Leap Author in ACTION

Leap author, Bonnie Doerr recently conducted several author visits promoting Earth Day and her environmental mystery series - ISLAND STING and STAKEOUT.

Bonnie presented to students at Mineral Springs Middle School (Winston-Salem, NC) on Thursday, April 30th to discuss: Two Endangered Species, One Fragile Environment, & Two Crime 'Crackin' Teens.

Her presentation included, "...a staged reading from Island Sting to introduce students to the success story of the endangered Florida key deer, "visited" the national refuge and the Marathon, Florida sea turtle hospital and we played the game Endangered Lives, A Game of Survival. That's a board game I designed and have adapted it to both small groups of three and a whole class when projected on a whiteboard."

On April 18th, she occupied three tables at the Earth Day celebration held at the Kathleen Clay Edwards library in Greensboro, NC. "My research video looped on my computer while I displayed photos of trash in our creek and how such litter makes its way to the ocean. I also showed photos of how such garbage kills animals. Along with some wonderful Girl Scouts and their leader, we helped around 50 children make their own sea turtle craft."

We love seeing our Leap authors in ACTION! 

Discussion Questions for Stakeout by Bonnie J. Doerr

A surreal encounter with an ancient sea turtle propels Kenzie into peril in the Florida Keys… 

A haunting promise compels Kenzie to save sea turtles. When thieves rob the turtle nests, she determines to stop them. Fearless, wheelchair-bound Ana and savvy, island native Angelo assist Kenzie in an undercover sting operation. But as the stakes get higher, Kenzie fears losing her best friend and her own life.

Stakeout includes notes on the endangered hawksbill and loggerhead turtles as well as information about the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida.

If your class or group is reading Stakeout, here are some questions about the book:

Discussion Questions for Stakeout by Bonnie J. Doerr

Created by Mary Helen Sheriff

1.     What did you like about the book?  What did you dislike?  Why?

2.     What did Kenzie and Key Teens Care do to help the turtles?  Can you think of other things they could of have done?  Are any animals endangered in your community?  Are there organizations that support them?

3.     Describe the relationship between Angelo and Kenzie?  What do they have in common?  What is the source of trouble in their relationship?

4.     How does Kenzie’s relationship with Mike change over the course of the novel?

5.     Describe Fisher.  Describe Edna.  In what ways are they similar?  In what ways are they different?

6.     Give some examples of Kenzie’s dishonesty and explain why she was dishonest.  Would you have made the same choices as Kenzie?  Why or Why not?  How would you have handled Kenzie if you were her mother?

7.     List the clues that led to pinpointing the culprit.

8.     Describe Big Pine Key.  How does the setting influence the story?

9.     Shalima sells a product that promises luxurious hair and flawless, radiant skin.  Does this product actually provide this? Do you have any experience with buying products that aren’t all that they are advertised as?  What can people do to protect themselves from false advertising?

10.  What interesting facts did you learn about turtles from reading this book?

Answer Key can be found here.

BLOG AUTHOR

Mary Helen Sheriff lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, two children, and two cats. She has an MFA in children’s literature from Hollins University and is an experienced teacher of elementary, middle grade, and college students. Her most recent publishing credits include four middle grade short stories for a reading comprehension website and a YA short story for an anthology written for Ethiopians learning English. She is currently writing a novel and maintaining a blog where you can read her thoughts on writing and education. 

Love A Sea Turtle

Leap Books connected with Casey Sokolovic when she wrote to tell us how much she enjoyed Bonnie Doerr's book Stakeout, about endangered sea turtles. (That's Casey with the book). But when we heard about what Casey has done to help sea turtles, we asked if we could feature her on our blog. This is Casey's remarkable story:   

A third grade school field trip to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in 2005 sparked a passion within me to want to help the sea turtles. Coming home that day, I talked to my mother about the visit and how sad I was for the sick and injured turtles and wondered what I could do to help and “make a difference”. I developed a plan and, like many others my age, decided to hold a bake sale and sell lemonade. Science fairs, school open houses, farmers markets, civic events and most anywhere I could sell cookies and lemonade and talk about sea turtles, you would find me. A couple dozen cookies have turned into more than ten thousand cookies baked and sold.

