When the judges were trying to choose a winner of the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest, Calvin the Catfish was clearly a front-runner. We loved that he didn’t let his blindness hold him back, but instead pushed him to do great things. But there was one small concern that arose: catfish are fresh water fish. How would we be able to incorporate him into our team of saltwater dwellers? It didn’t take long for the judges to decide that this stumbling block didn’t matter. That is what’s so great about Calvin and this story: we all come from different walks of life. And that’s okay. Our backgrounds are a reflection of who we are and that’s what makes us all unique. Despite where we come from, we all have the ability to come together to make positive changes in the world around us. I’m excited to have Calvin on board and look forward to seeing the new adventures that await him and the team!

We received over 200 entries for the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest and are excited to announce the winner. Congratulations to Phillip Pinarksi, a sixth grader at St. Ann School in Bartlett, Tennessee. His character, a blind catfish named Calvin, will be featured as one of the new Ocean Protectors in the next book. The judges were blown away by Phillip’s creativity and sensitivity of the character he created. Calvin’s willpower and strength despite his disability fits right in with the team’s motto: Believe it. Achieve it!

Also, a big congratulation goes out to the honorable mentions and finalists:

Finalists –
Shayla Gaffney: Caylie Crab; St. Ann School, Bartlett, TN
Robert Lawson: Shortfin Mako; St. Ann School, Bartlett, TN
Katrina Ung and Melissa Ball: Kamele Kame & Conan; Jaffrey Rindge Middle School, Jaffrey, NH
Nick Owens: Oarfish; St. Ann School, Bartlett, TN
Robert Harris: Terrance the Sea Turtle; St. Ann School, Bartlett, TN

Honorable Mentions -
Andres Salas:  Driag Koah (sea dragon); St. Ann School, Bartlett, TN

Special Youth Award –
Stephanie Yoshida, age 6: Crab; Hokolani Elementary School, Honolulu, HI

Click here to read the winning entries.

Calling all Junior Ocean Protectors! We’re still waiting for your entry for the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest! Send us in your essay and you could have a character named after you in Duckey’s next adventure AND have your name featured as a contributing writer. How cool! It’s really simple to participate so what are you waiting for? In 250 words or less, tell us:

1. Why it’s important to save the world’s oceans and environments
2. What kind of creature you would be if you were an Ocean Protector and the one special power you would have – like Kilo’s strength, Polly’s powerful puffing, and Denise’s whirlwinds.

But you need to hurry because the deadline is May 31st. So check out the details and get  writing!

It’s no coincidence that every character in “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors” has their own very special talent. Polly Puffer Fish has the ability to produce strong bubbles that keep human litter at bay. Nicky Nautilus has a roomy and speedy shell that can carry her friends to their destination quickly and safely. And Denise Dolphin can create whirlpools that bind enemies together. But just as each of these characters has something at which they excel at, so, too, do each of us! However, it’s up to you, parents, to help your kids discover their own strengths! No one is going to be great at everything, but finding that one special talent can really give him or her a boost in confidence. So don’t be afraid to explore different things! Some kids excel at sports, while others would rather play a musical instrument. Some prefer painting, while some love to dance. Whatever it is, let them explore it and find out if this interest is where their “hidden” strength lies. Just like Polly, Nicky and Denise have special talents, our kids do too, and it’s up to us to make sure that they recognize them!

No way! All of us on the Duckey team are firm believers that ANYONE, regardless of age, has the ability to make an impact on the world around him or her. Still, I hear from kids who think they are too young to make a difference. Not true! Case in point? Casey Sokolovic of North Carolina. Casey, your average eleven year-old, turned her ordinary love for sea turtles into a mission to help these creatures. She even began her own organization, Help Them LAST (Love A Sea Turtle), which hosted fundraisers and sold turtle-shaped cookies to raise money for the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. Casey and her organization were able to raise $2,500! If that weren’t enough, she has plenty of additional plans in the works, including starting a website, creating t-shirts, and even selling her own brand of coffee with profits being donated to the sea turtle hospital. So you see, it doesn’t matter the age of the person, it only matters the drive and determination to make a difference. Every one of us has a voice and a choice to use it to positively shape the world around us. I think Duckey put it best when he said, “Believe it, Achieve it!”

Since the release of “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors”, we have been fortunate enough to receive some great reviews and hear from many special readers. But it seems that “Duckey” has grown legs of its own and has been popping up everywhere around the Web! It’s wonderful to see that so many websites appreciate the significance of Duckey and are spreading it around. With the help of all of these sites, Duckey’s educational message will inspire more kids to be environmentally proactive! Here are just a few sites that Duckey has been featured on recently:

BNET

The Free Library

Entrepreneur Magazine

North Carolina’s Office of Environmental Education

Environmental Education in Kentucky

Environmental Education in Georgia

Environmental Education in Wisconsin

Kid’s Guide

Earth Day will be celebrated all over the world this year on April 22nd. It’s a day when we celebrate nature and educate ourselves on ways to help preserve the earth.  There are so many fun things you can do with the kids on Earth Day, so don’t let the day go to waste! Here are a few ideas:

• Turn trash into recycled crafts like a tin can planter or milk carton bird feeder!
• Check out an environmental book from the library, such as “Duckey and the Ocean Protectors“, which teaches kids to appreciate and protect the environment.
• Color pictures!
• Take a trip to the local zoo. Have the kids read the signs at each exhibit so that they can appreciate the importance of each animal in our planet’s ecosystem.
• Go see the movie, Earth. Not only does this look like a great movie, but Disney plans to plant a tree for every ticket sold opening weekend.
• Plant your own tree with the family.

Earth Day can be educational and entertaining, so why not participate? You can teach the kids a lot about the world around us by having them take part in environmental holidays!

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!

Duckey has been receiving rave reviews, and we’ve just been handed another to add to the list. The Midwest Book Review has given Duckey and the Ocean Protectors a big thumbs-up. “’Duckey and the Ocean Protectors’ is sure to entertain many a young reader.” In addition to serving up a positive Duckey review on their website (which you can read here), the Midwest Book Review also submitted the review to the Helen C. White Library’s “Cooperative Book Center” and the Cengage Learning, Gale Interactive CD-ROM series “Book Review Index”. This is a wonderful opportunity because it means that more librarians and educators will hear about Duckey!

We’ve been receiving hundreds of creative entries for the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest. It’s great to read all this creative thinking from youngsters around the country, but we’re still waiting for yours! In 250 words or less, tell us:

1)    Why it’s important to save the world’s oceans and environments
2)    What kind of creature you would be if you were an Ocean Protector and the one special power you would have – like Kilo’s strength, Polly’s powerful puffing, and Denise’s whirlwinds.

If your essay is chosen, we’ll include your character – named after YOU – in the next adventure of Duckey and the Ocean Protectors. And your name will be featured as a contributing writer! How cool! So send us your essay by May 31st, and who knows? You could become a part of Duckey’s next exciting adventure! Click here to get all the details.