Join Us for Our Next Webinar featuring Award-winning author Elizabeth Shreeve, who writes children’s books that celebrate the history and diversity of life on Earth.

 

Dinosaurs to Dragons: Engaging Middle Grade Readers with Science

 Tuesday, November 10, 2026

7:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. MT, 4:00 p.m. PT

What if we lived in a world with fire-breathing dragons? Or enigmatic, alluring mermaids? How about rainbow-nibbling unicorns?

Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures is a new book for young readers (ages 8+) from Simon & Schuster. It explores how fossils and unusual wildlife may have inspired legendary monsters across ancient cultures.

The book’s brows-able format blends short fictional narratives with historical lore and analytical science sections. With a rich array of photographs and original art by Violeta Encarnación, it’s a visual delight!

Violeta Encarnación

How does such a book take shape—and what role can it play in engaging middle school students with science exploration? Author Elizabeth Shreeve invites participants on a journey of discovery, from inspiration through years of research, rejections, and revision. She will show how to leverage the book’s high-interest topics, including a walk through the free, multi-subject Teacher Guide produced by Generation Skeptics. She will share the hazards of diving into image research (beware the enticing collections of the British Museum!) and the experiences of bringing the award-winning book and related Teacher Guide to schools and libraries around the country.

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Presenter

Elizabeth Shreeve & Hector

Award-winning author Elizabeth Shreeve writes children’s books that celebrate the history and diversity of life on Earth. Elizabeth earned degrees in geology and landscape architecture at Harvard University and went on to a career in urban planning. She now writes full-time, aiming for books that bring unusual and inspiring topics to young readers. When not visiting schools or researching a new project, Elizabeth lives in northern California with her family, including Hector the PaleoDog. 

Her new title, Dinosaurs to Dragons: The Lore and Science of Mythical Creatures (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2026) explores how fossils and unusual wildlife may have inspired fantastical beings. Upcoming books include Germ Wars: When Diseases Ruled and Science Fought Back (Zest/Lerner, Fall 2027). Visit her at https://elizabethshreeve.com.

 

Elizabeth also does school visits around the country. Here she is working with some of the students at Burley School in Chicago. For school author visits, please contact Elizabeth at shreevebooks@gmail.com.

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The presentation will be recorded and placed on the NMLSTA website https://nmlsta.wildapricot.org/ where it will be available for members.

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2026-2027 Webinar Schedule

September 

Bertha Vazquez: The Survival Curve: A 220-Year Story of Scientific Wonder

October 5, 2026

Kathy Biernat: Connecting Big Ideas: Phenomenon-Based Learning with Hands-on Models 

 November 10, 2026

Elizabeth Shreeve: DINOSAURS TO DRAGONS: Bringing Myths to life!

  

December 1, 2026

DeeDee Okamoto: Not Your Average Slinky Demo

 January 12, 2027

Katy Garvey, Kevin Bower, Jesse Nolan: MySciLife

 February

Nicole Sjoblom: Enhancing Middle School Science with Free interactive Lab Simulations by LabXchange

March 17 - 20, 2027

NSTA National Conference

Boston, MA 

April 20, 2027

Melinda  Campbell: Shifting Mindsets and Practices: Navigating the Challenges of Grade Reform

The presentations will be recorded and placed on the NMLSTA website where it will be available for members.

To access the recordings of previous webinars, click on the "Members-Only" link  in the header strip.