The book Salmon Forest by David Suzuki and Sarah Ellis is an informational text about the salmon life cycle. The main character, Kate, learns about the dependency of the forest ecosystem through observing salmon returning to the river to spawn.
I like this book because it would be relatable to many of the students in the area in which I teach because I’m sure many of them have been out in the woods and have probably even been salmon fishing.
I would use this book to teach about the forest ecosystem and salmon life cycle but would also tie it into a unit on Oregon’s natural resources because one of those natural resources is salmon. ( )

This is a book about salmon that follows the narrative of a girl named Kate, who follows her fish-biologist father to the river where he works; a place he calls the Salmon forest. Together, they watch the salmon return to spawn, see a bear scoop salmon up to eat, and meet a Native boy and his family fishing nearby. This book teaches about the salmon, the environment and community around it, and how dependent things are upon salmon. I would use this book at the beginning of a lesson as an anticipatory set to stimulate schema through the narrative.

A fish biologist takes his daughter to the "salmon forest," a river in the west coast rain forest where he works. Students will enjoy learning about salmon in this interesting story with beautiful imagery that integrates well with life cycle science.

Recommended for ages 7-10. ( )

Enjoyed how the story details the true circular nature of life that exists with fish and other wildlife in a fictional format. In this way, children can learn detailed information about salmon spawning and life cycle in an enjoyable format. Particularly liked that the end of the book provided a salmon recipe for students to try.