This is an archive that is not being updated at this time.

We have included a brief description of many of the books, and have only listed books that we have found useful. This list was compiled for all age groups (K-8), so some materials will not be appropriate for all classrooms. Where we have some idea about age levels, we have included that information.

BACKGROUND ON BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

Berger, Melvin. 1993. A butterfly is born. Newbridge Comms.: New York. Macmillan early science Big Book. Life cycle of the monarch with wonderful big photos and simple text.

Bouton, David W. 1991. Monarch Butterfly: A Fragile Tissue in the Wind. David W. Bouton: Davenport, NY.

Clyne, Densey. 1994. Flutter by, butterfly. Independent Publishers Group: Chicago. Life cycle of butterflies with good photographs of many species. Discusses enemies and other information.

Drew, David. 1987. Caterpillar diary. Rigby Education. Available big book or small book. The life cycle of an emperor gum moth in big photos.

Drew, David. 1989. The life of the butterfly. Rigby Education. Available big book or small book. The life cycle of the large cabbage white.

Dunn, G.A. 1991. Discover Butterflies. Publications International, Ltd.: Illinois.

Garland, Peter. 1992. Monarch Butterfly. The Wright Group. Emergent level. Simple version of the life cycle with good photographs.

Gibbons, Gail. 1989. Monarch butterfly. Holiday House. Story of the life cycle and migration. Good art.

Goor, Ron and Nancy. 1990. Insect metamorphosis from egg to adult. Macmillan Children's Group: New York. The process of metamorphosis in many insects, including butterflies. Great photos.

Green, Ivah, E. 1964. The Monarch Butterfly. Encyclopedia Brittanica True to Life Books. Encycl. Brittanica Press: Chicago, IL.

Gunderson, H. The Wonder of the Monarchs. Holt, Rinehart and Winston: New York.

Harvey, Diane and Bob. 1991. Melody's mystery. Beautiful America Publishers. Text in Spanish and English, wonderful photographs, emphasis on migration and life cycle.

Heller, Ruth. 1992. How to hide a butterfly. Platt and Munk: New York.

Hoffman, Don. 1989. Wanderer: The Monarch Butterfly. S.L.O.N.H.A.: Morro Bay, CA.

Hogan, Paula. 1984.The life cycle of the butterfly. Raintree Steck-Vaughn Publishers: Chatham, NJ. Simple text on monarch metamorphosis.

Hopf, Alice L. 1965. Monarch Butterflies. Thomas Crowell and Co.: New York.

Ivy, Bill. 1986. Nature's children: monarch butterfly. Grolier Educational Corporation: Connecticut. Good information in moderately difficult text.

Josephson, Judith. 1988. The monarch butterfly. Crestwood House: Mankato, MN. Well laid-out book for 3-6 grade researchers.

Julivert, Maria A. 1991. The fascinating world of butterflies and moths. Barron's Educational Series: Hauppauge, NY.Good close-up drawings and lots of information.

Kalman, Bobbie and Tammy Everts. 1994. Butterflies and moths. Crabtree Publishing Co.: New York. Good comparison of butterflies and moths, and lots of close-up photos.

Kaufman, Elizabeth. 1986. Butterflies. Price/Stern/Sloan. Information about many butterflies.

Lasky, Kathryn. 1993. Monarchs. Harcourt, Brace and Co.: New York. Factual information of entire life cycle and migration. Good photographs, text more appropriate for upper elementary.

Lavies, Bianca. 1992. Monarch butterflies: mysterious travelers. Dutton Children's Books: New York. Complete informative text with photographs.

Lepthien, Emily. 1989. Monarch butterflies: A new true book. Children's Press: Chicago. Photographs with simple text.

Ling, Mary. 1992. See how they grow: Butterfly. Dorling Kindersley, Inc.: New York. Simple version of the life cycle of several species. Photographs and art.

Marcher, Marian W. 1954. Monarch Butterfly. Holiday House: New York.

May, Julia. 1973. The Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly. Children's Press: Chicago.

