A writer inspired by nature and human nature

Posts tagged ‘Monarch Butterfly’

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Have an Amazing Mother’s Day!


Wishing everyone a beautiful and blessed Mother’s Day! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

Author Bio

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens’s children’s book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012.  AMAZING MATILDA , Stevens’s second children’s book, self-published in 2012 won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children’s Literature – Ages 6 and older category) and also placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens’s début novel DOG BONE SOUP—coming of age story and family drama set in 1950s and 60s rural New England.

Find out more about Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens and her books:

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

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HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!


MOTHERS DAY 2016 Butterfly basWishing everyone a Happy & Blessed Mother’s Day.
~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator

Author Bio

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies (milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens’s children’s book, THE TANGRAM ZOO and WORD PUZZLES TOO! was first published in 1997 by Windswept House Publishing, Mt. Desert, ME; a second edition was self-published by the author in 2012.  AMAZING MATILDA , Stevens’s second children’s book, self-published in 2012 won a 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Award (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children’s Literature – Ages 6 and older category) and also placed #9 on The 2013 Gittle List for Self-published Children’s Picture Books. Stevens has written articles for ECHOES, The Northern Maine Journal of Rural Culture based in Caribou, Maine. In 2013, the author published her first book for the YA/Adult audience: PURE TRASH, a short story of a boy growing up in rural New England in a family whose poverty and alcoholism mark him as a target for bullying by young and old alike. This short story is a prequel to Stevens’s début novel DOG BONE SOUP released January 2015.

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

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AMAZING MATILDA, Monarch Butterflies & The Purple Dragonfly Children’s Book Award


A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpi...

A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on a leaf of the Swamp Milkweeden (Asclepias incarnata) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest recognizes excellence in children's literature.

Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest recognizes excellence in children’s literature.

AM Look Inside NEW 2015AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale is a children’s picture book about a monarch caterpillar who only wants to fly. “How can a creature without wings every hope to fly?” Matilda’s friends wonder as they laugh at the tiny caterpillar. As Matilda progresses from egg to butterfly she learns that if she keeps trying, she can do anything that she really wants to do. AMAZING MATILDA’s storyline and illustrations follow the actual life cycle of the monarch butterfly and includes milkweed, an environmentally near-threatened plant. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat.

Judges of the 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which recognizes excellence in children’s literature, have spoken, and AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale by Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens, won Honorable Mention in the Picture Books – 6 & Older category.

“Winning any place in the Purple Dragonfly Contest is a huge honor because in order to maintain the integrity of the Dragonfly Book Awards, a minimum score of 72 out of 80 must be earned for a first-place award, 64 out of 80 for a second place and 56 out of 80 for an honorable mention – even if it is the sole entry in a category,” explains Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc., the sponsor of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. “Competition is steep, too, because there is no publication date limit as long as the book is still in print.”

The book retails for $9.49 (paperback) and $3.99 (kindle/eReader) and can be purchased on YOUR AMAZON  or ask for it at your favorite bookstore. GET the eBook for #FREE when you purchase the paperback from Amazon.

You can find out more about the author and her books…

AM Look Inside NEW 2015

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

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The Incredible Journey of the Monarch Butterfly!


580890_292694764163370_1843993266_n     Click link to WATCH this incredible NOVA/PBS Video…

     http://video.pbs.org/video/1063682334/

    You’ll be amazed!

You can take a “Look inside” AMAZING MATILDA and other books by Bette A. Stevens at http://viewauthor.at/BetteAStevens

[Explore Bette’s Blog]

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*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*Still 99 Cents through Midnight December 11th*.✫*¨*.¸¸.✶*¨`*


Author Bette A. Stevens has something for everyone  on your list!

Author Bette A. Stevens has something for everyone on your list!

Five-day Kindle Christmas Countdown (December 7–11, 2014)—books to inspire ‘kids’ of all ages by author Bette A. Stevens!

