~ MMGM BIRD COUNT SPECIAL HOLIDAY FEATURE ~

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~ MARVELOUS MIDDLE-GRADE

MONDAY SPECIAL 

HOLIDAY FEATURE ~

--  'BIRD COUNT'  --

 AUTHOR SUSAN EDWARDS RICHMOND

~Post Includes:  Book Spotlight, Author Bio,

Author Guest Post, My Review &

Giveaway {US Only}~

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🐦 ABOUT THE BOOK {from Goodreads}:

The National Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count stars in this charming picture book, just right for young citizen scientists, bird watchers, and nature aficionados.

"A wonderful introduction to bird-watching and the concept of observing nature... Parents be warned: this book is so appealing that, come next December, you may find yourself out in the cold, counting birds." ―Booklist Online

For the New England Christmas Bird Count, young Ava and her mother prepare to be the best "citizen scientists" they can be. With the help of their team leader Big Al, they record the tally of all the birds they see. Ava dutifully counts all the birds along the way, using her most important tools―her eyes and ears―and the birding identification techniques she's learned. But will she locate her favorite raven again this year in time for their town's annual Christmas Bird Count party?

Author Susan Edwards Richmond introduces young readers to birdwatching with simple explanations of birdwatching techniques and clear descriptions of bird habitats. Stephanie Fizer Coleman's charming illustrations add color and context to a joyful story that's sure to inspire the citizen scientist in us all.

Backmatter includes more information about all the birds featured in the book and about the Christmas Bird Count, the nation's longest-running community science bird project.

🐦 Teacher's Guide available!

🐦 Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens

🐦 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Award

 

🐦 Praise for Bird Count:

Readers will love searching for birds along with Ava and her companions…. This book introduces elementary school readers to the world of birds and citizen science in an accessible, ­welcoming way. —School Library Journal

An instructive and attractive picture book for aspiring ornithologists and young nature aficionados. —Publishers Weekly

A wonderful introduction to bird-watching and the concept of observing nature… Parents be warned: this book is so appealing that, come next December, you may find yourself out in the cold, counting birds. —Booklist

Clever design… Count guidelines are smoothly worked into Richmond's narrative... An engaging, informative introduction.. —Kirkus Reviews

🐦 RESOURCES:

https://www.susanedwardsrichmond.com/resources

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🐦 ABOUT THE AUTHOR {from Goodreads}:

 

 

Susan Edwards Richmond explored the history of the Harvard Shaker Community while poet-in-residence at the Fruitlands Museum. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She has taught writing at the Shirley Medium Correctional Facility, located on the site of another former Shaker community, and is currently on the faculty at Clark University. Her interest in the intersection of art and nature is reflected in her work with Wild Apples: a journal of nature, art, and inquiry. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Massachusetts, where she enjoys hiking and birdwatching.

 

🐦 CONNECT WITH SUSAN:

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/susan.e.richmond.9

Twitter:  @SusanEdRichmond

Website:   susanedwardsrichmond.com

 

🐦 AUTHOR GUEST POST  🐦

Here are some "Behind-the-Scenes" fun facts about the book and its inspiration:

1.    Bird Count is inspired by my own experiences doing the Christmas Bird Count in Acton, MA, for more than a decade.

2.  The character of Big Al is based on my real-life Team Leader for Area 10 of the Concord Circle, Al Sgroi.

3.   Four of the five named streets and businesses in the book are real places in Acton. 

4.    Ava and her team counted 24 different species in Bird Count.  That's not too far off our counts. In Area 10, we generally spot 30 to 35 species.

5.    In 2020, the bird in Area 10 with the highest numbers was the black-capped chickadee.  Which bird is most common in your area at this time of year?

6.    In 2020, our most unusual species was the horned lark.  What will it be this year?  What surprising bird might you find?

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🐦 MY REVIEW:

This is an excellent book detailing the National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count {CBC} held during the Christmas holiday season each year. The text tells the who, what, where, when, why, and how of this valuable event held in the Western Hemisphere. I love birds, and I learned a lot about the birds and this event by reading this book.

The author has included excellent back matter information, also. The Author's Note relates her experience as a participant in this event for the past fifteen-plus years and explains the purpose for the event in more depth. Ms. Richmond includes a list of Resources and a detailed list of the birds counted in a typical CBC, which is organized like a glossary.

The illustrator has done a fabulous job of capturing the mood and emotions of the main character, Ava, along with presenting excellent images of the various birds and the scenes included in the story. The idea of including an image of the notebook page that Ava is using to record the tally for the bird count along the right side of some of the pages keeps readers engaged and involved in the story.

I highly recommend this book for teachers, librarians, parents, grandparents, child care/youth group/scout leaders, and fans of ornithology of any age!

I was allowed access to a digital copy of this book by the publisher for my own personal use. All of my thoughts and opinions shared here are solely my own.

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🐦   LINK TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

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Find the links to read more great Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts from middle-grade authors and bloggers at Greg Pattridge's 'Always in the Middle' Blog.

 

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