Praise For “Blue’s River”
Blue’s river is dying. For centuries, the river has taken great care of people and other living beings, always giving them what they needed. Now the river has reached the point where it cannot give anymore. Can a ten-year-old girl and a 400-year-old Great Blue Heron save Blue’s river?
Blue’s River, written by Kathleen M. Doyle began to germinate the day her children learned that, due to pollution, there would be no more swimming at their local lake. Marsha Holler’s beautiful illustrations, along with a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts helped bring Blue’s River to life.
Kathleen Marie Doyle is a writer and teacher committed to education, the environment, and democracy. She has been teaching teachers and teenagers in Delaware for over 30 years. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching at Brown University and her BA in Social Thought and Political Economy at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. She is also a graduate of The Institute of Children’s Literature. She began her environmental activism in the fifth grade when she wrote a letter to her hometown newspaper asking people to stop polluting the local pond and stream.
Like Andie in Blue’s River, Kathleen used to be terrified of public speaking. Also like Andie, she overcame her fear, and now spends a lot of time speaking in front of people, and is available to do classroom visits virtually.
Blue’s River Testimonials
“I just finished reading it cover to cover, in one sitting. It is wonderful! The trip through history was informative and very easy to read. I laughed, smiled, and learned a lot. The Diving Deeper sections were a great idea. This would be important as part of a language arts/reading/science curriculum. This is such an important topic!” ~ Judy Martin, Executive Director, Bowers Beach Maritime Museum
“I read a lot of books in my youth and how this book is written reminded me of some of my favorite book series I read as a girl. The book is engaging and informative in a way that is easy for young readers to understand. It is definitely the type of book that you don’t want to put down. At the end of every chapter, historical facts are included, which I think is a nice touch. There’s a vocabulary section at the end which is helpful for the young readers who are unsure of terms used related to the water (i.e. estuary, aquifer, watershed). My favorite part of the book is at the end – there’s a “How you can protect and conserve water” section that provides some insight on what you can do at home to help the environment. I definitely recommend the book for young readers. I actually think it would be a great book used in classrooms for the students who are learning Delaware history.” ~ Connor Lee Graham, Delaware Public Archives
“Kathleen Marie Doyle has a particularly strong concept in Blue’s River . . . I genuinely thought this book to be stellar . . . I hope she will continue to educate on the issue [of watersheds] . . . Doyle has produced a wonderful story here, and I hope she’ll bring the same fire to the next book she sends us.” ~ Judge, 27th Annual Writer’s Digest, Self-Published Book Awards
“Blue’s River truly is a fabulous story – such a wise way to tell the history of water and warn about today’s challenges!” ~ Lynn Edler, Teacher of English
“Blue’s River is a well-crafted blending of three different stories with both social and environmental issues in play. Andie, a fifth grader, is learning about herself and the environment she lives in thanks to ‘Blue’. The author, a retired master teacher, included a section at the end of each chapter to offer deeper explanations to enrich the reading experience without slowing down the story and has illustrations throughout the book to spark one’s imagination. An excellent choice for readers of all age levels.” ~ Mike Sampere, Social Studies Teacher
Blue’s River is available at bookstores throughout Delaware as well as on Amazon. For more information about where to purchase Blue’s River, or to inquire about classroom visits, go to KathleenMarieDoyle.com or email the author at [email protected].
