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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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BOOKS THAT HOOK YOUNG READERS

Books for kids can be the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. Here are some favorites.

The Nocturnals is a critically acclaimed, middle-grade series for readers that love animals, adventure and a hint of mystery. Written by film director and author Tracey Hecht, the books also relate to elementary school children, covering bullying, confidence, friendship and self-acceptance. The free reading kit via NocturnalsWorld.com includes activities.

As a mom with a career, Crystal Bowe recommends Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women. “My daughter loves it and has been introduced to amazing female role models.”

Noah the Narwhal, A Tale of Downs and Ups, by Judith Klausner,. is a brightly illustrated picture book about friendship and invisible disability.

What Do You See on Chanukah? is a board game book for toddlers by Bracha Goetz.

Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, by Kate Messner, shows kids that plants are more than what’s seen above ground.

Hello, Hello, by Brendan Wenzel, a picture book for ages 3 to 6, celebrates animals, including 30 endangered species.

Healthy Kids
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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