Two of my greatest passions are reading and animals, so when I heard about the R.E.A.D. program, I was absolutely ignited. R.E.A.D. stands for Reading Education Assistance Dogs. With this program, kids have the opportunity to further their reading confidence and skills by reading to trained therapy dogs. The idea was originally created for children who were behind their peers in literacy levels. Since these kids are more likely to get intimidated and anxious when reading aloud to their peers or adults, reading to a dog provides them with a more relaxed atmosphere. The dog calms the child down and allows the youngster to have fun with it, instead of feeling humiliated when he or she stumbles over a word or mispronounces it. This comforting environment gives the child a boost in confidence as well as a boost in reading level. Don’t have a program in place at your local library? Create your own! Before going to bed, have your child sit down and read “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors” out loud to the family pet. It’s fun for the child and educational, too!

Have you ever wondered what your favorite ocean animals are up to? Now you can see for yourself! Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) has a fun website that allows you to track your favorite ocean animals, such as sharks, seals, and turtles. Researchers began the TOPP project by tagging 22 different species of animals to track where they live and where they migrate. To date, they’ve tagged more than 2,000 animals! The TOPP homepage features a really cool map that allows you to see the animals’ swimming patterns. You can also read the animals’ stories, see pictures, and learn all kinds of fascinating information about these beautiful creatures. The website also has some other great features, like a widget for your website or blog that features an animal with information about how fast they’re swimming and how many miles they’ve gone since they’ve been tagged. This website is jam-packed with information and things to do. If you’re a marine animal lover like me, you definitely need to check it out!

I feel like a proud parent! “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors” has been chosen to be a part of Environmental Education Week’s “Green Reading” list. Many educators refer to this suggested reading list to choose environmentally themed books to use in their classroom lessons and activities. And with this year’s theme, “Be Water Wise!” Duckey is sure to make a splash! And we’re in very good company. Other books on the Green Reading middle school suggested reading list include: “John Muir: My Life with Nature;” Gary Larson’s (Far Side) “There’s A Hair in My Dirt: A Worm’s Story;” and Kenneth Grahame’s classic “The Wind in the Willows” (a personal favorite). Look out for Duckey on the reading list during Environmental Education week (April 12-18)!

Duckey and his pals are calling on you to help write his next book! Entries are already pouring in for the Youth Eco-Essay Contest so put your thinking cap on, sit down to your keyboard (or a clean sheet of paper), and start writing. We want to know why you think it’s important to save the planet. Then, the second part of the contest challenges you to create your own Ocean Protector – and the winning entry will be in the next book and you’ll be a contributing writer! You’ll need to check out all the details on the website and the deadline for submissions is May 31, 2009. Be creative. Let your imagination run wild! We won’t even say “the sky’s the limit here” because there is no limit to what you can do – and we can do as a team! Believe it! Achieve it!