Galapagos Books and News

      Visiting the Galapagos Islands to research Back from the Brink was one of my favorite research trips. When I was a budding naturalist in college I became focused on herpetology - all things reptile and amphibian. As an adult I became a trained turtle rehabilitator, so visiting and learning about the tortoises on the islands was on my bucket list. And so, I've also kept up on the islands long after my visit. I'm happy to share that the Galapagos Conservancy announced improvements to Isabela's giant tortoise breeding center. Read about it here. 

Here are additional books focused on the islands for adults and kids to enjoy:

Award-Winning STEAM Kidlit

Congratulations to all the winners and honorees of the American Library Association book awards. It's always an exciting day when we can celebrate children's literature. 

Here are the award-winning titles that you should add to your STEAM bookshelf: 


*Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers written by Deborah Heiligman and published by Godwin Books/Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group (art, biography) YALSA

The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found written by Martin W. Sandler, and published by Candlewick Press  (marine archeology)   YALSA honor

“Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem,” written by Patricia Newman and published by Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. (conservation, ecology) Sibert Honor

“Wolf in the Snow,” illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell, and published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan. (wildlife, wolves)

“Grand Canyon,” written and illustrated by Jason Chin and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter Book. (environment) Sibert Honor, Caldecott Honor

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge - Coral Reefs

Jason Chin has done it again. He's created another great title to add to your nonfiction bookshelf.   This time he's taken us from the redwood forest to under the sea in his latest book, Coral Reefs.  Again, Chin offers readers informative text and beautiful, imaginative illustrations.  In Coral Reefs, a young girl enters the New York Public Library, pulls a book about coral reefs off the shelf and finds herself in the undersea world she's reading about.  The text is straight nonfiction, while the illustrations offer the reader a healthy dose of magical realism.  I love the idea of text coming alive for readers and Chin has done a beautiful job of capturing the beauty of the reefs. His text, however, is not as creative as his illustrations.  Nonetheless, this title is an example of how creative nonfiction can be, while still providing readers with great information!