    I wanted to help the sea turtles “last” and from that my mother and I came up with Help Them L.A.S.T. - Love A Sea Turtle. My passion for sea turtles has grown from baking and selling sugar cookies into a thriving local grassroots organization with passion, purpose, a strong non-profit, collaborators and community support.

    The mission statement of Love A Sea Turtle is committed to saving the world’s sea turtle population, inspiring young people to get involved, and providing hands-on environmental educational experiences and summer camps to underprivileged youth.
   

My work with the sea turtles has opened my eyes that there is a genuine need to get every student involved in volunteerism. I developed and filmed an educational video and in the last two years, have spoken to more than 5,500 students - showing the video (click here or see below) and speaking to them about sea turtles and getting involved.

    In late summer of 2007, coffee was added to go with the sugar cookies in an effort to attract adults to the cause. A visit to the roasting facility for Joe Van Gogh Coffee in Hillsborough, North Carolina, led to the creation of a Fair Trade Organic “Sea Turtle” blend of coffee. Joe Van Gogh agreed to donate 10% of net profits of the Sea Turtle Blend to the Sea Turtle Hospital every year.

    In the spring of 2008, Joe Van Gogh took notice of my sales of Sea Turtle Blend. The marketing team at Joe Van Gogh created an exciting logo and custom label. The big “public” launch for Sea Turtle coffee was in May of 2009. I was asked to set up my information display at several locations in Chapel Hill. The Sea Turtle Blend was a top seller in the Whole Foods Stores in NC/SC for Joe Van Gogh during the spring and summer. This fall, Fresh Market began carrying the Sea Turtle Blend in stores nationwide, and it continues to be a top seller.

    In May of 2010, I co-founded The Great Bake for Oceans’ Sake, a coast to coast grassroots bake sale initiative, to raise money for ocean causes. The initial idea was an effort to help raise money for the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies after the Gulf oil spill. The Great Bake has raised awareness and resulted in thousands of dollars being donated to multiple ocean related efforts. Love A Sea Turtle will be promoting bake sales for ocean conservation groups during National Week of the Ocean, March 31 – April 6. It’s simple: hold a bake sale and donate the proceeds to your favorite ocean conservation group.

Another of my fundraisers is a trail run that includes a 5K and 10K along with a nature walk. The run will be March 2nd and it is the 4th annual event.

Celebrate Earth Day with Us!!

Sea turtles hatching

Part of caring for the earth is rescuing endangered animals. Leap Books author Bonnie J. Doerr is passionate about saving species from extinction. She pours her passion into her books--eco-mysteries where green teens capture poachers and clean up the environment at the same time. But Bonnie doesn't just write about the endangered animals, she does hands-on research. Here's Bonnie on a pelican release:

Bonnie J. Doerr researching for her third eco-mystery about pelicans

And at the Key Deer Refuge in the Florida Keys:

Bonnie with a full-grown Key deer

And here are a few videos about Bonnie's research:





While in the Florida Keys to research for her books, Bonnie spent time doing interviews and making videos to let people know about the problems endangered species face:





Bonnie's books include the EPIC award-winning tween novel, Island Sting, about the Florida Key deer,

and the Green Earth award finalist, Stakeout, about loggerhead and hawksbill turtles:

In an interview with the Authors for Earth Day blog, Bonnie explained why she writes her books:

"My dream is to rekindle that spark of wonder and fascination with wild things by providing fun, fast-paced stories featuring young teens as environmental heroes. I write stories that organically show, rather than tell, young impressionable readers how fragile our environment is. I write especially for ages ten to thirteen. Readers this age are shaping enduring personal goals and values." Bonnie hopes those values include caring for our fragile planet.

