Ellie’s Log – Science, literature and writing for 9- to12-year-olds

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In the new children’s book Ellie’s Log, a curious 10-year-old and her friend go into the forest to explore after a huge tree crashes to the ground.What Ellie and Ricky discover is a rich forest ecosystem. They examine decaying trees, spot many different kinds of wildlife, and keep track of their observations in a field notebook.

Ellie’s Log was written by Judy Li, a retired associate professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University. The book’s forest setting is based on the ecology of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Oregon Cascades, where researchers have been studying forests and streams for decades.

Li’s story is a great mix of adventure and science.The end of each chapter includes pages from Ellie’s field notebook, and these serve as models for students to take field notes of their own to record observations.

The 112-page book is aimed at 9- to 12-year-olds and is perfect for teachers who look for ways to bring literature, writing and the sciences together in the same project.There is an accompanying website, ellieslog.org, which includes a teacher’s guide and other resources.

The book is available from OSU Press as well as amazon.com.

Li is a stream ecologist, with a special interest in stream insects. She is currently part of a research team studying seasonal changes in conifer forests, invertebrates in headwaters where trees are being harvested, and aquatic food webs of bugs, trout and songbirds.