Ordish, George. 1975. The Year of the Butterfly. Charles Schribner's Sons: New York.

Porter, Keith. 1990. Discovering butterflies and moths. Franklin Watts, Inc.: New York. Good information for upper level elementary students.

Pringle, Laurence. 1997. An Extraordinary Life. Orchard Books: New York.

Reidel, Marlene. 1981. From egg to butterfly. Carolrhoda Books: Minneapolis, MN. The life cycle of butterflies.

Ryder, Joanne. 1989. Where butterflies grow. Dutton Children's Books: New York. The life cycle of a black swallowtail, with information on starting a butterfly garden.

Sabin, Louis. 1982.The amazing world of butterflies and moths. Troll Associates: New York. General information on basic biology.

Simon, Hilda. 1969. Milkweed Butterfly - Monarch, Models and Mimics. Vanguard Press: New York.

Spooner, Sally. 1987. How to raise the monarch butterfly. Spooner: Lakeville, MA.

Still, John. 1991. Eyewitness Juniors-9 Amazing Butterflies and Moths. Alfred A. Knopf: New York. Good photos and simple explanations for K-4.

Stone, Lynn M. 1991. The Remarkable Flight of the Monarch. Rourke Publishing Co.: Vero Beach, FL.

Stokes, D., L. Stokes, and E. Williams. 1991. The Butterfly Book. Little, Brown, and Company: New York.

Thurman, J. and Caroline Rodgers. 1985. The Monarch Butterfly. Boxwood Press: Pacific Grove, CA.

Urquhart, F. A. 1960. Monarch Butterfly. University of Toronto Press: Toronto, Ontario.

Uruqhart, F. A. 1987. The Monarch Butterfly: International Traveler. Nelson-Hall, Inc.: Chicago.

Valiant, S.D. 1992. Questioning the caterpillar. Natural History 101 (12): 46-59.

Walker, Colin. 1989.Going to be ... a butterfly. The Wright Group. Fluent level. Life cycle with drawing.

FICTION AND PICTURE BOOKS

Brewer, Jo. 1967. Wings in the Meadow. Houghton Mifflin: Boston.

Brown, Ruth. 1983. If at first you do not see. Henry Holt & Co.: New York. Reading rainbow book of a caterpillar's search for food in strange places.

Carle, Eric. 1991. The very hungry caterpillar. Putnam Publishing Group: New York. A wonderful standard.

French, Vivian. 1993. Caterpillar, caterpillar. Candlewick Pr.: London. Story of several kinds of caterpillars that eat nettle. Covers life cycle.

George, Jean Craighead. 1993. The moon of the monarch butterflies. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. The spring migration from Mexico and the hazards faced by one female monarch. Great art.

Hutchins, Ross. 1966. The travels of monarch X. Rand McNally and Co.: New York. Story of the migration of a tagged butterfly and the hazards it faces on its trip to Mexico.

Morris, William. 1970. The longest journey in the world. Holt, Rinehart and Winston: New York. A caterpillar's journey in a garden.

Prior, R.W.N. 1993. The great monarch butterfly chase. Bradbury Press: New York. Two boys follow a monarch to Mexico.

Robinson, Elva. 1989. When will you be a butterfly? DLM Teaching Resources: Allen, TX.

Simpson, Richard E. 1986. The Monarch Butterfly Workbook. Lucia Mar USD: Arroyo Grande, CA.

Thompson, Susan L. 1976. Diary of a Monarch Butterfly. Walker and Co.: New York.

Trimble, Marcia. 1999. Malinda Martha Meets Mariposa, A Star is Born. Images Press, Los Altos Hills, CA. 32 page children's book, ages 4-9.

Waddington, Margaret, M. 1984. Coloring book: Caterpillar to butterfly. C.E. Tuttle: Rutland, VT.

Waddington, Margaret M. 1984. Caterpillar to butterfly. Academy Press: Rutland, VT.

Yoshi. 1991.The butterfly hunt.. Picture Book Studio: Boston. Story of boy catching butterflies.

