will read the book and fact boxes and then ask me "Did you know?" questions. I learned a great deal from this book and so did my kids. I would recommend this book to anyone with young children!

The combination of adventure and educational material in this book made it a great hit with my daughter and her friends, as well as the moms and teachers. The story follows a boy on an expedition to study the paths of some endangered tigers. We love the photo/drawing combination and the extra tidbits of info on the sidebars. A friend borrowed the book for her 6th grade class, and they loved it, too - I would extend the recommended ages to at least 4-12. (I'd guess it's a 3rd grade reading level). We can't wait for the series to be extended to more adventures of Riley.

The best thing about this book is that it's TRUE: maybe not in terms of a particular individual but in terms of the ideas it portrays (that you have to accept nature as it is and work with it to get what you want, and that humans can learn to do so) and in terms of human and animal behavior--the characters act just as they would if you met them in real life. The illustrations add a great deal of verisimilitude to the story, especially with the glossary at the end. Excellent job!

Our children love this book. They have learned to appreciate the nature that is around them every day. An understanding of things that are not wild (the garden) and the things that are wild in the desert/ your backyard.

This year our 3 year old has planted Alejandro's garden, so the wild nature would come to vist. Sunflowers, lettuce, beans and carrots. So far we have enjoyed the birds, bees and butterflies, but we are waiting for the wild ones.

An easy read for 1-5 year olds that may peak their interest in the outdoors. By the way, make sure you are in shape Alejandro's spirit likes BIG gardens.

Alejandro is lonley living in the desert. By accident, he learns that if he plants a garden, animals come for the water and shade and Alejandro's lonliness is lessened.

But later, Alejandro learns that gifts given (the garden) makes the gifts received (the company) all the more sweeter.

"Alejandro's Gift" is a quiet book - no need for funny voices or wild antics. It makes a great bed time story or a great "snuggle with your kids on a rainy day" book.

This can also provide a nice way to discuss nature and preservation with your children.

There are lots of interesting things to look at in the illustrations. I read this to a group of school agers and they all enjoyed looking at the pictures and trying to identify all the different animals. We live far away from any desert, so many of these animals were unfamiliar to us.

This is a good book and I definitly recommend it.

"Alejandro's Gift" combines a story by Richard E. Albert with illustrations by Sylvia Long. Together they tell the story of Alejandro, a man who lives in an adobe house beside a lonely desert road. His only companion is a burro.

When Alejandro plants a vegetable garden, his home is soon visited by small animals who drink from his irrigation furrows. Delighted by the appearance of these creatures, Alejandro conceives a project on a slightly larger scale.

The realistic illustrations of this book are full of life. The animals and plants, as well as Alejandro himself, are captured beautifully. Alejandro's gentleness, thoughtful nature, and hard-working spirit are wonderfully brought to life. The pictures and text together offer a good message about respect for nature.

The book ends with a short "mini-encyclopedia" that names and illustrates animals and plants of the southwestern United States: mesquite, saguaro cactus, the sage sparrow, the collared peccary, and more. An educational and heartwarming book.

If you want to have a complete picture of Baja California's interesting herpetological communicty; this is a splendid book. Written by someone who has spend years in this area studying these animals and therefor knows what he is writing about with a lot of personal information. No one else could have written this standard piece of work for this area. Excellent photographs make this book a must have and makes me want to go bakc there every time I take it off the shelf.

If you're in to herp's at all, you will love this book. I personally have a passion for Rosy Boas (Lichanura trivirgata), so having data and photo's of obscure locality specimens is very exciting for me. I also contacted Lee via email, and he was very diligent with replies and candid details about rosys. This book took 25 years of his life to put together, and it shows. The level of detail and representation of every specie and subspecies indigenous to the peninsula is awesome. The quality of the photographs and the portrait that each paint is outstanding. There are even photos of the variable habitats that occur on the peninsula too. I have never seen the natural habitat that my captive born Baja rosys come from, but this book has inspired me to do so. I highly recommend this book. It will make you want to discover Baja in person.

Jerry Hartley
Northern Nevada

First, let me say that I have known Lee Grismer for many years and I know the passion he has for the Baja Peninsula and its natural wonders. I have been waiting a long, long time for this book. When I received it, I scanned the book and planned to read it cover to cover when I had the time. In the last weeks, I made the time and have nearly finished this tome.
Dr. Grismer has put his heart and soul into making this book the best herpetological reference on Baja California, bar none. Baja is a mysterious place with many influences flowing into it from the Pacific, the Colorado Desert and mainland México. In this book, Dr. Grismer takes great pains to delineate the geological influences which have helped to shape this strange land and the effects on the herpetology of this 1,000 km long peninsula.
I marvel at the time he has put in studying the many organisms extant on the peninsula and his obviously meticulous note taking. I am in awe of the relationships he has built up with local ranchers and fishermen over the last quarter century. Local people are a great source of information and Lee has used their knowledge and consciousness to build a reference source the likes of which has never before been devoted to a similar chunk of land.
I would love to write more but I feel that the book will speak for itself. It is a great read and not nearly as tedious as other scientific works I have read. Just for its reference value, this book deserves to be on the shelf of any serious student of herpetology.
Now, all we need is Field Guide!

Excellent! Grismer not only has a lengthy description of each animal, he includes and section on the animal's status in the wild and local beliefs, which in all cases are very interesting. The style of of photograpy for title pages is very creative, with the animal in a bottom corner, and the Baja scenery in the background. (He does have macro photographs where the animal is centered for species documentaion.) I highly recommend it for it's wonderful photography and interesting text.