Today we continue the Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep series with an essay by author Anita Sanchez. Thank you, Anita.
I sit at my desk, fidgeting and fuming. This is
intolerable. I mean, I know my rights.
I gaze out the window at green fields edged
with trees. The sun glows in a cloudless June sky. I can hardly sit still. They
have NO RIGHT to keep me indoors on such a beautiful day. After all, third
graders have rights too.
with trees. The sun glows in a cloudless June sky. I can hardly sit still. They
have NO RIGHT to keep me indoors on such a beautiful day. After all, third
graders have rights too.
So when the next day dawns even more alluring,
I decide to take the law into my own hands.
I’m just not going to school.
I decide to take the law into my own hands.
I’m just not going to school.
In those long-ago days, I walked to school,
and on that bright spring morning, I decided to head for the woods instead of
the classroom. I’ll just take the day
off. No one will notice.
and on that bright spring morning, I decided to head for the woods instead of
the classroom. I’ll just take the day
off. No one will notice.
Unfortunately, my bid for freedom was brief and
ended, predictably, in the principal’s office. My impassioned plea that it was
too sunny to learn fractions was for some reason ignored.
ended, predictably, in the principal’s office. My impassioned plea that it was
too sunny to learn fractions was for some reason ignored.
I’ve never forgotten being that kid gazing
out the window. And to this day, everything I write comes from that long-ago
memory of longing to go outside.
out the window. And to this day, everything I write comes from that long-ago
memory of longing to go outside.
Sadly, most kids these days spend very little
time outside. And what time they do spend outdoors is usually on the mowed
lawns of athletic fields.
time outside. And what time they do spend outdoors is usually on the mowed
lawns of athletic fields.
Kids don’t wander in the woods or climb trees
or hunt for tadpoles or just mess around in nature. To many children, the outdoors
is a scary place—caterpillars might be poisonous, and spiders could bite. There’s
even poison ivy out there.
or hunt for tadpoles or just mess around in nature. To many children, the outdoors
is a scary place—caterpillars might be poisonous, and spiders could bite. There’s
even poison ivy out there.
So I set out to write books that will help
kids confront their fears of the unknown. My books are set, not in a rain forest
or outer space, but close to home, to create possibilities for outdoor
exploration in every child’s backyard or local park.
kids confront their fears of the unknown. My books are set, not in a rain forest
or outer space, but close to home, to create possibilities for outdoor
exploration in every child’s backyard or local park.
I try to encourage close-up, hands-on,
get-dirty experiences. It’s okay, I
want to say to all those anxious kids standing on the blacktop. The spider won’t hurt you. This is what
poison ivy looks like. It’s okay.
get-dirty experiences. It’s okay, I
want to say to all those anxious kids standing on the blacktop. The spider won’t hurt you. This is what
poison ivy looks like. It’s okay.
My book Leaflets
Three. Let It Be: The Story of Poison Ivy highlights all the good things
about, yes, poison ivy. (Did you know it’s an important survival food for cardinals
and bluebirds?) And it teaches kids how to identify the plant so that they can
safely avoid it.
Three. Let It Be: The Story of Poison Ivy highlights all the good things
about, yes, poison ivy. (Did you know it’s an important survival food for cardinals
and bluebirds?) And it teaches kids how to identify the plant so that they can
safely avoid it.
My most recent book, Rotten! Vultures, Beetles, and Slime: Nature’s Decomposers, focuses
on stuff kids think of as disgusting or scary: fungus, tarantulas, and one of
my personal favorites—slugs. At the heart of every chapter is that younger
version of myself, lingering on the walk home from school to capture
grasshoppers and marvel at all the amazing critters thriving under a log. I
hope to persuade readers to view even the icky side of nature with curiosity
and excitement. Even the grossest creepy-crawler has a place in nature’s web
and a fascination of its own.
on stuff kids think of as disgusting or scary: fungus, tarantulas, and one of
my personal favorites—slugs. At the heart of every chapter is that younger
version of myself, lingering on the walk home from school to capture
grasshoppers and marvel at all the amazing critters thriving under a log. I
hope to persuade readers to view even the icky side of nature with curiosity
and excitement. Even the grossest creepy-crawler has a place in nature’s web
and a fascination of its own.
With each book I write, I try to create a
road map to get kids out of the house and into the backyard, or the local park,
or a nearby nature center. I want them to relax and think of nature as a place
that’s safe, fun, and welcoming. My passion is to give young readers the
knowledge to explore the outdoors safely, and the confidence to stray off the
sidewalk. To look closer, ask questions, get muddy.
road map to get kids out of the house and into the backyard, or the local park,
or a nearby nature center. I want them to relax and think of nature as a place
that’s safe, fun, and welcoming. My passion is to give young readers the
knowledge to explore the outdoors safely, and the confidence to stray off the
sidewalk. To look closer, ask questions, get muddy.
I hope my readers will collect rocks, pick up
worms, hunt for salamanders, look under rotting logs—and find an adventure that
can last all their lives.
worms, hunt for salamanders, look under rotting logs—and find an adventure that
can last all their lives.
As a writer, Anita Sanchez is especially fascinated
by plants and animals that no one loves. Her books are intended to get kids
excited about the wonders of the natural world. Anita worked as an
environmental educator for the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and developed curricula for environmental
science programs serving thousands of students. Many years of field work,
leading children on nature walks, have given her firsthand experience in
introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature.
by plants and animals that no one loves. Her books are intended to get kids
excited about the wonders of the natural world. Anita worked as an
environmental educator for the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation and developed curricula for environmental
science programs serving thousands of students. Many years of field work,
leading children on nature walks, have given her firsthand experience in
introducing students to the terrors and joys of nature.
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Topics
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25 Comments
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One Response
I love this! We lived similar lives. I walked to school as well and the only thing that would get me home quickly was a need to go to the bathroom, but then the backyard beckoned.
I love sharing stories that feed kids with the excitement of the outdoors and I write my stories to encourage time in nature.
I can't wait to read your books.