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Books on Forests
These books and resources on forests and fire are recommended to educators using Project Learning Tree and other lessons. Items marked with * are part of the NNREC Members Lending Library. Linked ISBNs below go to either Acorn Naturalists or Amazon.
*PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide 2006 (Project Learning Tree PLT)
*Exploring Environmental Issues: Focus on Forests (PLT seconary module). Uses forest related examples to help students better understand the complexity of environmental issues. Students examine issues objectively, collect and analyze data, and become involved in decision making experiences. They learn how to present arguments clearly and how citizens can play a role in forest management decisions.
*The Changing Forest: Forest Ecology (PLT secondary module). Students examine ecological systems of a forest, analyze interdependencies within a forest ecosystem, and explore factors that shape the development of forests. In addition, they develop critical thinking skills and discover the importance of scientific analysis when making decisions about forest issues.
*GreenWorks! Guide. Connecting Community Action and Service Learning Guide is for educators who want to partner with a business, nonprofit, or other community organization on an environmental action project-and for the people in those organizations who want to partner with a local school. The guide also supports teachers who need to involve their students in service learning activities.
*Fire: The Story Behind a Force of Nature, Russell D. Butcher
*The Secret Forest Experience: A Middle School Curriculum Guide, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics
*Trees Are Terrific!, Stotksy, Sandra (Naturescope). How do trees differ from other plants? What role do trees play in the "forest community"? And why are they essential to the survival of the planet? Learn all about rain forest conservation, community forestry and what happens to the forest after a fire. From sprouting seeds to making an edible leaf model, here are acitivites and information that foster respect for vital resources. ISBN: 0-7910-4883-7.
*Advice from a Tree, Ilan Shamir. Booklet of condensed inspiration that is pure, simple, yet profound. Find out what an old cottonwood tree can tell you about what it means to be alive, and the path toward harmony with both nature and ourselves. ISBN: 1-930175-01-9.
*Woods, Donald M. Silver (One Small Square series). The woods are full of puzzles to be solved, clues to be found. Inspired by this book's hints and fun-filled experiments and activities, and using only simple equipment, young readers unlock the closely guarded secrets of the woods - from the strange meetings of lazy butterflies, to the miraculous "walking" of a twig, to the riddle of why the leaves turn color and fall. One small square at a time, these "detectives" plunge deeper and deeper into ancient mysteries - without ever getting lost.
Children's Literature
*The Lorax, Dr. Suess. The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more--a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed. ISBN: 0-394-82337-0.
*Are Trees Alive?, Debbie S. Miller. Using comparisons to the human body, Miller describes the characteristics of trees. In simple but poetic terms, she compares the veins of a leaf to those in a person's hand. She tells readers that the tree trunk supports the tree as our legs support us, and that "Bark is dark or light, rough or smooth, thick or thin, just like people's skin." Children can travel the globe, examining common and unusual trees-a weeping willow in China, a baobab in Africa, Australia's ribbon gum, the paper birch of North America, India's banyan tree, etc. ISBN: 0-8027-8801-7.
*The Man Who Planted Trees, Jean Giono. Jean Giono's unforgettable story is of Elzéard Bouffier, a tireless shepherd who plants one hundred acorns a day over a span of thirty years. In doing so, Bouffier not only transforms the countryside, but revitalizes his community and teaches us about hope, humanity, and our own ability to create change in the world around us. ISBN: 1-931-49872-5.
*The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein. "Once there was a tree ... and she loved a little boy." So begins a story Of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein. Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk ... and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave and gave. ISBN: 0-06-025665-6.
*The Gift of the Tree, Alvin Tresselt. The old oak tree had stood tall and proud for over a hundred years, but even as it grew, life gnawed at its heart. Termites tunneled inside it. Woodpeckers peppered it with holes. And one by one, its great branches crashed to the ground. But as the tree slowly returned to the earth, new life took over—chipmunks, raccoons, and even young trees—all nourished by the gift of the tree. ISBN: 0-688-10684-6.
* Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art, Thomas Locker. In a book as perfect for the home as in the classroom, award-winning artist Thomas Locker explores how trees remain full of wonder through every season. Lyrical text meets art and science in this enchanting exploration of natural wonder. An afterword provides a thought-provoking discussion section, and offers answers to questions asked throughout the text. ISBN: 0-06-024883-1.
* The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, Lynne Cherry. This beautifully illustrated and highly recommended book is widely used in primary schools in the U.S. to convince children of the importance of rain-forest conservation. Lynne Cherry visited the Amazon rain forest to gather drawings for the book, and the simple story and vivid illustrations capture the reality and lushness of the forest in a way she could not have by working from mere photographs. ISBN: 0-15-200520-X.
