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Nature Study & Journaling

Between global warming, holes in the ozone, and the pollution of our seas and rivers, maybe it is best to keep kids indoors and pacified in front of the television....but probably not. If these aren't real threats then there's nothing to protect our children (or ourselves) from, and if they are real threats—all the more reason to instill a love of nature in the younger generations.

Kids have an inclination toward exploration and learning. Allowing them to do so encourages not only active bodies and active minds, it fosters a healthy imagination and love of beauty. Charlotte Mason understood this over a century ago, and developed a system of education in which nature study played a prominent role. It is in nature, more than in the classroom or the rec room or even the library, that children best learn by observation, and this habit once formed will never disappear.

The often-referenced "childlike wonder" inherent in all of us from a young age (though modern society seems to be stamping it out quicker and more efficiently) isn't just some esoteric feeling of awe. It's literal wonder—kids wonder how birds fly, why their pet dog's fur falls out in summer, where ants go in the winter, why it gets colder and harder to breathe the higher you get. The less contact they have with the natural world, the less wonder they'll have; but the reverse is also true, and kids allowed to roam and explore the outdoors will develop a sense of inquisitiveness that can only help them in the so-called "real world."

Preparation for the Real World of modern myth often takes on peculiar guises. Children are snatched from the fields and streams and placed in front of computer screens or television sets. They are crowded into classrooms and made to feel good about the fact that they are learning nothing at the same rate as everyone around them. They are given plastic toys with supposed educational properties and made to "play" with them under close adult supervision.

