APRIL MANNING

ABOUT ME

 

I love to learn and have earned two AAS in quality science, a BS in biology with a minor in chemistry, an MA in earth literacy. The earth literacy program is interdisciplinary learning that fosters the capacity to understand the natural world in order to ensure sustainability of the planet as a habitat for life. I am a firm believer in the importance of diversity and want to teach this importance to the next generation. On a personal note, I am happily married to a wonderful man (Shawn Doan), and we enjoy living in Indiana raising our four-legged children together.

My intent and vision for the Neighborwood series is to connect children and nature to teach earth literacy to them. I have acquired my MA in earth literacy, and my thesis was teaching earth literacy to kids. My project was this book (Neighborwood: Earth Literacy for Kids), and I have many ideas for the series. Here is my abstract from my thesis: Abstract The themes presented in the earth literacy program are concepts that need to be taught at the beginning of one's education, not at the end. This is the vision behind Earth Literacy for Kids. The Neighborwood series will consist of sets of books that will illustrate the various earth literacy master's program themes, such as the importance of diversity, recycling, and sense of place. The animals that reside in the forest of the Neighborwood are the characters that will be learning the themes along with the reader. The guide through the journey will be the Neighborwood land ambassador, a girl whom they call Lamb. The first book will be part of a pen pal series that shows the importance of niches and diversity in communities. This book will have a country mouse and a city mouse as pen pals learning how they are similar and how they differ. The rest of the pen pal series will include land turtle and sea turtle pen pals, and mockingbird and African grey parrot pen pals.