Kneidel, Sally

(Sally Stenhouse)

PERSONAL: Married; children: Sara Kate, one other child. Education: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Ph.D.

ADDRESSES: Home—Charlotte, NC. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Fulcrum Publishing, 16100 Table Mountain Pkwy., Ste. 300, Golden, CO 80403.

CAREER: Biologist, journalist, environmentalist, photographer, and author. Taught biology and writing in public schools and at colleges for over fifteen years.

WRITINGS:

(As Sally Stenhouse Kneidel) Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method: Over 100 Hands-on Science Experiments for Children, Fulcrum Publishing (Golden, CO), 1993.

Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects, illustrated by Mauro Magellan, Wiley (New York, NY), 1994.

Slugs, Bugs, and Salamanders: Discovering Animals in Your Garden, illustrated by Anna-Maria Crum, Fulcrum Kids (Golden, CO), 1997.

Classroom Critters and the Scientific Method, Fulcrum Resources (Golden, CO), 1999.

More Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Insects and Other Small Critters, illustrated by Mauro Magellan, Wiley (New York, NY), 1999.

Stinkbugs, Stick Insects, and Stag Beetles: And 18 More of the Strangest Insects on Earth, Wiley (New York, NY), 2000.

Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs: And 18 More of the Strangest Plants on Earth, Wiley (New York, NY), 2001.

(With daughter, Sara Kate Kneidel) Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet, Fulcrum Publishing (Golden, CO), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Best known for penning ecological and zoological books for children, Sally Kneidel writes on subjects ranging from bizarre bugs and strange vegetation to the merits of vegetarianism, and many of her books focus on employing creative approaches to nature observation. Kneidel's Stinkbugs, Stick Insects, and Stag Beetles: And 18 More of the Strangest Insects on Earth encourages a safe, respectful, hands-on approach to studying insects. The author followed this title with Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs: And 18 More of the Strangest Plants on Earth, an examination of some of the planet's most peculiar plant life. Descriptions are accompanied by instructions for activities, including how to grow some of these strange plants at home. "Each plant is described in an interesting, straightforward manner," wrote Jacqueline V. Mallinson in Science Activities. "The author does not 'talk down' to children, but writes in a style that is easy to understand, and most important, is scientifically accurate." Mallinson also attested that Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs is "interesting, accurate, well written, and truly worthy of a 'rave review.'"

An avid vegetarian, Kneidel teamed with her daughter, Sarah Kate Kneidel, to investigate the relationship between humans, the food they eat, and the resultant impact on the environment. The authors visited factory farms to gain firsthand insight into their operations and environmental impact, as well as to provide facts that might induce readers to adopt a vegetarian diet. After researching the issue and compiling more than one hundred of their favorite vegetarian recipes, the Kneidels produced Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet. The book also includes advice on maintaining a healthy vegetarian lifestyle and encourages readers to consume local foods in an effort to diminish corporate agriculture's damaging environmental impact.

While Library Journal contributor Shelley Brown felt that the authors end up "overwhelming the reader" with facts and information, the critic also described the book as "a good introduction to issues surrounding vegetarianism and the politics of meat production and consumption." Similarly, in a review of Veggie Revolution for Greener online, Harlan Weikle noted that "the book can, and should be, read as a manifesto for eco-environmental preservation." One Publishers Weekly reviewer suggested that the authors' "well-reasoned defense of vegetarianism" is "worth considering," and also pointed out that the book is not only good for young adults interested in vegetarianism but is also helpful to the parents of vegetarians "who want a more complete understanding of vegetarian nutrition and menu options."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 1994, Mary Harris Veeder, review of Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects, p. 1940.

Library Journal, October 1, 2005, Shelley Brown, review of Veggie Revolution: Smart Choices for a Healthy Body and a Healthy Planet, p. 103.

Publishers Weekly, September 5, 2005, review of Veggie Revolution, p. 54.

School Library Journal, April, 2001, Karey Wehner, review of Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs: And 18 More of the Strangest Plants on Earth, p. 163.

Science Activities, winter, 2001, Donald F. Logsdon, Jr., review of Classroom Critters and the Scientific Method, p. 44; winter, 2002, Jacqueline V. Mallinson, review of Skunk Cabbage, Sundew Plants, and Strangler Figs, p. 44.

ONLINE

Charlotte Observer Online, http://www.charlotte.com/ (December 25, 2005), Jerri Krentz, "They Believe in the Virtue of Vegetables," review of Veggie Revolution.

Fulcrum Publishing Web site, http://www.fulcrumbooks.com/ (January 19, 2006), "Sally Kneidel."

Greener Online, http://www.greenermagazine.blogspot.com/ (January 16, 2006), Harlan Weikle, review of Veggie Revolution.