To learn more about Bonnie J. Doerr, visit her website and her blog BonnieBlogsGreen. Bonnie is also featured on the Girl Scout website, Aurora Reviews (who gave Stakeout a 5-star review), and TBR.

To celebrate Earth Day, Island Sting and Stakeout are both on sale in the Leap Books store for 40% off. And the Island Sting e-book is FREE for Amazon Prime members and only 99 cents for other Amazon shoppers. Watch for the Stakeout e-book coming soon.

If you leave a comment below from now until April 30, 2012, your name will be entered in drawing for a free e-book or an autographed paperback of Stakeout or Island Sting. Enter as often as you wish. And let us know if you send friends, and we'll give you an extra entry.

Go forth and be GREEN!

Turtle Lovers Attend Eco-Mystery Author Presentation

Author Bonnie J. Doerr preparing for her booksigning at the Key Deer Refuge Center on Big Pine Key in Florida.

Many people were eager to get a signed copy of STAKEOUT, Doerr's latest novel on endangered sea turtles. The book is a finalist for the 2012 Green Earth Award.

About Stakeout:

A surreal encounter with an ancient sea turtle propels Kenzie into peril in the Florida Keys...

A haunting promise compels Kenzie to save sea turtles by ending a rash of nest robberies. Fearless, wheelchair-bound Ana and savvy, troubled Angelo assist Kenzie in an undercover operation that grows increasingly complicated and treacherous. Problems compound as Kenzie fears losing her first romance, her mother's trust, and her own life.

Stakeout includes notes on the endangered hawksbill and loggerhead turtles as well as information about the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Florida.

If You're in Key West, You're in Luck...

On Friday, February 3, 2012, award-winning author Bonnie J. Doerr will be signing her most recent book, an eco-mystery about sea turtles, at the Key Deer Refuge Visitor Center on Big Pine Key, Florida. She'll also have some copies of her first book on the Key deer for those who haven't gotten a copy. Details below or click here for more news:

2012 Green Earth Award finalist

Congratulations to Bonnie J. Doerr, whose eco-mystery Stakeout has been chosen as a finalist in the YA division for the Green Earth Award.

Given by the Newton Marasco Foundation (NMF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards." Each year the foundation chooses books that "inspire children to grow a deeper appreciation, respect, and responsibility for their natural environment" in several ages categories from picture book to young adult. In addition to receiving a monetary award, the author's books will be donated to Title I schools or military bases in Northern Virginia, Maryland, and/or Washington, DC.

Many authors hope for literary recognition, but Doerr said she's thrilled with this award because it shows her message about caring for the earth is getting through. Doerr's main character, Kenzie Ryan, and her sidekicks, Angelo and Ana, not only risk their lives to save endangered sea turtles from extinction, but they also clean up pollution and convince local stores to use cloth bags rather than plastic ones (which sometimes choke animals to death). A former science and reading teacher, Doerr has always dreamed of writing books that inspire teens to be green.

Top Choice Award: Stakeout

Author Bonnie J. Doerr's eco-mystery about sea turtles has received a Top Choice Award from Flamingnet.

Comments by the teen reviewer:

"This book is the perfect mystery. Full of suspense, action, and drama, Stake Out is one of the best mysteries I have ever read."

Danger: Crime Scene

Author Bonnie J. Doerr appeared at Barnhills Bookstore in Winston-Salem, NC, on Saturday, November 12, 2011. The audience enjoyed her presentation about her hands-on research before she writes her mysteries about endangered animals.

Here are some photos of her presentations and booksignings after each event. Note the crime scene tape adorning the book display table and around the author's neck.

Here's the audience for the first sitting eagerly watching her slides about Key deer, sea turtles, and pelicans. To accommodate the crowds, Doerr did a second presentation.

Fans line up for autographs at the end of the first presentation.

Advice for Teen Writers (Part II, Bonnie J. Doerr)

Anna's back...

with Part II of her interview with author Bonnie J. Doerr, the award-winning author of eco-mysteries, including Island Sting and Stakeout. 

