Stellaluna author Janell Cannon was born in 1957.

Stellaluna, the story of a baby bat that learns to live with birds, is a must-read on any booklist when students begin a study of bats. It also makes for a great read-aloud in celebration of Janell Cannon's birthday.

After reading Stellaluna, lead a discussion with your students about the themes in the story. Ask them to talk about the differences between Stellaluna and the birds, and how those differences influenced the way the animals interacted with each other. Use the story as an introduction to a unit on bats or as a lead-in to a creative writing activity. A nice follow-up to a read-aloud, for example, would be to have students write their own sequels to Stellaluna. This can be done using the Stapleless Book, either independently or with a partner. To learn more about making a Stapleless Book, watch the video on how to fold a Stapleless Book.

• The Adventures of Echo the Bat
  

  This NASA site provides students with a multimedia learning experience on bats. Students read a fiction story that contains a good deal of factual information about bats and also teaches about remote-sensing technology.

• Stellaluna's Friends
  

  Students in grades K-3 researched bats in their communities and engaged in creative-writing activities. Their work can be used as a model for your students to follow.

• Creature Feature: Vampire Bats
  

  This National Geographic Kids resource includes facts about vampire bats, audio and video clips, and a map showing the range of vampire bats.

• Bat Conservation International
  

  This site offers articles about issues related to bat conservation, as well as plans for bat houses, a photo gallery, and more. The Kidz Cave section offers a trivia quiz, crossword puzzles, and other activities related to bats.