Meanwhile, the real real world waits outside the walls and doors and windows with its fresh smells, its colors brighter and more unique than anything on HDTV or Blu-Ray, its real wind, and its endless mysteries. If you don't like answering questions, don't want your kids to grow or exercise, prefer fat and lazy to fit and intelligent offspring, by all means somberly prepare them for a life without questions, and consequently without answers. If you want children who will grown into thoughtful adults with a sense of the loveliness of Earth and their place in it, keeping them inside is possibly the most dangerous choice you can make on their behalf.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: Kindergarten (Ages 5-6), Trade Paperback
Alligator at Saw Grass Hill
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Lori Anzalone
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Reptiles & Amphibians (Location: SCI-REPT)
Almost Gone
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Steve Jenkins
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Amazing Birds
by Dorling Kindersley Ltd
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Animal Homes
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shira Evans
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Animals in Winter
by Henrietta Bancroft
Revised from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Ant Cities
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Arthur Dorros
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$8.99
Antarctic Antics
by Judy Sierra
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
Ants
National Geographic Kids Level 1
by Melissa Stewart
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Bats
by Lily Wood
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bed for the Winter
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
1st edition from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$4.24
Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature
by Stan & Jan Berenstain
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$15.99
Big Book
by Kathleen Ruckman
from Master Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Big Dinosaur Sticker Book
by Paul Nicholls
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
Bugs!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shira Evans
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bugs, Beetles, and Butterflies
Puffin Science Easy-to-Read Level 1
by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Lisa Flather
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Buzz, Bee!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Jennifer Szymanski
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Cactus Hotel
by Brenda Z. Guiberson
1st edition from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Deserts & Grasslands (Location: SCI-ECO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Canada Goose at Cattail Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Daniel Stegos
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
Caterpillar to Butterfly
National Geographic Kids Level 1: Starting to Read
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats
by Jim Arnosky
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places
by Jim Arnosky
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Desert Is Theirs
by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
1976 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Diary of a Wombat
by Jackie French
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Digging Up Dinosaurs
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Dinosaur Activity Book
by Earl & Bonita Snellenberger
2015 Printing from Master Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Dinosaurs & Fossils (Location: SCI-DINO)
$7.99
DK Eyewitness Explorers: Insects
by Steve Parker
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
DK Readers: Diving Dolphin
DK Readers Level 1
by Karen Wallace
from DK Children
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor Penguins
by Roberta Edwards
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Firefly at Stonybrook Farm
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Wendy Pfeffer
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
First Encyclopedia of Animals
Usborne Internet-Linked
by Paul Dowswell
from Usborne
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.00 (2 in stock)
Flutter, Butterfly!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Shelby Alinsky
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Frog Alphabet Book
by Jerry Pallotta
from Charlesbridge
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
From Caterpillar to Butterfly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science Stage 1
by Deborah Heiligman
from HarperCollins
Non-fiction for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$6.99
Garden Friends
DK Readers Pre-Level 1
from DK Publishing
for Preschool-1st grade
in DK Readers (Location: EAR-DK)
Great Kapok Tree
by Lynne Cherry
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Jungles & Rainforests (Location: SCI-ECO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Hailstones and Halibut Bones
by Mary O'Neill, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
from Doubleday & Company
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Hello, Penguin!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Kathryn Williams
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How a Seed Grows
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 1
by Helene J. Jordan
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
How Do Bats See in the Dark?
by Melvin, Berger
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
I Love Guinea Pigs
by Dick King-Smith
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$6.79
If You're Not from the Prairie . . .
by David Bouchard
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Insects
by Daniel J. Bickel
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Kingfisher First Encyclopedia of Animals
by Camilla Reid
from Kingfisher
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Ladybug at Orchard Avenue
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
Life and Times of the Honeybee
by Charles Micucci
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$8.99
Lizards for Lunch
by Conrad J. Storad
from Bobolink Media Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Made By God: Forest Friends
I Can Read Level 2
by Mary Hassinger
from Zondervan
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Made By God: Poisonous, Smelly, and Amazing Plants
I Can Read Level 2
from Zonderkidz
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.99
Made By God: Sea Creatures
I Can Read Level 2
by Mary Hassinger
from Zonderkidz
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from HarperTrophy
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Mixed-Up Chameleon
by Eric Carle
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Monarch Butterfly
by Gail Gibbons
from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
My Visit to the Aquarium
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oceanography & Marine Biology (Location: SCI-OCEAN)
Nature Study Idea Book
by Mary E. Woodis
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Official Sassafras SciDat Logbook 1
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Official Sassafras SciDat Logbook 3
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Oil Spill!
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by written by Melvin Berger; illustrated by Paul Mirocha
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Environment & Conservation (Location: SCI-ENV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Oliver
by Syd Hoff
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
Ostriches
by Herbert S. Zim, illustrated by Russell Francis Peterson.
from Purple House Press
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Birds (Location: SCI-BIRD)
$7.99
Over and Under the Canyon
by Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Neal
from Chronicle Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Science Books (Location: SCI-OVER)
$9.99
Over in Australia
by Marianne Berkes
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-1st grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.95
Over in the Arctic
by Marianne Berkes
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-1st grade
in Arctic & Tundra (Location: SCI-ECO)
Owls
National Geographic Kids Level 1: Starting to Read
by Laura Marsh
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Peterson Field Guide to Mushrooms of North America
by Karl B. McKnight, Joseph R. Rohrer, Kirsten McKnight Ward & Kent H. McKnight
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Field Guides & Nature Handbooks (Location: NAT-FG07)
Peterson First Guide to Trees
by George A. Petrides
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
$9.99
Peterson First Guide to Wildflowers
by Roger Tory Peterson
2nd edition from Houghton Mifflin
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Field Guides: Plants & Fungi (Location: NAT-FG08)
Pets in a Jar
by Seymour Simon
from Puffin Books
Non-fiction Science for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Nature Study & Journaling (Location: NAT-GEN)
Raccoon at Clear Creek Road
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Carolyn Otto
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Red Fox at Hickory Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Kathleen M. Hollenbeck
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
River Otter at Autumn Lane
Smithsonian's Backyard
by Laura Gates Galvin
1st edition from Smithsonian Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Mammals (Location: SCI-MAM)
Sassafras Guide to Botany
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Sassafras Guide to Chemistry
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Sassafras Guide to Zoology
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Sassafras Science Adventures Volume 1
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
$11.00 (2 in stock)
Sassafras Science Adventures Volume 3
Sassafras Science
by Johnny Congo & Paige Hudson
from Elemental Science
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Sassafras Science (Location: SCICUR-SAS)
Sunflower House
by Eve Bunting
1st Voyager Books Ed from Sandpiper Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.79
Swing, Sloth!
National Geographic Kids Pre-reader
by Susan B. Neuman
from National Geographic
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Tree Is a Plant
Let's- Read - and -Find- Out Science
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Botany & Mycology (Location: SCI-BOT)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Under One Rock
by Anthony D. Fredericks
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-5th grade
in Insects & Arachnids (Location: SCI-BUG)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Water's Way
by Lisa Westberg Peters
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Way to Start a Day
by Byrd Baylor
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
1979 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Whales and Dolphins
A Hello Reader! Book Level 1
by Peter and Connie Roop
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
2004 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Where Are the Night Animals?
by Mary Ann Fraser
1st edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Who Eats What?
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Patricia Lauber
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
Wild Cats
National Geographic Kids Level 1
by Elizabeth Carney
from National Geographic
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in National Geographic Early Readers (Location: EAR-NGR)
Young Child as Scientist
by Christine Chaille, Lory Britain
2nd edition from Allyn and Bacon
for Preschool-4th grade
in Preschool Science (Location: PRE-SCI)
$9.50 (1 in stock)
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