SurfWriter Girls: March 2019

Friday, March 29, 2019

Springtime Blooms with Books for Groms

A World of Possibilities

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

Now that spring is here it's the perfect time for kids to see the wonders in these special books about the environment, ocean, adventure, and self-discovery.

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel have just the books to keep the pages turning and open the door on a world of possibilities.

All the Way to the Ocean, by Joel Harper, tells how best friends Isaac and James discover that the city's storm drains are sending toxic runoff into our oceans, lakes and rivers. With colorful drawings and an important message, this book shows that when all of us do our part we can have a cleaner environment to enjoy.

Elmore, by Holly Hobbie, is about a porcupine who's desperate to make friends, but it's hard to get close to the other animals in the forest when he's covered in prickly quills. With ingenuity he finally comes up with a way to win them over. The book's charming artwork and heart-felt story will make everyone want to be Elmore's BFF.

The Great Barrier Thief, by Dr. Sue Pillans (AKA Suzie Starfish), takes kids into another world under the sea at Australia's Great Barrier Reef. When feisty fish Anthea notices that the colors are being bleached from her coral reef home she sets off to find the thief who is stealing them...and get the colors back!

Hoot, by Carl Hiaasen, a Newbery Award-winning book, is a fun read with a middle-school hero, endangered, pint-sized burrowing owls, bullies and buffoons in a quirky Florida beach setting. Called "A rollicking, righteous story" by the Miami-Herald, its off-beat humor and engaging characters are a winning combination.

Indi Surfs, by Chris Gorman, a surfer dad and photographer, captures the joy of a young girl's quest to ride the waves. Written for the littlest groms with vivid black & white and turquoise illustrations and spare text, it conveys the essence of surfing and the beach culture vibe...just right for getting young surfers on board.

Oliver: The Second-Largest Living Thing on Earth, by Josh Crute, is a playful book about being in someone else's shadow – the shadow cast by Sequoia National Park's General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth. Wanna-be #1 tree Oliver does everything to grow taller – stretching his limbs, lifting logs, soaking up the sun. Kids will "root" for Oliver.

Sea Bear, by Lindsay Moore, follows the travels of a lone polar bear in the Arctic as she traverses the melting ice searching for food and shelter for herself and her cubs. Beautifully illustrated with a moving environmental message of survival, the story takes readers along on the polar bear's journey.

Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon, a multi-award-winning book that's sold over 500,000 copies, is the story of a fruit bat who's accidentally dropped by her mother and lands in the middle of a bird's nest. Taken in by the occupants, Stellaluna tries to fit in and behave like her bird "siblings." Both an adventure story and one about accepting others, this little bat will charm readers.

Surf Zone, by Pam Withers, puts teen-age tour guides Jake and Peter into more adventure than they bargained for when they take a surfer girl scuba diving and their boat disappears, stranding them on a remote island. With a storm approaching their only escape is to surf to the mainland...fighting thirty-foot waves. The action and realism give readers a fast-paced ride.

Wabi Sabi, by Mark Reibstein, combines prose, haiku poems and beautiful illustrations in this story about a cat's journey to find out the meaning of her name. Following along, readers learn about the Japanese culture of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in things that are simple, imperfect, natural and mysterious...flaws and all. A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book award-winner.

With so many stories and adventures waiting to be explored, these books are sure to get kids stoked on reading.

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel hold the exclusive rights to this copyrighted material. Publications wishing to reprint it may contact them at surfwriter.girls@gmail.com Individuals and non-profit groups are welcome to post it on social media sites as long as credit is given.

Monday, March 18, 2019

Rising Tide Summit

Saving Ocean Reaches New Heights

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

"The ocean is the most powerful economic engine on earth," says Vipe Desai, founder of the RisingTide Summit being held on March 27 and 28 in SoCal at the Port of Los Angeles.

"Without a healthy ocean, there are no healthy people, planet or profits," Desai points out, explaining why this year's summit is so important. "Our goal is clear and simple. To chart a new course in ocean conservation."

And, there's no time to waste. With the ocean under siege from plastic pollution, coral bleaching, over-fishing, loss of habitat, and debris from inland water runoff we need to come up with solutions to reverse the damage that is occurring.

The summit is sponsored by the XPrize Foundation, that holds competitions to encourage technological development benefiting humanity, Marisla Foundation, that supports health services and the environment, HDX Hydration Mix company founded by Desai, AltaSea innovation campus, and others concerned about the ocean.

A gallery of people used to getting things done is on board. With two days of face-to-face conversations and podcasts, the summit has an impressive agenda and knows that the fate of the ocean is in the balance.

Topics include: How a Business Alliance Can Defeat Offshore Drilling; Synthetics, Sustainability and Plastics; Environmentalism and Voting; Environmentalism and Entrepreneurship; Updates from the 5 Gyres Institute; Ways to Align Purpose and Profit.

Among the speakers are: Desai, Matt Mulrennan, Derek Sabori, Melissa Alguayo, Todd Gasparik, Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, adventurer Alison Teal, and surfing World Champion Shaun Tomson.

Nancy Estabrook Downes, a Campaign Organizer at Oceana, who’s leading the Business Alliance panel, said the alliance is, “a great example of how a coalition of non-profits and businesses across three states are able to work in collaboration.”

SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel are excited that leaders in science, industry, government, and environmental activism are working together to come up with actionable solutions we all can employ to save the ocean.