Because Bonnie's responses are so much fun and comprehensive, we've dividing the interview into two parts. Here's PART 2: 

·                     How much research goes into each of your books?

I spend several weeks each year where my stories are set—the Florida Keys. Now that I live in western North Carolina, I make this research trip during February. Yes, I hate cold weather. But, hey, many animals and people migrate to the Keys for winter. I’m simply following my sources. Honest!

Island friends connect me with sources who are experienced and knowledgeable in specific environmental issues. These dedicated people help me build realistic plots. I ask them questions that begin like this: “Is it possible that...?” “What could cause...?” “What would happen if...?” 

I also spend hours observing and interacting with my star critters. For Island Sting I toured the National Key Deer Refuge and spent time with wildlife officers who protect the tiny endangered deer. While planning Stakeout, I spent time with personnel and patients at the Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital, and participated in a nest-monitoring walk. Most recently, I fed injured pelicans and helped release rehabilitated pelicans. Wildlife volunteers and professionals are eager to provide facts, details, and personal experiences that enrich and inspire my stories.

Doerr feeding a Key deer

For me, there’s no substitute for field work. And, wow, do I take lots of notes and pictures. Thank heavens for digital cameras. But when I’m not on location, I spend many additional hours reading news articles and books about the wildlife and environment I feature. 

·                     Do you get really attached to your characters? Do you have a favorite?

On site at a pelican release

My characters do become very real to me. Once, while in Big Pine Key, Florida I nearly asked a Florida Fish and Wildlife employee if he’d recently seen his fellow officer, Mike Kaczynski. I was eager to know whether Mike and Kenzie’s mom were still an item. (Mike, Kenzie, and her mom are all characters in my books rather than real-life people.) Could have been embarrassing. In the book I’m working on now, Kenzie and Angelo are now attending school in Key West. So this coming February, I know I’ll be looking for them when I’m traipsing around town.

As for favorite characters? I think it changes from book to book. I was crazy about Fisher in Island Sting, but it was Ana who won my heart in Stakeout.

·                     How would you advise young adults who want to become published authors?

I’m going to answer this with everything I’ve got. Bet you’ll be sorry you asked.

I would tell aspiring authors (of any age) to study many genres. And I do mean study—via online courses, books, workshops, conference sessions, college programs, any and every way you can. As with any art, it’s important to first learn established rules and practice proven techniques. Then you’ll be prepared to change it all up when you’ve developed your own skills and style. 

Study and write with people who challenge and stimulate you. Then emerge from your comfort zone. Interact with a variety of real people in real life. Even if you write fantasy, your work has to connect with real people. 

Read much, listen well, and never stop learning. 

Don’t fixate on a troublesome manuscript hoping it will eventually, perfectly please everyone (including yourself). It never will. Let it go. Turn it in. Send it out. Move on. Capture that energy for the next project. You can return to that problem child later with fresh eyes.

Continually monitor and research the before-and-after aspects of all publishing options.  No one path is right for every author.

Last of all, the most challenging skill for pre- and post-published authors is learning to deal with criticism. Accept it, ignore it, or apply it, but do so with grace. Maybe I’ll paint the letters G-R-A-C-E on a pebble and carry it with me. Might help me follow my own advice.

For more information on Bonnie Doerr, her books, endangered animals, visit her at her blog, Bonnie Blogs Green, and her website for more information about her books and awards, and for lots of information about endangered species.

Here are Doerr's most recent books. Watch for PELICAN PERIL coming next.

Teen Interview: Bonnie J. Doerr (Part I)

Anna Sattler

Welcome back, Anna!
Anna has interviewed author Bonnie J. Doerr, who is the award-winning author of eco-mysteries, including Island Sting and Stakeout. Because Bonnie's responses are so much fun and comprehensive, we're dividing the interview into two parts. Here's PART 1:

·                     What inspired your books?

There are many young people with huge hearts who actively care about each other and the world in which they live. A growing number of teens are involved in environmental stewardship. We never hear enough about these kids. They are my real inspiration. 

