Sunday, April 22, 2012, is Earth Day. As I've said previously, I’m old enough to remember when Earth Day was a joke. It was.
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As teachers, many of us said, “Oh, yeah. Earth Day. I’d better do something, I guess.” Not anymore. Earth Day has a global platform and big teeth. And it should. Caring for our planet is no laughing matter. It is a deadly serious concern.
For me, Earth Day is a part of living my life each day. After my husband and I bought a condo on Clearwater Beach, Florida, things got personal. In walking our beach in the early mornings, I noticed more and more trash on the sand, much of it ready to be taken to sea by the surf.
I began taking a bag and picking up as much as I could and placing it into the many trash cans (most were empty) along the route. It was, of course, too big a job for one person.
And that is when the Bella and Britt Series for children was born. The first book was titled, Bella Saves the Beach. When it was almost ready for publication, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred.
My publisher, Lynda Burch, of Guardian Angel Publishing, and I decided a children's book about the spill must be written. She felt the Bella and Britt books would be the best vehicle for it. She also wanted it, if possible, to be the first children's book in the US addressing the spill.
With that assignment, I worked tirelessly, ten to fifteen hours a day, and finished One Pelican at a Time in six weeks! Happily, it was the first! I am also happy to mention the book has won several awards, such as the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval. It was on Amazon's Bestsellers for Children for eighteen weeks.
After Pelican came Sea Turtle Summer, a book that deals with the girls' protecting a Loggerhead sea turtle's nest. Some adults don't agree with the girls' actions, but they feel empowered to carry out their plan.
Most importantly, this book series carries a universal message of earth stewardship. They were written to empower kids to take action for their planet, even in the face of some adult disapproval.
That is my literary contribution to Earth Day. I know you are contributing in the ways you do best. Working together, we can help save our planet. It's the only way forward.
As teachers, many of us said, “Oh, yeah. Earth Day. I’d better do something, I guess.” Not anymore. Earth Day has a global platform and big teeth. And it should. Caring for our planet is no laughing matter. It is a deadly serious concern.For me, Earth Day is a part of living my life each day. After my husband and I bought a condo on Clearwater Beach, Florida, things got personal. In walking our beach in the early mornings, I noticed more and more trash on the sand, much of it ready to be taken to sea by the surf.
I began taking a bag and picking up as much as I could and placing it into the many trash cans (most were empty) along the route. It was, of course, too big a job for one person.And that is when the Bella and Britt Series for children was born. The first book was titled, Bella Saves the Beach. When it was almost ready for publication, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred.
My publisher, Lynda Burch, of Guardian Angel Publishing, and I decided a children's book about the spill must be written. She felt the Bella and Britt books would be the best vehicle for it. She also wanted it, if possible, to be the first children's book in the US addressing the spill.
With that assignment, I worked tirelessly, ten to fifteen hours a day, and finished One Pelican at a Time in six weeks! Happily, it was the first! I am also happy to mention the book has won several awards, such as the Children's Literary Classics Seal of Approval. It was on Amazon's Bestsellers for Children for eighteen weeks.
After Pelican came Sea Turtle Summer, a book that deals with the girls' protecting a Loggerhead sea turtle's nest. Some adults don't agree with the girls' actions, but they feel empowered to carry out their plan.Most importantly, this book series carries a universal message of earth stewardship. They were written to empower kids to take action for their planet, even in the face of some adult disapproval.
That is my literary contribution to Earth Day. I know you are contributing in the ways you do best. Working together, we can help save our planet. It's the only way forward.
