Welcome to Marianne's Web Site

My latest book "Going Home, the Mystery of Animal Migration" Dawn Publications
recently received the Izaak Walton League Book of the Year Award for Elementary Grades, which pleases me very much, since this organization is the oldest national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting our soil, woods, air and water.

I love the quote: "Don't be afraid to touch the earth and let it touch you." I am concerned that many kids today do not get outside enough to discover a sense of wonder in the natural world. (more…)

Hard to believe summer will soon be over and I'll be in St. Augustine at the Florida Heritage Book Festival. What a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Florida's "rich and diverse literary culture" and meet authors of books that bring Florida to life, in this beautiful oldest city. Won't you come?

Prominent fiction, non-fiction authors and poets,along with children's authors like me, Children's Authors, will present workshops and autograph books. Best-selling novelist, Carl Hiassen, will be honored with a Florida Heritage Lifetime Achievement Award (He even writes popular children's books, e.g. "Hoot", "Flush" and "Scat.") at the Friday Night Banquet Event. (On Friday morning I'm looking forward to visiting Otis A. Mason Elementary School in St. Augustine.)

Can't wait to hear Mr. Hiassen speak at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday in the Flagler College Auditorium. Then I head for Room 216(click onto Events and then Book Festival Schedule) at 11:45 to present Fiction, Fact and Fun. I'll share my eight picture books, how I wrote them, why I feel it's so important to connect kids (and adults) to nature. I'll also talk about the five different illustrators who helped make these books so successful as I show their beautiful artwork.

Hope to see you there!

I am thrilled to report that Sylvan Dell Publishing will be releasing "Animalogy" in the Fall of 2011. "Over in Australia, Amazing Animals Down Under" will be coming out in February from Dawn Publications, so I'll have two new books to share in 2011!
For now, I'd love you to see some of the illustrations for "Animalogy" that Cathy Morrison is working on. Be sure to scroll down for Cathy's first blog about this book, so you can see more of her gorgeous illustrations. And stay tuned for more information about both of my new releases! What an exciting year 2011 is going to be! Cathy Morrison

Over the past few years I've gotten e-mails from parents and educators asking how the song goes to my book, "Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef.". The music is printed at the end of the book, but not everyone reads music.
So I recorded an audio CD reading the book, with prompts when to turn the page, after which I invite the reader to sing the song with me. While these audio CD's can still be purchased from me, it is now possible to download them as well through Dawn Publications. Give it a try! Just scroll all the way down to the "Media" column to the last listing "Audio Files" and sing along with me!
Dawn Publications

I am so excited! When educators ask why my "Marsh Music" and "Marsh Morning" don't come in paperback, like my other books, I tell them that The Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing, only offers them in hardcover. Dawn Publications, on the other hand, publishes my books in both hardcover and paperback, so librarians can buy the hardcovers (generally) and students can purchase the less expensive paperbacks (generally). And the good news is that Dawn has even put two of my books into adorable inexpensive board books!

Well, at long last, (more…)

Ten years ago when I was still working at Jupiter Library, I would often refer students to SATA, a respected reference series profiling authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults. Published by Gale/Cengage Learning, SATA is used in elementary and secondary schools as a major resource for language-arts curricula.

As a children's librarian, I enjoyed reading all about the authors and illustrators in SATA. Eric Carle, William Steig, Maurice Sendak, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Virginia Hamilton, and Gary Paulsen, are just a few that come to mind at this moment.

In 2005 after my fourth picture book "Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef" was published, SATA included me in their latest volume. I couldn't believe it! (more…)

Happy Summer and Happy Shelling!

Dawn Publications posted a lovely blog about my book. Seashells by the Seashore, that I hope you enjoy. Just click below!

Dawn Publications

Good News: You can download some of the activities I mention in the YouTube Video along with MP3 files of me reading and singing "Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef" on Dawn Publications' web site. Soon after this book was published I started receiving e-mails asking how the song goes. If you are not familiar with the old "Over in the Meadow" theme, it's difficult to sing the words. So I recorded an Audio CD. You can hear it from beginning to end, by clicking onto Dawn Publications. ENJOY!
Dawn Publications

Before any more time goes by, I need to share a wonderful interview that the Florida State Library did with me about my books: "Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef" and "Seashells by the Seashore."

The summer reading theme at many libraries across the country this year is "Make A Splash at Your Library: READ!"
Please click below to learn more about how two of my books are being used this summer.

Keep "cool" and I promise to add more to this blog soon, with exciting news about my new book coming out in early 2011!

April is always my busiest month for visiting schools and I love it! What better way to turn students into lifelong readers and writers? Connecting kids to an author or illustrator that actually created the book can be an unforgettable experience for students--and for the author.

I get so inspired by what media specialists (more…)