Guest Speakers

Reading Ranger

Invite a "Reading Ranger" to your classroom! Each year we celebrate National Park Week. National Park Service Rangers and Volunteer Master Rangers bring an age-appropriate book with a message relating to the National Park Service, such as natural and cultural resources of our country. Sessions take about 30 minutes.

To register, please fill out the form here.

For questions please contact Park Ranger Tina Miller at [phone] or via email.

 

The Buffalo Storm
By: Katherine A. Applegate
Grade Levels: 2^nd - 4^th

Hallie isn't afraid of anything--that is, anything but storms, which she braves along with her grandmother, huddled beneath a special quilt. When her family decides to join a wagon train and go west, leaving her grandmother--and everything Hallie has ever known--behind, Hallie knows she will have to be braver than she's ever been before. Then one day on the trail she witnesses the wildest, most glorious storm imaginable. How can she be afraid of anything after that?

 

Busy Beavers
By: M. Barbara Brownell
Grade Levels: Pre-K-3^rd

Homestead National Monument of America is the home to many different wild animals. Beaver dams can be seen in Cub Creek. When walking the trails through the tallgrass prairie you just might find beaver tracks.

 

Gift of the Sacred Dog
By: Paul Goble
Grade Levels: 2^nd - 4^th

A brave boy goes into the hills and prays for help for his people. A rider on a magnificent animal comes to him and says: "This animal is called the Sacred Dog. He can do many things your dogs can do and also more...He is as the wind: gentle but sometimes frightening." The clouds close and suddenly one by one countless Sacred Dogs course down from the sky. And so the courage of one determined boy is rewarded by the Great Spirit: The horse, or Sacred Dog, is given to his tribe.

 

Going West

Adapted from the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Grade Levels: Pre-K-1

It's a fond good-bye to the Big Woods as Laura and her family pack up the covered wagon and begin their journey westward to the prairie in this latest addition to the best-selling My First Little House Books series. Renée Graef's enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams's classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this seventh title in the My First Little House Books series, picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved storybooks.

 

The Lorax

By: Dr. Seuss
Grade Levels:Pre-K- 5th

The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more--a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed.

 

Luck
By: Jean Craighead George
Grade Levels: 4^th - 5^th

After a girl saves his life, Luck, a young sandhill crane, begins the long migration north to Siberia with his parents. Luck and his parents use a special song to find one another:Crackaarr! While his parents depend on rivers, lakes, and mountains to guide their way, Luck memorizes man-made objects -- windmills, sunglasses, and a baby carriage. Soon thousands of cranes join Luck and his family on their timeless journey.

 

Prairie Day

Adapted from The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Grade Levels: Pre-K-1

Join Laura and her family on their journey across the flat Kansas prairie. There are gophers and rabbits to play with in the daytime, and a cozy camp awaits at night. Renée Graef's enchanting full-color illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams' classic artwork, bring Laura and her family lovingly to life in this ninth title in the My First Little House Books series, picture books adapted from Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved storybooks.

 

The Return of the Buffaloes
By: Paul Goble
Grade Levels: 2^nd - 4^th

The Indians of the Great Plains have dispatched two of their strongest scouts to learn what has become of the buffalo herds that sustain their people. Encountering a mysterious spirit woman, the pair explain their predicament; shortly thereafter, the land comes alive with animals, and the tribe is saved. Paul Goble's superb illustrations recall the traditional art of the Plains Indians and the natural splendor of the Great Plains.

 

The Schoolchildren's Blizzard
By:Marty Rhodes Figley
Grade Levels: 4^th - 5^th

This fast-paced, high-interest tale set in Nebraska is based on the true story of Minnie Freeman, a teacher who led her students to safety through the deadly blizzard of January 12, 1888. Two sisters, nine-year-old Sarah and seven-year-old Annie, set off to school on an exceptionally warm winter day. During recess, a bitter wind blows and it begins to snow. Before long, the tiny sod schoolhouse's roof is ripped off and they are exposed to the elements. Realizing that they will surely freeze if they stay put, Miss Freeman ties all 16 of her students together with a long rope and they walk to safety through the blinding storm.

 

Wagon Wheels
By: Barbara Brenner
Grade Levels: 3^rd - 4^th

In 1878, the three Muldie brother-ages eleven, eight, and three-and their father travel from Kentucky to Nicodemus, Kansas. Living in a dugout like the other black pioneer families, they endure hunger and hardships before spring comes. Ed Muldie leaves the boys to take care of each other while he looks for a better homestead further west. They hunt, fish, and stay in the dugout until their father's letter arrives months later with a rough map. Following the Solomon River, they make the 150-mile journey. Their courage and resourcefulness keep them safe and bring them to their father. Based on actual events, Barbara Brenner's tale (Harper, 1978) is told by Johnny, the oldest boy.