Synergy: Endangered Insects

When people think of endangered species, insects are often overlooked. From bees and butterflies to beetles, many species of insects are becoming endangered or extinct. The disappearance of species can have a serious impact on ecosystems.

Read the recently published middle grade book on this topic, then learn more at the website:

BUGS IN DANGER by Mark Kurlansky is a work of nonfiction that examines vanishing bees, butterflies, and beetles. This fascinating middle grade book focuses on the decline of species in recent years. The book concludes with a bibliography and index.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists dozens of insect species that are endangered. Readers can read about specific beetles, butterflies, damselflies, dragonflies, flies, moths, skippers, stoneflies, and bees.

Visit the Environmental Conservation Online System at https://bit.ly/3c7UWnm.

ARC courtesy of Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Book Review: The Alex Crow

THE ALEX CROW by Andrew Smith is a bizarre young adult novel that skillfully weaves together multiple storylines into a strangely powerful statement about society, extinction, and life.

What do a brutal war, a summer boys’ camp, a nineteenth century arctic expedition, and a schizophrenic bomber have in common? It sounds like a bad joke, but it’s actually the outlandish collection of situations that make Andrew Smith such as popular YA author. Like Grasshopper Jungle, the witty situations in THE ALEX CROW feel real but are actually set in an alternative version of our world where a depressed ex-extinct bionic crow seems possible.

Designed for science fiction readers 14 and up, Smith’s conversational writing style along with his unique balance of serious and goofy situations make this fact-paced book fly by. The reoccurring themes of extinction, life, and the “stories we carry” provide a new level of depth for Smith.

Fans of Andrew Smith will be pleased with his latest weird work and new readers will want to go back and read his earlier YA novels. While his books are perfect for reluctant readers, librarians should keep in mind that Smith’s works aren’t for everyone. They’re filled with masturbation jokes, disturbing teen violence, and gruesome, dystopian subplots.

Look for THE ALEX CROW on the best-seller lists for 2015.

To learn more about the author and his works, go to http://www.authorandrewsmith.com/.

Published by Dutton Book on March 10, 2015.

Book Review: Aviary Wonders Inc.

AVIARY WONDERS INC.: SPRING CATALOG AND INSTRUCTION MANUAL by Kate Samworth is a cleverly conceived and beautifully illustrated picture book you may have missed when it came out earlier in the year. 

Set in a future where living birds no longer exist, readers of this fictional catalog can order parts and assemble their own birds. All of the birds in the book are actual species and many are identified as endangered or extinct.

It’s dark, but humorous approach isn’t intended for young children. Instead, it’s designed for sophisticated readers who appreciate the quirky premise and call for a different future.

Although readers will have fun thinking about how they might mix and match parts to build the perfect mechanical bird, it’s hoped that they’ll also reflect on the serious issue of bird and habitat conservation.

This 2014 Kirkus Prize winning picture book provides endless opportunities for library and classroom activities focusing on environmental conservation. It’s one of those rare picture books that people of all ages will enjoy. Use it to kickstart a middle grades environmental discussion or a high school biology project.

Work with the art teacher on a project that involves using the book to create mix and match birds. Display the result in the library!

To learn more about the author, go to http://katesamworth.com/.