AMAZING MATILDA  (Ages 5-10) Friendship, patience and persistence are among the lessons learned in this gem of a tale featuring an amazing monarch butterfly. This award-winning picture book adventure follows the monarch’s life cycle as Matilda embarks on a quest to make her dream of flying come true. Science, art and wise lessons for children—all wrapped up in a tale the kids will want to read/hear again and again!

PURE TRASH (Ages 11-adult) In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won’t want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard-earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens’s début novel planned for release Winter 2014.

Front BW frame DOG BONE SOUP Red & Blue reviseed BookCoverPreview.doDOG BONE SOUP is coming soon…

“In Dog Bone Soup, Bette Stevens captures the feeling and images of growing up in hardscrabble times perfectly.” ~ John Clark, librarian and author

“Bette Stevens has crafted a remarkable tale of hope and happiness in the face of despair.” ~ Charles Bray (Founder of The Indietribe)

 

Books Inspired by Nature & Human Nature


Author Bette A. Stevens has something for everyone  on your list!

Author Bette A. Stevens has something for everyone on your list!

Five-day Kindle Christmas Countdown (December 7–11, 2014)—books to inspire ‘kids’ of all ages by author Bette A. Stevens!

AMAZING MATILDA  (Ages 5-10) Friendship, patience and persistence are among the lessons learned in this gem of a tale featuring an amazing monarch butterfly. This award-winning picture book adventure follows the monarch’s life cycle as Matilda embarks on a quest to make her dream of flying come true. Science, art and wise lessons for children—all wrapped up in a tale the kids will want to read/hear again and again!

PURE TRASH (Ages 11-adult) In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won’t want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard-earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens’s début novel planned for release Winter 2014.

Front BW frame DOG BONE SOUP Red & Blue reviseed BookCoverPreview.doDOG BONE SOUP is coming soon…

“In Dog Bone Soup, Bette Stevens captures the feeling and images of growing up in hardscrabble times perfectly.” ~ John Clark, librarian and author

“Bette Stevens has crafted a remarkable tale of hope and happiness in the face of despair.” ~ Charles Bray (Founder of The Indietribe)

 

Give the gift of reading this Holiday Season!



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Visit the author at http://www.Amazon.com/author/betteastevens

The Countdown is on December 6th to 12th

SAVE $2.00 when you Purchase AMAZING MATILDA kindle copy for $1.99.

GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS: Looking for something different for the kids? Take them on an amazing adventure with a monarch butterfly! AMAZING MATILDA, a 2013 Purple Dragon award-winning picture book, is a perfect pick for all of the kids in your life (ages 4-10). They’ll learn about the monarch butterfly life cycle and travel with MATILDA and her meadowland friends as they  learn how to meet everyday challenges with patience and persistence. This award-winning picture book adventure will inspire the kids in your life to be all they can be. There’s no greater gift than that!   http://amzn.to/YJVVOk

SAVE $2.00 when you Purchase PURE TRASH kindle copy for 99 cents.

ADULT, TEEN & TWEEN READERS — Looking for something different? Something short to fit into your busy holiday schedule? PURE TRASH, The Story is a perfect pick for you. This short story (21 pages) 1950s adventure will take you back to a time and place where few have traveled. Join nine-year-old Shawn Daniels and his younger brother Willie as they ride their bikes to town on a Saturday filled with great expectations. You’ll smile to see them take pleasure in the simple things in life–pocket change, a sackful of candy, the freedom of reaching great heights on a swing. You’ll find adventure at every turn and plenty of surprises, too! Their story may change your life.    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EH0RV6K

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! —Bette A. Stevens

LOOKING FOR PAPERBACKS for GIFTING?

