ADVANCED PRAISE FOR AMELIA AND THE MYSTERIOUS WOODPECKER by Marissa Mizeski          

“A wonderful and exciting story about the awe-inspiring Imperial Woodpecker, with true places and events weaved in.” 

     -Martjan Lammertink, CONICET-Argentina & the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 

“This book is a must-read for adventurous children and parents alike. Amelia’s profound connection with birds and nature fuel her personal journey of self-confidence and self-discovery.”

    -Eric Stiles, President & CEO of NJ Audubon

“What a lovely read. Amelia and the Mysterious Woodpecker weaves strands of friendship with Nancy Drew sleuthing into a page turner worthy of Sunday afternoon. Ms. Mizeski enlivens Amelia’s world with discovery – of the natural world, the beauty of birds and of herself. I can’t wait to see what adventures this young ornithologist has in the future!”

     -Dale Rosselet, VP of Education, New Jersey Audubon

“Mizeski opens up the beauty and wonder of the world of nature in this page turner that will have kids wanting more!”

      -Maryann McFadden, author of The Cemetery Keepers Wife & The Richest Season.

“As an outdoor education science teacher specializing in sustainability, Mizeski delivers an authentic story. The far ranging experiences she lives as an avid birdwatcher and as a naturalist are woven throughout the story as the main character, Amelia, races to solve the mystery of the woodpecker. Amelia’s experiences in the story are grounded in real life scientific possibilities which makes the mystery investigation credible and convincing. Mizeski captures the quietude, beauty, and the sacredness of the forest through Amelia’s experiences and interaction in nature. Her bond and reverence for nature comes through in the images, moods, and feelings her words create. Mizeski interweaves her keen perception of children into her characters, assuring her characters are authentic and believable.”

      -Julie Kim, Teacher at the Willow School

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Eleven-year-old Amelia is a bird lover who wants to be a scientist. Yet, in the August before sixth grade, Amelia can’t stop thinking about why her best friend hasn’t called her all summer. And why her mom sleeps all day.

One afternoon, Amelia sees a bird that will change her life- a large, black and white woodpecker with a curved crest and wild, yellow eyes. The bird doesn’t seem to exist in any of Amelia’s bird books. Or at least in any written in the past few decades.

Determined to get proof, she sets off on a journey to find the one person who can help: her fourth grade teacher, Mr. Rowe, who taught her everything she knows about birds. Along the way, she meets Jeffrey, an annoying know-it-all, and reconnects with her mother, who is suffering from a secret illness. In the mountains of the Southwest US and Mexico, the group discovers truths about her family’s past that may help her mother and solve the mystery of the bird.