• Age: 6 to 8
• Grade: 1 to 3
• Reading age: 6 to 8

Justine McKeen is back, and she’s on a deadline.

With only days left before Earth Day, Justine enlists the help of her classmates to count flower buds, frogs, spiders and ants in their natural habitat as part of an environmental science project. But there’s a species right in her own classroom that she’ll have to tackle first--a class bully. Savannah Blue, aka the Queen of Mean, criticizes Justine’s secondhand clothes and calls being green a waste of time. Their teacher, Mrs. Howie, gives the girls a new assignment for Earth Day--they must present together to the class on why it’s important to care for the environment. In the sixth book in this bestselling series, Justine is up against her biggest challenge yet--can she convince the Queen of Mean to go green?

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

With close to three million books in print, Sigmund Brouwer writes for both children and adults. In the last ten years, he has given writing workshops to students in schools from the Arctic Circle to inner city Los Angeles. One of his latest novels, The Last Disciple, earned Sigmund an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America. Sigmund and his family live half the year in Nashville, Tennessee, and half the year in Red Deer, Alberta.

The Talk:
Reach For Your Dreams
It doesn't matter where you come from, it's where you decide to go in life that is important. Sigmund Brouwer encourages students to reach for their dreams, giving them fun and practical advice for the reading and writing skills that are the foundation of future success.

The Presentation:
Sigmund's presentations are an hour of high-level energy. He especially reaches out to reluctant readers and gears the talk to engage their attention. Audience size varies; often his presentations take place in the gym for the entire school, including kindergarten. (After the first half hour, the K-2 grades are dismissed, and the remainder of the presentation is focused on the older students.) There are no restrictions on audience size except for the space limitations of the gym. Smaller schools are welcome to invite another school to share in the cost of the presentation.

Booking:
For presentations that involve travel, Sigmund appreciates it if two or three schools in the area make bookings on the same day. For more information on booking, fees and expenses, please email Sigmund: rockandrollliteracy@me.com

Sigmund Brouwer's profile page

DAVE WHAMOND a illustré la série Margot et My Think-a-ma-Jink, tous deux gagnants du prix Blue Spruce. Il a également signé les illustrations des livres de Robert Munsch Quelle tête!, C’est petit ici! et Je raffole de l’école!, et est l'auteur d'une bande dessinée intitulée Reality Check, qui paraît quotidiennement dans un certain nombre de journaux nord-américains. Dave habite à Calgary, en Alberta.

DAVE WHAMOND is the creator of Oddrey and My Think-a-ma-Jink, both winners of the Blue Spruce Award. He illustrated the Robert Munsch books Braids!, Think Big! and School Rules! He also has a syndicated cartoon strip called Reality Check, which appears daily in a number of North American newspapers. Dave lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Dave Whamond's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

"The story carries through conflict, misunderstandings, humorous moments, and some soul searching to a happy conclusion. Along the way, interesting nature tidbits are deftly inserted in the story...The illustrations by Dave Whamond are cartoonish and light-hearted and accent the humorous aspects of the story. This book is highly recommended for both school and public libraries. Although it is sixth in a series it can be read as a stand-alone story. However once readers are introduced to Justine and her friends, they will want to read the other five books."

Resource Links

"In his series of Justine McKeen books, Sigmund Brouwer introduces readers to the likeable, determined character of Justine who is passionate about taking care of her environment...Illustrations by Dave Whamond every three to four pages help to confirm understanding for young readers. At the end of the book, author Brouwer suggests apps and websites for observing wildlife in its natural environment."

CM Magazine

"For her latest project, activist Justine tries to organize a student-run species count. But first she must convince new student and bully Savannah that caring for the environment matters. The plot provides a framework for explaining species interconnectivity, and the back matter includes links to apps and websites for science observers...The abundant humor keeps the tale quick and readable. Short chapters, plentiful black-and-white illustrations, and Justine’s indeterminate age make the book suitable for older, struggling readers."

Booklist