KINDLE MATCHBOOK:  This great special is on every day! Purchase Bette’s paperbacks for GIFTING or for you & download the FREE e-book versions for yourself as well! Visit the author at http://www.Amazon.com/author/betteastevens

And, PLEASE come back for your FREE authorgraph (autographed by Bette A. Stevens) covers for your kindle copies to add to your kindle library. You’ll have a chance to ‘talk’ to the author and she’ll respond with a special message to you on your cover.   http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/BetteAStevens

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Monarch Butterflies


Learn about our Amazing Monarchs! ~ Bette A. Stevens http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Azimuth



Have you ever seen one of these? It’s a Monarch Butterfly. Every spring, millions fly from Mexico and southern California to other parts of the US and southern Canada. And every autumn, they fly back. On the first of November, called the Day of the Dead, people celebrate the return of the monarchs to the mountainous fir forests of Central Mexico.

But their numbers are dropping. In 1997, there were 150 million. Last year there were only 60 million. One problem is the gradual sterilization of American farmlands thanks to powerful herbicides like Roundup. Monarch butterfly larvae eat a plant called milkweed. But the amount of this plant in Iowa, for example, has dropped between 60% and 90% over the last decade.

And this year was much worse for the monarchs. They came late to Mexico… and I think only 3 million have been seen so far! That’s a…

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MATILDA’S BUTTERFLY BONANZA: FREE eBOOK and more…


"Three cheers for Matilda," her friends shouted.

“Three cheers for Matilda,” her friends shouted. AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens

BUTTERFLY BOOK BONANZA
June 15 – 19

Are you an adult who loves to inspire kids?

This contemporary tale of friendship teaches kids to keep trying in the face of adversity. You can get it for FREE for five days. It’s…

AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale
by Bette A. Stevens.

That’s right!  It’s FREE for 5 days: JUNE 15-19.
PLUS, there are other FREE monarch goodies for you, too…

Help MATILDA spread the word!

Find out all about it at http://www.prlog.org/12153228-5-day-butterfly-book-bonanza-amazing-matilda-teaches-kids-patience-and-persistence.html

In today’s world where instant gratification is often the norm, AMAZING MATILDA teaches kids that THEY REALLY CAN REACH THEIR DREAMS & INSPIRE OTHERS ALONG THE WAY. Did you know that President Jimmy Carter called the Monarch Butterfly An Ambassador for The Americas?

English: Foreign trips of Jimmy Carter during ...

English: Foreign trips of Jimmy Carter during his presidency. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

AMAZING MATILDA is off on another world tour and she needs your help. She’s looking for children and friends of children everywhere to inspire with her story of friendship. Please SHARE AMAZING MATILDA’s 5-Day Butterfly Book Bonanza with your family, friends, fans and followers.You can download my FREE PDF and learn all about Monarch Butterflies, access games, crafts, coloring pages, teacher’s guides, butterfly gardening tips and so much more on my blog at https://4writersandreaders.com/fun-learning-with-monarchs/  Please SHARE, SHARE, SHARE the great news…THANKS for helping MATILDA spread the word! Bette A. Stevens

FREE eBook DOWNLOAD JUNE 15 – 19. ‘Amazing Matilda: A Monarch’s Tale,’ an illustrated adventure story, reaches kids and teaches kids (ages 4-11) that friendship and success go hand-in-hand.
‘AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale’ by Bette A. Stevens

“Children of all ages will be able to relate to monarch’s plight in some way… This story is a true gem and one that will inspire kids for years to come.” Renee Hand, award-winning adult and children’s book author. Hand reviews for the New York Journal of Books.

FIND OUT ALL ABOUT Amazing Matilda’s Butterfly Bonanza GET YOUR FREE eBOOK & SO MUCH MORE at

http://www.prlog.org/12153228-5-day-butterfly-book-bonanza-amazing-matilda-teaches-kids-patience-and-persistence.html

Butterflies Craft


Find out more about Monarch Butterfly facts, crafts, games, gardening, teacher lesson plans and more by downloading the FREE pdf Fun & Learning with Amazing Monarchs right here at 4writersandreaders. ~ Bette A. Stevens, author of AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale.

 

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Butterflies are so pretty and fun to craft. Your little one can help make them for a great spring decoration for your wall.

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