Spring is now in full swing, in spite of the temperature. And in the library, that means there are praying mantis egg cases to hatch! Sure, they're not colorful like butterflies, or cute like ladybugs. And yes, it's true that their carnivorous instincts can bring the phrase "sibling rivalry" to a whole new level! But praying mantises are a garden lover's best friend, protecting garden crops and flowers from destruction by the insects that feed on them. Each year we predict the hatching date of our little triangle-headed friends, and then we let them go in the North Side Courtyard Garden.
Our students love to observe nature in an "up close and personal" way. They become very curious about the egg cases as soon as they arrive. They marvel at the fact that there could be up to 400 insects in just one case. They relate story after story about how they saw a praying mantis (or some equally unusual insect) somewhere just yesterday! They giggle at brief video footage from one of our informational databases of a praying mantis climbing up a flowering vine, turning his alien-like head this way and that. Many of them will borrow a book about insects, gardens, or another animal after reading non-fiction about praying mantises during library time.
There is some wonderful non-fiction for children out there right now about nature. On the library's Destiny Quest page, there is a resource list called "Studying Nature." These books are available in the North Side library, but your local public library will have many of these titles, too. Why not take a look at the list for titles to get you started on becoming a "backyard scientist" along with your child? Click or paste this link to the Destiny Quest home page into your browser's address bar. On the Quest page, check out the "Resource Lists" box in the center.
http://170.24.128.102/quest/servlet/presentquestform.do?site=100&alreadyValidated=true
As summer approaches, I hope you'll consider nurturing your child's love of and interest in nature by sharing a good book and a nature walk together-- you don't even have to leave your own backyard!
