NEW CHILDREN'S CHAPTER BOOK!

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email:  torreypinessummer@gmail.com

Torrey Pines Summer, set at the breathtaking Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in La Jolla, California enables the young reader to experience an awe-inspiring, adventure-filled summer of marine biology, botany, geography, archaeology, zoology, history and geology!  This chapter book, deeply rooted in non-fiction, is a cleverly woven tale of two young children discovering of all that nature has to offer.  Although aimed at second through fourth grade audiences, Torrey Pines Summer can be a jewel for readers of all ages.

Torrey Pines Summer features colorful collages of photos for each chapter, along with Kai’s summer journal of notes.  

At the end of the adventure story are nearly one hundred probing questions that serve as a tool for the Common Core Standards.  All profits from the sale of Torrey Pines Summer will be donated to the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, which is observing the California State Parks 150^th anniversary in 2014.

HERE IS THE INTRODUCTION:

Close your eyes and imagine your dream summer vacation.  Would it include watching TV all day?  NOT A CHANCE!  What about a summer spent staring at a computer screen or playing electronic games? …FORGET IT!  After awhile, that all becomes VERY BORING!  
So…

Would being a junior park ranger for a 48 million year-old, two thousand acre reserve overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean interest you? 

What about watching the rescue of a pygmy pilot whale?

Does learning how to surf or paddle board sound too good to be true? 

What about snorkeling in a cove, or climbing down a dark tunnel to an ocean cave?

Let’s see…Have you ever gone out at midnight with a flashlight in search of Grunion burrowing in the sand? 

Would standing inches away from a preserved mountain lion, gray fox, coyote, barn owl, or bobcat grab your attention? 

Are you a budding geologist and would love to spend the summer learning about geological formations? 

Maybe a summer spent being a marine biologist is your dream come true!  You could observe mammals like dolphins or seals; fish, like leopard sharks or bright orange Garibaldi; invertebrates, like jellyfish and anemones; or mollusks, like octopuses, clams or mussels.

Perhaps you have imagined being an archaeologist patiently searching for shards, fossils or other artifacts… or an anthropologist studying the history of a Native American group that lived thousands of years ago on land right under your feet. 

Have you ever heard of a Bladderpod or a Prickly Skunk Flower? If not, maybe it is time for you to explore a career in botany. 

Or what about becoming an arborist, caring for one of the rarest pine trees in the world? 

Now… think about this…What if your summer included ALL of those things and MORE at one INCREDIBLE PLACE?

Tag along with me, Malakai (“Kai” for short) on a summer adventure of a lifetime! Then… make plans to visit this awe-inspiring reserve yourself!