Zappler, Lisbeth. 1987. A Day in the Life of a Monarch Butterfly. Eakin Press: Austin, TX.

MIGRATION AND CONSERVATION

Aridjis, Homero and Lincoln Brower. "Twilight of the Monarchs." New York Times, January 26, 1996. An editorial discussing the impact of forest destruction on monarch conservation and steps that could be taken to protect the forests.

Brower, L. and S. B. Malcolm. 1991. "Animal migrations: Endangered phenomena." Amer. Zool. 31: 265-267.

Caduto, M.J. and J. Bruchac. 1988. Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children. Fulcrum Inc.: Golden, CO. Ecological lessons and activities incorporating Native American culture, including a chapter on migration that could be adapted to monarchs.

George, Jean Craighead.1993. The moon of the monarch butterflies. Harper Collins Publishers: New York. The spring migration from Mexico and the hazards faced by one female monarch. Great art. K-5.

Gibbons, Gail. 1989. Monarch butterfly. Holiday House. Story of the life cycle and migration. Good art. K-3.

Gonzales de Castilla, Susana Rojas. 1993. "The Importance of Alternative Sources of Income to 'Ejidatarios' (Local Residents) for Conservation of Overwintering Areas of the Monarch Butterfly." In Malcolm, Stephen B. and Myron P. Zalucki, Eds. Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly.

Harvey, Diane and Bob. 1991. Melody's mystery. Beautiful America Publishers. Text in Spanish and English, wonderful photographs, emphasis on migration and life cycle. All ages.

Herberman, Ethan. 1990. The great butterfly hunt: the mystery of the migrating monarchs. Simon and Schuster: New York. Detailed description of life cycle, migration, tagging, and the discovery of the overwintering sites. 3-6.

Hutchins, Ross. 1966. The travels of monarch X. Rand McNally & Co.: Chicago. Story of the migration of a tagged butterfly and the hazards it faces on its trip to Mexico. K-4.

LaFranchi, Howard. "Monarch's Reign in Mexico is Threatened." The Christian Science Monitor, November 8, 1995. A good feature that includes the perspective of local residents who live near the overwintering sites and support themselves with the forests.

Lasky, Kathryn. 1993. Monarchs. Harcourt Brace & Co.: New York. Factual information of entire life cycle and migration. Good photographs, text more appropriate for upper elementary.

Lavies, Bianca. 1993. Monarch butterflies: mysterious travelers. Dutton Children's Books: New York. Complete informative text with photographs.

Malcolm, Stephen B. and Myron P. Zalucki, Eds. 1993. Biology and Conservation of the Monarch Butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Los Angeles, CA. A collection of scientific articles on monarchs, with good sections on migration, overwintering biology, and conservation. Text more appropriate for secondary students, especially high school.

Preston, Julia. "Snow in Mexico Winter Home Lethal to Monarch Butterflies." New York Times, January 3, 1996. Story about the December snowstorm that killed millions of overwintering monarchs.

Pringle, Laurence. 1997. An Extraordinary Life. Orchard Books: New York.

Prior, R.W. 1993. The great monarch butterfly chase. Macmillan Children's Group: New York. Two boys follow a monarch to Mexico. K-2.

Ross, John. "Dangers in Paradise." Sierra Magazine, July/August 1992. Good overview of the many issues facing people that are trying to preserve the overwintering sites.

Urquhart, Fred. August 1976. "Found at Last: The Monarch's Winter Home." National Geographic. The story of how the overwintering sites were discovered by scientists.

FIELD GUIDES, INSECT CARE, AND BUTTERFLY GARDENING

Angier, B. 1978. Field Guide to Medicinal Wild Plants. Stackpole Books: Pennsylvania.

Imes, R. 1992. The Practical Entomologist. Fireside Books: New York.

Opler, P.A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A Field Guide to Eastern Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin.

Penn, Linda. 1983. Young Scientists Explore Butterflies and Moths. Good Apple, Inc.: Carthage, IL. Activity workbook designed for primary grades. Promotes observational skills and covers complete life cycle of butterflies and moths.