* Shelterwood, Susan Shetterly. Grade 3-5-Sophie's grandfather is a conscientious logger, caring for his woods in the hope that they will last for generations to come. When the child spends the summer with him, he begins to pass on his knowledge, teaching her to tell the different trees apart, what they need to grow and thrive, and about woodland ecology. The narrative alternates between the nostalgic and the pedantic, too contemplative to work well as a read-aloud and too loosely episodic to hold independent readers' attention. Though information-packed, the text, does not smoothly meld fact and story. The illustrations are another case entirely. Lovely and impressionistic, these oils are rendered in a combination of broad, blurred strokes and clear detail that bring the woods to life. They give the narrative a context and atmosphere that it might otherwise lack. Shelterwood may be best used in teaching situations in which ecological issues are under discussion. Not many other books take on an illustration of the difference between clear-cutting and selective logging. ISBN: 0-88448-210-3. Also Shelterwood: Discovering the Forest (Teachers Guide). ISBN: 0-88448-211-1.
* Forest Bright / Forest Night, Jennifer Ward. Kindergarten-Grade 3;Using a rhythmic text and a turn-it-over format, this offering explores the concept that some forest animals are diurnal while others are nocturnal. The details of the lush, almost surreal, illustrations realistically convey the creatures' appearances and activities. The imaginative interpretation of the landscape and its inhabitants offers youngsters an unusual perspective of forest life. During daylight hours, they can observe deer splashing through a stream while an owl dozes in a nearby tree, snakes staring at sleeping foxes, and blue jays squawking as skunks snooze in a hollow log. After turning the book over to the forest night, readers see the deer bedded down while the owl searches for food, the foxes on the prowl as the snakes rest in a tangled bunch, and the skunks scurrying about while a jay sleeps with its head tucked beneath its wing. The strong artwork will hold children's interest as they search for all of the hidden animals. A fun introduction to nature. ISBN: 1-58469-067-4.
The Secret Life of Trees, Chiara Chevallier. This Level 2 book is perfect for children who are beginning to read alone. Why do trees lose their leaves in winter? How do insects hide on bare branches? Let the trees themselves reveal their many secrets to you. ISBN: 0-7894-4760-6.
* Seeds, Ken Robbins. Kindergarten-Grade 3 - With its interestingly composed, close-up color photos, this book explores a variety of seeds and their methods of dispersal. The text is simple enough for independent reading; however, some of the concepts are not adequately explained. For example, Robbins states: "From the seeds that farmers sow, in the spring and summer come wonderful fruits - delicious sweet plums and cherries, peaches, apricots, and many others," and some youngsters may think that these fruits come from annual plants, not orchard trees. This is a worthy secondary purchase, however, for its pictures and for creating an awareness of the vast variety of seeds and their importance both for plant propagation and as foods for humans and animals. Jean Richards's A Fruit Is a Suitcase for Seeds (Millbrook, 2002) covers the same concepts, but has watercolor pictures rather than photographs and includes two pages of frequently asked questions. ISBN: 0-689-85041-7.
Natural History
* Trees, George A. Petrides (Peterson First Guides). Now there is a guidebook to trees--one of the most popular subjects in the Peterson Field Guide series--for the beginning naturalist. The 243 trees are grouped into six categories by leaf type and arrangement, making it easier for the beginner to identify unknown species. 200 color illustrations. ISBN: 0-395-91183-4.
Forests, Roger Tory Peterson (Peterson First Guides). This guide describes and illustrates the 50 different kinds of forest and related habitats found throughout the United States and Canada, from the boreal forests and tundra of the north to the mangrove swamps, desert scrub, and giant saguaro forests of the south. ISBN: 0-395-97197-7.
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Pacific Coast Tree Finder, Tom Watts. The classic key to identifying native trees of the Pacific Coast, updated to reflect changes in the names of trees since publication of the first edition. Identifies native trees, and some widely introduced or naturalized species, of the Pacific Coast region, from British Columbia to Baja California. In this edition, Latin names of trees that grow in California conform to the University of California's 1993 Jepson Manual, and more recent name changes. From the Finders series of pocket guides to native plants and animals of the U.S. and Canada; like all plant guides in the series, this book uses a dichotomous key format for accurate identification. ISBN: 0-912550-27-9. [16 copies classroom set]
* Trees of the Sierra Nevada, Elizabeth Morales.
* Trees, Herbert Zim. This Golden Guide describes and illustrates in full color more than 140 of our most common trees. Learn:How to recognize tree shapes, flowers, buds, leaves, and fruitsWhere each species growsThe parts of a tree and the various kinds of treesPerfect for nature lovers of all ages, this is an indispensable guide for everyone who wants to be able to recognize the different trees in North America. ISBN: 0-307-24056-8.
