Book Resources

HGA | Gaw2000

CHILDREN'S BOOKS, OTHER BOOKS and TEACHER RESOURCES
Hawaii Geographic Alliance
GAW 2000

We hope that this list of books and resources will start you off in teaching the concepts of conservation. They reflect sustainable use, preservation, and restoration. We found that most of the books deal with preservation of the natural environment. Please send us your favorite titles to add to this list.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS
* Baker, Jeannie. The Story of Rosy Dock. Greenwidow Books. 1995. Rosy Dock is a non-native plant in Australia. It was introduced from North Africa or Western Asia and has spread across western, central, and South Australia.

* Barron, T.A. The Ancient One. Tor Books. July 1994. "Kate finds herself transported into the past. While visiting Blade, a town in southeastern Oregon, she is immediately embroiled in a battle between local loggers and her great-aunt Melanie, a retired teacher whose hobbis is preserving the lore of a lost Native American tribe. At state is a newly discovered crater containing several species of ancient trees....Within the hollow of 'The Ancient One,' the forest's oldest redwood, Kate slips back 500 years."

* Blakemore, Sally. Lovett, Sarah & Sundstrom, Mary. Endangered Species. Avalon Travel Publishing. February 1996. This interesting resource teaches children about unusual endangered creatures, such as the California Condor and the Giant Armadillo. In addition to full-color photographs, entertaining illustrations, informative descriptions, a glossary, and a taxonomy chart, this title also contains helpful advice for young readers who are interested in helping these threatened species survive on earth.

* Cherry, Lynne. The Great Kapok Tree. Harcourt Brace. 1990. The animals of the rain forest persuade a man not to chop down a kapok tree. This book convinces children of the importance of rain-forest conservation.

* Cherry, Lynne. A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History. Harcourt Brace & Company. March 1992. Cherry presents an account of "the Nashua River, which runs through New Hampshire and Massachusetts. She traces the environmental history of the river into the present, documenting the river's destruction by industrial pollution and its eventual reclamation."

* Cherry, Lynne & Plotkin, Mark J. The Shaman's Apprentice, A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest. Gulliver Books. 1998. Young Kamanya dreams of becoming the next shaman and must first learn Nahtahlah's vast wisdom of the healing secrets of the forest plants. This book helps us to understand the importance of rain forests and the need to preserve them.

* Galan, Mark. There's Still Time: The Success of the Endangered Species Act. National Geographic Society. 1997. The author looks at several plants and animals that are now on the road to recovery thanks to the 1973 Endangered Species Act, passed by the U.S. Congress.

* George, Jean Craighead. Frightful's Mountain. N A L. September 1999. As she grows through the first years of her life in the Catskill Mountains of New York, a peregrine falcon called Frightful interacts with various humans, including the boy who raised her, a falconer who rescues her, and several unscrupulous poachers, as well as with many animals that are part of the area's ecological balance.

* Goodman, Susan E. Bats, Bugs, and Biodiversity: Adventures in the Amazonian Rain Forest. Simon & Schuster. 1995. A group of 7th and 8th graders from Michigan spend a week in the Peruvian Amazon. A section of the book discusses issues of conservation. References for further reading are also provided.

* Jeffers, Susan. Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle. Dial Books for Young Readers. 1991. Chief Seattle's message capture the central belief of Native Americans: that this earth and every creature on it is sacred. It gives us a message that we must care for and preserve the environment.

* Lauber, Patricia. You're Aboard Spaceship Earth. Harper Collins. 1996. Readers expore water, air, and earth -- the natural resources that sustain life on earth. Water cycle and water usage is explained, followed by a description of recycling of oxygen and carbon dioxide between people, animals, and plants. Part of the book discusses soil and how it is enriched by minerals and decaying plant and animal life. Children learn why Earth is like a recycling factory.

* Lowery, Linda. Earth Day. Caolrhoda. 1991. Brief history of Earth Day, beginning with April 22, 1970.

* Mallory, Kenneth. A Home by the Sea: Protecting Coastal Wildlife. Harcourt. 1998. Three coastal wildlife programs in New Zealand provide examples of conservation in action. Examples include a group helping dolphins by working with fishers. Another group runs an ecotourism business near two beaches. And the third program is run by a woman who rescues injured animals. Both researchers and the public cooperate and collaborate.

* Matsumoto, Lisa. Beyond Ohia Valley. Lehua, Inc. 1996. "Kahuli, a curious and adventurous Hawaiian tree snail, is swept away into a destroyed vally where he struggles to save his life from some of the most dangerous predators in the rainforest." The book depicts the ever-present problems that threaten Hawaii's endangered species.

