Book Nook - The ABCs of Oystering on the Chesapeake Bay

The ABCs of Oystering on the Chesapeake Bay is a fun and educational book that teaches kids and adults alike all about oysters using the alphabet. Each letter introduces a new word and idea, from how oysters grow and what they eat, to how people catch and use them. Readers learn that oysters help keep the Chesapeake Bay clean by filtering the water, and that they are an important part of the Bay's ecosystem. The book explains how oystermen and women collect oysters using boats, dredges, and tongs, and how oysters have been used by people for thousands of years. It also shares fun facts, like how oysters grow in underwater reefs, what a pea crab is, and why oysters are “eXtra” important to the environment! This A-to-Z guide is filled with simple facts, cool vocabulary, and other interesting information about oysters and the Bay. It’s perfect for young readers who want to learn more about nature, sea life, and how we can help protect our environment. This is the second book in the author and illustrator’s Life of a Waterman series, following the release of The ABCs of Crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay.

Susan Swift is an accomplished teacher and elementary librarian with a lifelong passion for children’s literature and a dream of writing books for kids. After graduating from the College of William and Mary, she relocated to the Northern Neck of Virginia to pursue her teaching career. Her son and her husband, a fourth-generation commercial waterman, inspired her to create her first and ongoing series, A Life of a Waterman. This series includes The ABCs of Oystering on the Chesapeake Bay, which follows her previous release, The ABCs of Crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay, published in 2024. Susan is dedicated to educating readers of all ages about commercial fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, while presenting each book in an interesting and fun ABC format. In her personal life, Susan is the proud mother of two grown children and a son-in-law, as well as a very spoiled yellow lab. She loves spending time with her family, reading, living on the Chesapeake Bay, and visiting the Outer Banks.