Environmental Book Club

Haven't heard about the ol' EBC in a long time, have you? Yeah, I just made that up...EBC. Environmental books, particularly fiction, which is my big interest, aren't something I stumble upon regularly, though I have my eye on one now.

What I'm directing you to today, people, is an article in the January/February issue of The Horn Book by Kathleen T. Isaacs. Featuring Wonder deals with encouraging "children's enthusiasm for and connection to nature through the sharing of well-crafted picture books." Isaacs covers specific criteria.

I was particularly interested in some material toward the end of the article. Isaacs writes about the general concern about the environment that "has filtered down from adults to children who learn about environmental issues in well-meant books that sometimes stress the losses more than the wonder that can still be found in nature." She also writes about "'ecophobia,' in which people distance themselves from the depressing news..."

That's the kind of environmental writing I'm not looking for.

Featuring Wonder isn't on-line, so look for the magazine.