For years I lived in the fragile Florida Keys where environmental issues are impossible to ignore. Throughout this chain of islands, there are countless reports of mysterious assaults on wildlife and habitat. For example, recently a loggerhead sea turtle was found floating with a pneumatic spear-gun arrow protruding from its head. Fortunately, it was rescued and survived. My own stories are shaped from such sad tales.

I create heroic teens who investigate and solve ecological crimes and write these sleuths into fun, fast-paced, contemporary novels.How these kids manage to secretly investigate crime, nab treacherous criminals, deal with personal family problems, and engage in a bit of romance all at the same time is beyond me. They experience some scary, serious danger, but they always pull it off.

·                    What sparked your interest in wildlife preservation?

My father lit my passion for all things wild—animal or vegetable.  He was a Boy Scout leader who took our family on adventures across theUnited States. When we weren’t on the road, we spent weekends and summers lakeside in the Pennsylvania mountains. I had no siblings near my age, so I roamed alone imagining friendships with other living things—natural beings that were rooted, winged, finned, two-legged, four-legged, or had no legs at all. (I wasn’t on the best of terms with every six or eight-legged critter.)

These trips to the mountains usually ended with little Bonnie being frisked for live contraband before the drive home to suburbia. More than once, Mom realized she’d forgotten the inspection. So she’d pull off the road in the countryside, little Bonnie would be busted, and tadpoles, newts, or an occasional baby snake would be returned to the wild. 

Nature is the supreme creation. If we destroy it, we destroy ourselves. How can we not champion its preservation?

·                     When did you begin writing?

There’s a great deal of preparation before words are committed to the page. I spent most of my life in preparation.

As a child, I created plots in my mind and acted them out. Didn’t we all? Most every playdate started with the words, “Pretend that you...” Proceeded with, “Pretend that I...” And then the fun began. There was a mystery to be solved. A bad guy to run from. A thief to catch. An animal to save.

When I was alone I manipulated miniature figures and assorted props to act out stories. After I went to bed at night, I often imagined I was engaged in some exciting drama. I often woke lying sideways at the wrong end of the mattress. This after sliding off blankets folded saddle style over the foot of the bed frame. Sometimes I still had my reins in hand. (Okay, they were belts I’d attached to the bedpost for a bridle.) Dang, it was hard to stay on that horse. It seems like I’ve been creating stories forever. 

But it wasn’t until I reached high school that I began writing. I reported feature stories for the school newspaper and wrote poetry—the perfect outlet for teenage angst. As for novel writing, that came much later. After I was long established in my career, about fourteen years ago, I finally reached a point where I could carve out time to seriously study the craft.

And study it, she did. Bonnie has received several awards for her work. Visit her at her blog, Bonnie Blogs Green, and her website for more information about her books and awards, and for lots of information about endangered species.

 Here's Bonnie holding one of her awards:

 

Sea Turtle Rescues

National Geographic recently posted this video about Gulf turtle nests: Gulf Turtle Nests Abound, But Worries Remain. Our author Bonnie J. Doerr addresses some of the problems sea turtles face from poachers. Read about how young teen Kenzie and her friends capture those responsible for destroying turtle nests in the Florida Keys in Stakeout, Doerr’s latest eco-mystery.


And if you care about sea turtles, here are two more sites with information:

Pictures: Baby Gulf Turtles Released Into Atlantic

Videos: Sea Turtles Match Breathing to Dive Depths?

SCBWI MD/VA/WV -- A Great Success

Author Bonnie J. Doerr is back after speaking at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Maryland, where she had a great time meeting fellow writers and discussing how she balances her mystery plot with factual information about endangered animals.

She now has many fans waiting for Book 2 in her eco-mystery series: Stakeout. And Book 3 is underway, so all the teachers and librarians at the conference will have more great books for their schools and libraries. Keep an eye out for a sneak peek at Stakeout, which is coming soon. Kenzie's back and this time she's rescuing sea turtles--in a stolen boat, no less.