In this post, we feature poet and science journalist Naila Moreira. You can hear her speak about her debut novel, The Monarchs of Winghaven, and try her “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!
The Monarchs of Winghaven
- Written and illustrated by Naila Moreira
- Published by Walker Books US, a division of Candlewick Press
- Release date: May 14, 2024
Sammie, a budding naturalist, knows of a secret and wonderful place: Winghaven, an abandoned lot in the middle of the suburbs where wildlife flourishes. She spends hours making notes and drawings in her meticulous field journal. When Bram, a new boy, turns up with his camera, Sammie worries he’ll give away her hidden haven—after all, the other boys at school bully her. But Bram is a scientist like Sammie, and together they observe tiny pond creatures, a pileated woodpecker, and thriving monarch butterflies. When Sammie and Bram discover bright flagging tape encircling the trees, they learn that Winghaven is in danger from a local developer—and it’s going to take courage, spirit, and science to save it. Sammie’s field drawings and real-life notes on keeping a nature journal, studying monarchs, and bird-watching complete this involving novel about ecology, friendship, and the rewards of closely observing the natural world.
From The Monarchs of Winghaven, written and illustrated by Naila Moreira.
“She was free: of school, mean boys, stressed-out parents, and all the buildings, asphalt, vehicles, and rules that crowded her life. “
Click here to view a longer preview of The Monarchs of Winghaven, written and illustrated by Naila Moreira.
A page from Sammie’s nature journal in The Monarchs of Winghaven
Explore The Monarchs of Winghaven
Listen to Naila Moreira talking with TeachingBooks about creating The Monarchs of Winghaven. You can click the player below or experience the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.
- Listen to Naila Moreira pronounce her name.
- Sample the ebook of The Monarchs of Winghaven on OverDrive.com.
- Sample the audiobook of The Monarchs of Winghaven on OverDrive.com.
- Explore TeachingBooks’ collection of activities and resources for The Monarchs of Winghaven.
Invitation to Imagine
TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Naila Moreira.
Imagination Activity with Naila Moreira
Try nature journaling by grabbing a notebook and going outside to a place in nature. Your yard, a neighborhood park, or even just one bush in front of your house counts! Write down the date, time, and location. Next, record the weather: hot, breezy, snowy, raining? Are clouds scudding across the sky? Now draw one to three natural things you see. A tree, a bird, a stone, a piece of moss, a plant poking through the sidewalk, a bug. Beside your picture, write notes: what are each being’s parts? What is it doing? What is its role in its habitat? You don’t need to be a good artist: this is about your observations and impressions, and no one else’s.
Finish This Sentence . . . with Naila Moreira
As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Naila Moreira’s response.
“I knew I would be a writer when…”
I knew I would be a writer when I was a kid, just like I knew I would study the natural world. Here’s the bio I added to an illustrated children’s “book” I wrote for a class project when I was nine years old.
“An eyebrow-raising topic I had to research for my book is…”
An eyebrow-raising topic I had to research for my book is the behavior of the antlion, an insect larva. These bizarre little beasts bury themselves in a cone-shaped pit in the sand. When ants fall in, they slip on the steep sides. The hidden lion then leaps up, dragging the ant into the darkness with jaws half the length of its body. Weird!
Thank you!
To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Naila Moreira for signing a book for all of us.
More Connections to Naila Moreira and The Monarchs of Winghaven
- Discover books like The Monarchs of Winghaven on TeachingBooks.
- Candlewick’s page about The Monarchs of Winghaven, written and illustrated by Naila Moreira.
- Buy The Monarchs of Winghaven, written and illustrated by Naila Moreira.
Author photo by Jermaine Stephinger. All other text and images are courtesy of Naila Moreira and Candlewick Press and may not be used without expressed written consent.
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