10-10 Teachers
Inspiring Kids to Care about the Earth...
Love It and Save It!
Gail Simpson &
Janet Antonucci
Who we are...We've spent most of our lives with kids. Jan is a former middle school language arts and social studies teacher and Gail is a former health and P.E. teacher/athletic director/assistant principal. Both of us have written extensively for fun and for various publications and have multiple degrees in education. We're members of the board of the Somers Land Trust and town Open Space Committee. As avid gardeners and great lovers of the environment, our passion is to inspire kids to care enough to help save the Earth.
All of our books explore themes related to the environment. In the first book, a girl discovers a secret garden and is given a magical stone. The second book finds the main character living on a nature preserve and traveling through time. A third book features a trio traveling in a teleporting camper van across the United States in a quest to learn about the effects of climate change.
Our Most Recent book...
Magic Mercury and the Earth Connections
The Secret of Nadia's Stone
What do a teleporting van, a talking bear and communicating trees have in common? They're all part of a magical tour that takes three memorable characters on a journey across the United States. Grada, Savvy and Violet are on a quest to learn more about the environment and how people are working together to protect our precious resources. These three endearing characters- a grandmother, a graduate student and a young middle school girl form lasting bonds with the people they meet. Along the way, they experience the astonishing wonder and diversity of the natural world and witness so many people working courageously to save the planet. They will inspire you, too!
Did you read our first book yet?
The Power of
Sticks in a Bundle
Sometimes things don't go according to plan. That's what happened to 11-year- old Violet when her life is turned upside down by a sudden act of nature. Then, a mysterious illness descends on the world, and COVID-19 changes her life forever. Sent to live on a nature preserve with a kindly teacher, Violet learns about the healing power of the natural world, and forms a secret connection to a girl who lives in another time and place. She begins to understand the meaning behind the African proverb: "Sticks in a bundle can't be broken." In this endearing story of coping in times of crisis, Violet begins to appreciate the wonder of living at one with the environment, and people working together to make the world a better place.
What are people saying?
"I fell in love with the endearing matter-of-factness of the ever-curious Violet on the very first page of this delightfully engaging book. My experience just kept getting better from there: this book is a treat! The talented authors (who clearly understand how kids think) bring us convincingly along on Violet's unexpected adventures in a nature preserve, offering us lots of interesting information, surprises and insights along the way.
Good YA reads like this are hard to find. This book is perfect for intermediate to middle level readers and yet, I couldn't put it down. I'm hoping for a sequel, or even a series!"
Dr. Joanne Marien, former Superintendent of Schools, Somers, NY
"There's so much I loved about it... the setting, Yonkers and Somers... Untermyer Park and Angle Fly Preserve... all the information about birds, plants, trees... the brave, sensitive, caring characters... the magical element of time travel... and an enchanting story. I will be sharing this with my family."
Dr. Rosemary Dowling, former Principal of Primrose School
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"If you find yourself smack in the middle of the Pandemic and in need of a timely, engaging, story, "The Power of Sticks in a Bundle" has the strength to strike like lightning and lift you up. An inventive novel, perfect for readers who love time travel, lightning, forest exploration, and a celebration of people working together."
Susan Smith Compo, M. Ed. Reading Specialist
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