Live book signing to encourage kids to think about the Impact they can make on the world

JACKSONVILLE, Fla — An easy way to encourage kids to really think about the impact they can make on the world!

Every footprint, from the physical to the digital and the permanent to the fleeting, leaves a mark on Earth, telling a story of the past, the present, or the future. Knowing how important it is to drive this message home to kids, Jacksonville resident Jennifer Swanson has devoted her latest children’s book to the concept. She will be signing copies of “Footprints Across the Planet” at The BookMark, located at 220 First Street, Neptune Beach, Florida, 32266 on Saturday, from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m.

Jennifer is available for interviews to share her inspiration behind the book, how kids who have read it have reacted, and how the book is being used in local classrooms.

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Who will be next? Jennifer Swanson, who is perhaps best known for her STEM science book, the National Geographic Kids title Brain Games, is hoping she can make an impact on the changemakers of tomorrow through her latest children’s book.

Reycraft Books, a division of Benchmark Publishing, just released Footprints Across the Planet in August 2022. It’s a book that brings home the message that every step that you take makes an impact on the planet.

The story begins by stating the fact that footprints come in all shapes and sizes, colors and species, then goes on to showcase how impactful each footstep can be. “Whether it’s an animal or human, whether it’s a digital or a carbon footprint, everything makes an impact,” says Swanson, who has had a strong love of science for as long as she can remember.

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As a kid, she ran a science club out of her garage. In high school she participated in science fairs and the Girl Scouts, earning just about every science-related badge there was. She eventually went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, then a Master’s of Science in Education from Walden University.

Swanson has been working as a middle school science teacher for Johns Hopkins University for Center for Talented Youth since 2009. She is also an accomplished author with more 45 titles to her name.

Some of her more well-known books include Astronaut Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact (National Geographic Kids,2018); Beastly Bionics: Bad Robots, Brilliant Biomimicry, and Incredible Inventions Inspired by Nature (National Geographic Kids, 2020) and The Secret Science of Sports: The Math, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering Behind Every Grand Slam, Triple Axel, and Penalty Kick (Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, 2021).

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She has presented her work at the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival, the World Science Festival, and the Atlanta Science Festival.

Early reviews for Swanson’s latest title, Footprints Across the Planet, have been very favorable. “A fascinating intersection between your average animal footprints title and books for kids with a wider environmental focus,” said Betsy Bird in her review for the School Library Journal blog.

“More so than most books about intention, personal impact, choice, and consequences, Footprints Across the Planet presents a powerful display that will reach a wide age group (including adults) with a strong message of empowerment and positivity… If only one children’s book were to be chosen on these topics, Footprints Across the Planet should be at the very top of such a list,” said D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review.

“Footprints Across the Planet” thoughtfully tackles the very big job of teaching the next generation to love, nurture and explore our oceans and lands and the life teeming within them. Through the book, Jennifer Swanson is leaving her own mark on the world that will last for years to come, inspiring young children to adopt a strong sense of self-awareness when it comes to their personal impact on the world around them,” said Fabien Cousteau, Aquanaut, Explorer and Founder, Executive and Board Member at Proteus Ocean Group Ltd.

Learn more about Jennifer’s work, and book her for speaking engagements and school visits here.

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