Peterson, L.A. 1977. Edible Wild Plants. Houghton Mifflin: Boston.

Schneck, M. 1993. Creating a Butterfly Garden. Simon & Schuster

Stokes, Donald. 1983. A Guide to Observing Insect Lives. Little, Borwn, and Co.: Boston. Good reference book for classrooms. Covers the eight major orders of insects. Organized by seasonal observations.

Stokes, D., L. Stokes, and E. Williams. 1991. The Butterfly Book: An Easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior. Little, Brown.

Watts, Barrie. 1991. Keeping minibeasts: Caterpillars. Franklin Watts, Inc.: New York. How to raise caterpillars, including instructions for making cages and feeding.

Xerces Society. 1990. Butterfly Gardening: Creating Summer Magic in Your Garden. Sierra Club Books.

Young Entomologists' Society. 1994. A Beginner's Guide to Observing and Collecting Insects. Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Michigan. (see address in Organizations section)

Young Entomologists' Society. 1994. Caring for Insect Livestock. Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Michigan.

Young Entomologists' Society. 1994. The Insect Identification Guide. Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Michigan.

Young Entomologists' Society. 1994. The Insect Study Source Book. Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Michigan.

CURRICULUM SOURCES AND IDEAS

Addison-Wesley. 1993. Butterflies Abound! A whole language resource guide for K-4. Integrated curriculum for studying butterflies, includes many great activities.

American Association for the Advancement of Science. 1993. Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Oxford University Press: New York.

Cothron, J.H., R.N. Giese, and R.J. Rezba. 1993. Students and Research. Kendall/Hunt Publishing: Iowa.

The Ida Cason Calloway Foundation. 1991. Discover Butterflies. Publications International, Ltd.: Illinois. To order, contact The Education Department of Calloway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia 31822 (404 663-5153). Great activities for students and families, including a unit on monarchs. They also sell a video on butterflies.

Dunn, Gary A. 1994. Project B.U.G.S. (Better Understanding of the Great Six-leggers). Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Lansing, MI.

Dunn, Gary A. 1991. Siz-Legged Science: Insects in the Classroom (3rd edition) Curriculum and Activity Suggestions for Teaching about Insects. Young Entomologists' Society, Inc.: Lansing, MI. Lessons about insects. Hands-on approach with tips on rearing, observing, experimenting, and preserving.

Hickman, Pamela M. 1990. Bugwise. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company: Reading, MA.

Mitchell, A. 1982. The Young Naturalist. EDC Publishing: Oklahoma.

National Academy of Sciences. The Life Cycle of Butterflies, Teacher's Guide. 1992. Available from Carolina Biological supply (1 800-334-5551). Lessons on painted ladies that can be adapted to monarchs.

Stenhouse-Kneidel, S. 1993. Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method. Fulcrum Publishing: Colorado.

Stepans, J. 1994. Targeting Students' Science Misconceptions. Idea Factory, Inc.: Florida.

NATURALISTS' WRITINGS AND SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS

Audubon, John James. 1986. Audubon Reader: The Best Writings of John James Audubon. Indiana University Press: Bloomington.

Audubon, John James. 1993. Capturing Nature: The Writings and Art of John James Audubon. Walker: New York.

Darwin, Charles. 1988. Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary. Cambridge Press: Cambridge.

Darwin, Charles. 1993. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. Easton Press: Nowalk, Conn.

Dillard, Annie. 1985. A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Harper & Row: New York.

da Vinci, Leonardo. 1938. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci; arranged, rendered into English, and introduced by Edward MacCurdy. Reynal & Hitchcock: New York.

Holden, Edith. 1984. Nature Notes of the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. Harper & Row: New York.

Merian, Maria Sibylla. 1991. Flowers, Butterflies, and Insects: All 154 Engravings from "Erucarum Ortus." Dover Publications, Inc.: New York. Reproductions of many of Merian's engravings, most moths. Some butterflies and some good drawings of the various life stages are also included.