nature+nurture

06/06/2026

Don’t let this cover fool you - beyond this little drummer boy lies a delightful story bringing the origins of our independence to life. Children enter history through inviting narratives and voices who introduce them to people, places and events - in this case those surrounding the first 4th of July.

Some of us are longing for some nostalgia right now, and who better to bring it than Alice Dalgliesh - one of the best children’s history authors. I once bought an early edition of an out of print book of hers for $50 that I used in my children’s early education. Who knew $50 would now be the going rate for so many NEW books. Sigh. Bring back pre-inflation prices, and bring back Liberty Poles and Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death heroes! He was mine;) We had to make lightbulb people in 4th grade and I made the best little Lightbulb Paper Mache Patrick Henry there ever was. Maybe he had PDA, too, (Persistent Drive for Autonomy) or maybe he just refused to wear the straight jacket of tyranny and had a voice destined to echo through history to inspire little 4th grade Salem girls who would tuck that living idea in her pocket and pull it out at various times in her life. Who knows what voice from the past may strike a cord with your little reader, or you. America is for reading aloud. Read Aloud Together and if you are to get any picture book this summer, this is the one to get! (Before I convince you to get the next one....) https://naturenurture.shop/products/the-4th-of-july-story-by-alice-dalgliesh-illustrated-by-marie-nonnast

06/06/2026

One of the things I love most is how literature can help us understand history, and how history deepens our appreciation for literature. They go together (like nature+nurture;)

Read through America this summer one chapter book at a time. This curated collection invites readers to journey across the United States through stories of perseverance, discovery, family, courage, and hope. These books introduce young readers to the people and events that shaped our nation while fostering empathy, imagination, and understanding.

📖 For young tweens through older teens.
🇺🇸 New titles are being added regularly.

These are the books you want to reread from your own past, read for the first time, read together, and keep in your collections. All available on the website or for free local pickup (and soon in PERSON once I get the doors open.)

https://naturenurture.shop/collections/read-through-america-chapter-books

06/06/2026

literature+history go together like nature+nurture - don’t you think? Read through America 250 Chapter Book edition! Young tweens to older teens - keep stopping by the collections to see what I’ve added next 🌱

Read your way across America 🇺🇸 through stories of courage, adventure, family, immigration, innovation, hardship, and hope. This collection of chapter books explores the people, places, and events that have shaped our nation, helping young readers connect with American history through unforgettable stories and characters.

Read your way across America through stories of courage, adventure, family, immigration, innovation, hardship, and hope. This collection of chapter books and novels explores the people, places, and events that have shaped our nation, helping young readers connect with American history through unforg...

06/05/2026

Thanks you Mahoning Matters 🌱

Popular bookstore in Salem receives $20,000 grant for classroom during relocation

06/05/2026

Robert MacFarlane does NOT disappoint with this gorgeous new Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss.

The Book of Birds is a field guide with a difference: It shows readers not just how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them.

Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris conjure the unique spirit of nearly fifty once-common species: avocet to yellowhammer, kestrel to kingfisher, skylark to nightingale. In lyrical and incantatory essays, Macfarlane describes each bird’s habits and habitats, their patterns of flight and patterns of song, how they hunt or fish or scavenge or gather, how they nest and raise their chicks, the myths that attend them, the threats that shadow them—and how their lives intersect with our own.

On every page we encounter Morris’s exhilarating artwork, painted from life in watercolor and gold leaf, and animated with an extraordinary attention to detail. The Book of Birds is a love letter to the thrilling variety and mysteries of birdlife, and a clarion call to halt the rapid depletion of our skies.

Purchase your copy at naturenurture.shop

https://naturenurture.shop/products/the-book-of-birds-a-field-guide-to-wonder-and-loss-by-robert-macfarlane-jackie-morris

06/04/2026

Five years ago, Salem was ranked 84th among the top 100 U.S. micropolitan areas. In 2024 we were 12th.

That kind of climb doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of deliberate investment, strong partnerships, and a community willing to do the work.

Our new Five-Year Economic Development Plan documents that progress — and maps out what comes next.

This plan was shaped by this community. 600+ people took part in building it. Now it belongs to all of Salem.
Read and download the full report: https://sodcenter.com/salems-five-year-plan/

05/26/2026

Thank you! You can find her book in the outdoor adventure collection: https://naturenurture.shop/collections/outdoor-adventure

Get outdoors with this guide to 60 of the best hiking trails within an hour or so from Cleveland, Ohio, leading you to scenic beauty. The best way to experience Cleveland is by hiking it! Get outdoors with local author and hiking expert Diane Stresing. This full-color guide helps you locate and acce...

05/26/2026

“SALEM, Ohio – Nature + Nurture’s efforts to renovate and relocate to a larger space down the street has been assisted by a $20,000 grant.

Tricia Ross, owner of the State Street bookstore, announced in a Facebook post that the business has been selected as a recipient of funding through the AMEX Shop Small Grant Program.

Ross said she intends to use the $20,000 to help build out the new classroom and community learning space inside the new downtown location.

Ross hopes to host handicraft and homesteading classes, nature journaling and writing workshops, read-aloud programs, author events and other hands-on activities in the space. Local artists, educators, organizations and guest speakers will be invited to host events in the room.

When not in use for programs, Ross said the room will be open for quiet reading, journaling and creative work.

Nature + Nurture is a nature-focused independent bookstore, which launched online in February 2021 and set up a small space in a flower shop.

Three months later Ross moved into a storefront at 515 E. State St., but the business eventually outgrew the space.

In November 2025, Ross announced she was moving to the former Macmillan Office Supply building at 553 E. State St., an empty, larger space she has been improving for her business needs…”

Nature + Nurture’s efforts to renovate and relocate to a larger space down the street has been assisted by a $20,000 grant.

05/25/2026

You all liked my anti-AI art story! So I figure I’d sneak in a small little collection I tucked under my America 250 compilation on my website. Have you checked out all the books under U.S.? And if your kids are looking for good quick reads Jean Fritz is a favorite and she has so many that I made her own collection. There’s also an Ohio one, Early American, and now a fun Emily Lex Americana one! She just released her new workbook, paintable cards and stickers just in time for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. If you want to be off screens for a day, and go old-school, grab one of her workbooks or card sets and paint your little anti-AI art heart out - then write a note and give it to someone! Wouldn’t that be nice? The only water used in making the art will be the small cup of water needed for your watercolor. No need to guzzle 300,000 - 5 million gallons of water in one day to make something. That would be a little unnecessary and concerning, don’t you think?