* Orr, Katherine. Hawaii's Freshwater Wildlife. Island Heritage. 1997. The author writes about Hawaii's streams and visitng waterbirds, as well as, how water birds are in danger due to people's use of wetlands. She also describes how we can help to keep our natural system healthy.~

* Orr, Katherine & Boynton, David. Hawaii's Natural Forests. Island Heritage. 2000. Besides information on Hawaii's forests, the authors write about alien plants from around the world, Polynesian introductions, the threats and challenges in our forests, and the endangered species.

* Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Prairies. Holiday. 1996. Today, most of the wild prairie is gone. Patent explains what kinds of grasses and trees grow on the prairie, as well as how these plants have adapted to the environmental conditions. Prairie animals are also mentioned. A chapter on the destruction of the prairies remind us how quickly an ecosystem can be destroyed. The author ends by mentioning about praire restoration projects, including how schools are planing prairie plots.

* Pfeffer, Wendy. A Log's Life. Simon & Schuster. 1997. Introduction to the decay process in a deciduous forest and the ecosystem that carries it out. It depicts the fallen log and its natural recycling life.

* Pringle, Laurence. Taking Care of the Earth: Kids in Action. Boyds Mills. 1996. Author shares projects chidren have undertaken, or can start doing, to make a difference in the environment. Projects include a penny-collection drive, recycling efforts, and trash cleanup.

* Rogers, Sally. Earthsong. Dutton Children's Books. 1998. Based on Sally Roger's popular song "Over in the Endangered Meadow." This rhyming picture book introduces children to different endangered species.

* Seuss, Dr. The Lorax. Random House. 1971. The Lorax tries to save the Truffula Forest and its inhabitants from environmental destruction.

* Stone, Lynn M. Endangered Animals: A New True Book. Children't Press. August 1990. Ciscusses various endangered animal species in the world, why and how they become endangered, and what can be done to save them.

* Taylor, Dave David. Endangered Ocean Animals. Crabtree Publishing. May 1995. Problems such as ocean pollution, orl spills, and hunting have caused marine mammals, birds, and fish to become endangered.

* Thompson, Gare. Take Care of Our Earth. Raintree/Steck-Vaughn. 1998. Introduction to pollution and conservation. Water, air, and land are discussed. Ways of pollution are also discussed.

* Van Allsburg, Chris. Just a Dream. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990. Walter litters and refuses to sort the trash for recycling. He dreams of an over crowded and polluted future which pushes him into taking care of the earth.

* Wright-Frierson, Virginia. An Island Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk on a Barrier Island. Simon & Schuster. 1998. An artist and her daughter explore marsh, beach, and dune ecosystems on a barrier island. The diverse plant and animal life found on these islands protect the coastline.

OTHER BOOKS
* Archer, Jules. To Save the Earth: The American Environmental Movement. Penguin. 1998. Book spotlights several environmentalists like: John Muir (national park system; Rachel Carson 9author of Silent Spring); David McTaggert (founder of Greenpeace); and Dave Foreman (founder of Earth First!). Chapters fo focus on environmental issues.

* Berry, Paul. In the Wake of Dreams. The WhaleSong Collection. 1993. This book is filled with images of Hawaii's endangered plants and animals. It also discusses environmental issues.

* Cox, George W. Alien Species in North America and Hawaii: Impacts on Natural Ecosystems. Island Press Publishing. September 1999. "Alien Species in North America and Hawaii provides a comprenensive overview of the invasive species phenomenon, examining the threats posed and the damage that has already been done. It offers a framework for understanding the problem and provides a detailed examination of species and regions."

* Eyre, David L. By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction to Hawaii's Natural History. The Bess Press, Inc. 2000. This book encourages readers both to be aware and to care. It includes stories of selected native and exotic animals in Hawaii.

* Winn, Marie. Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park. Vintage Books. 1999. The author describes a pair of red-tailed hawks that take up residence in a Fifth-Avenue neighborhood bordering Central Park. The hawks must overcome all sorts of adversity to raise their young in an urban area.

TEACHER RESOURCES
* EcoSystem Matters: Activity and Resource Guide for Environmental Educators. USDA Forest Services, Rocky Mountain Region. P.O. Box 25127, Lakewood, CO 80225-0127.

* Learning From the Land. Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities. Brian "Fox" Ellis. Teacher Ideas. 1997. Included in this activity book are lessons that cover concepts such as the web of life, the water cycle, the chnging seasons, and animal migration.

* Project Wild Aquatic. Education Activity Guide. Western Regional Environmental Education Council, In. 1992. Lessons are on aquatic habitats. Sections include: Awareness and Appreciation; Diversity of Values; Ecological Principles; Management and Conservation;People, Culture, and Wldlife; Trends, Issues, and Consequences,; and Responsible Human Actions.

* Project Wild Aquatic Education Activity Guide, Hawaii Supplement. Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources, Education Programs. Editor: Randy Honebrink. 1995. Lessons are relevant to Hawaii.

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