Synergy: Butterflies

BUTTERFLIES are insects with a four-stage life cycle. Part of the Lepidoptera order, some butterflies like the painted lady migrate over long distances. Butterfly gardens contain plants that provide nectar for adult butterflies and a habitat that nurtures the stages of their development.

Encourage students to learn about the butterflies common to your area, then involve them in designing a butterfly garden to attract these creatures.

Read the recently published informational children’s picture book, then learn more at the websites:

THE STORY OF A BUTTERFLY by Margaret Rose Reed explores the life cycle and habitat of the Painted Lady butterfly. Two friends take a field trip to a butterfly garden along with their class and decide to make their own community garden. The storybook approach introduces young readers to the science of butterflies along with the joy of learning. The picture book concludes with additional information about the Painted Lady butterfly and a comparison of moths and butterflies. ARC courtesy of Sourcebooks eXplore.

BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OF NORTH AMERICA is a database providing information about the wide range of Lepidoptera found in North America. Readers are encouraged to participate in their online project.

To search the database, go to https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org.

To read about the Painted Lady, go to https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Vanessa-cardui.

BASICS OF BUTTERFLY GARDENING from the North American Butterfly Association provides the basics of starting a butterfly garden.

To read the article, go to https://nababutterfly.com/start-butterfly-garden/.

Website Review: War of 1812

THE WAR OF 1812 website by Thinkport provides endless resources for exploring this often overlooked time in American history.

Produced through a collaboration among the Maryland Public Television, Friends of Fort McHenry, and the National Park Service, the website is organized into four sections: overview, resources, interactives, and field trips.

The Overview introduces the context of the war and the key players.

The Resources section provides over 100 documents, images, lessons, videos, audios, and interactives related to the War of 1812. Users can filter their search by resource type, grade, or keywords.

The Interactives area includes a clickable map, slideshow, “Hold the Fort” game, “Cast Your Vote” games, and a link to online tools.

The Field Trips section links to key historical sites where students can learn more about battles and key events. Links are also provided to other resources related to the topic. Many of these materials were designed for the 200th anniversary a few years ago.

To visit the website, go to http://warof1812.thinkport.org.

Book Review: Lost in NYC: Subway Adventure

LOST IN NYC: A SUBWAY ADVENTURE written by Nagja Spiegelman and illustrated by Sergio García Sánchez combines an exciting urban adventure with a fascinating informational reading experience for young learners.

A TOON Graphics book, the story features a school field trip that goes awry for a member of the class when he gets lost in the subway on his way to the Empire State Building in New York City.

This beautifully illustrated book features subway maps, collages with historical photos, subway symbols, and visually stunning graphic story elements.

Spiegelman’s carefully researched children’s book contains both a realistic fiction element along with carefully researched information about the history and geography of New York City and it’s unique subway system.

Available in both English and Spanish versions, this is a must-have book for elementary libraries. Both urban dwellers and those longing to visit the city will find the authentic story and background information appealing.

This outstanding graphic work is excellent for both visual and verbal literacy activities. It’s likely to be on lots of “best of 2015” lists this year.

Download an outstanding teacher’s guide to go with the book at http://goo.gl/AKedTQ.

Published by Toon Books on April 7, 2015. ARC courtesy of Edelweiss.

Book Review: Willy Maykit in Space

WILLY MAYKIT IN SPACE by Greg Trine is a super silly science fiction story guaranteed to entertain young readers.

From classic knock-knock jokes to flying bird poop, the laughs are perfectly aimed at lower, middle-grade readers. The story becomes more outrageous with each action-packed chapter as an android, an alien, and a village of monsters are added to young Willy Maykit’s outer space field trip. In a parallel story, readers learn about Willy’s father who has been captured by foothunters (not headhunters) in the Amazon jungles.

Librarian’s will easily convince reluctant readers to jump into this silly adventure with short, fast paced chapters and appealing visuals.

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

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers.