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Acceptance And Self-worth
Nature Study Buddies follows three children who want to study animals in their backyard but need to find a way to help their friend, who is in a wheelchair, participate in the educational adventure. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My stories have been inspired by the experiences of my late son, Leigh, who used a wheelchair for mobility from a very early age. Each story is designed to shed light on an issue faced by children using wheelchairs, both physically and emotionally. Nature Study Buddies serves as a good example of one aspect children in wheelchairs may find challenging. In this story, Leigh’s friends offer their assistance with the issue at hand (climbing a tree). It is, however, Leigh who discovers that doing things a little differently are more appropriate and rewarding for him.
What was a key message you wanted young readers to learn from this book?
Nature Study Buddies Book 3’s message is acceptance and self-worth and rediscovering alternative ways around a seemingly potential problem for a disabled child.
What is the best way for parents and educators to utilize your book so they get the most out of it?
The underlying message will resonate with children who associate with Leigh, and who may have at some time felt left out while their friends were having fun.
It is my hope that parents and educators will engage in an informative discussion about inclusivity after reading this book.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Not sure if there will be a book 4 in Leigh’s Wheelie Adventures series at this stage. However, there may be a sequel to “The Mysterious Pool”, a chapter book for the older reader.
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Awarded a Bronze Medal in the Moonbeams 2022 Children’s Book Awards for Best Picture Book Series.
Leigh, Tara, and Cosmo decide to study nocturnal animals living in trees for their school project.
However, Leigh is in a wheelchair, so how will he climb a tall tree?
An uplifting story of friendship, fun, and self-awareness.
*QR Code on back cover to watch the full video and read along*
Nature Study Buddies
Nature Study Buddies, is book 3 of Leigh’s Wheelie Adventures by Charlene McIver and Claudia Gadotti. In this educational book readers follow three young children who have been tasked with an assignment from school to study animals of their choosing. Tara, Cosmo, and Leigh decide nocturnal animals would be fun and know just where to find them. In Leigh’s backyard in his gum tree, because he see’s glowing eyes in the tree at night sometimes. There is only one catch, how will Leigh, who is wheelchair bound, get up into the tree to study these nocturnal animals?
I absolutely love the idea of children who are fascinated by animals and learning all they can about them. It connects them to the world around them and feeds their curiosity. Sometimes we think disabled people are not able to fully enjoy things abled bodied people could do, and I enjoyed that this book invited that thought in and shattered it quickly. We must do things differently sometimes to have the same desired results if one is disabled, and when Leigh stayed put on the ground, staying quiet in the night, he was able to see all the beautiful nocturnal animals he was worried he would miss out on.
Nature Study Buddies is an inspirational story showing friends coming together and working on something they love. The illustrations gave life to the story and brought out the rustic look of the wild animals at night. This will be an uplifting book to read to young children at bedtime, and will be perfect for any teacher that wants to educate their students on nature, accepting others, and building friendships.
Pages: 36 | ASIN: 0645483109
LITERARY TITAN 