• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

Bioluminescent animals make their own light to survive.

A firefly lights up the night sky, a foxfire mushroom sets the forest floor aglow and sea butterflies shine like beacons deep in the ocean. These glowing species are one of the most spectacular wonders of the natural world, and they are found on land, in the air and in the depths of the ocean.

In Living Light, discover how and why bioluminescent creatures glow, and what that special ability can tell scientists about how diseases such as cancer and malaria spread in humans. These light makers are facing threats from the effects of climate change, pollution and loss of habitat, and they need our protection. Young readers will learn how they can shine a light on bioluminescent species and use citizen science to conserve their habitats and keep these creatures glowing into the future.

Stephen Aitken is a biologist, artist and author. Despite an early brush with nyctophobia (fear of the dark), he became fascinated with bioluminescence while researching a book he wrote on the dangers of light pollution. He has written and illustrated many picture books, chapter books and close to a dozen nonfiction books for middle-grade readers, and he is the author of Saving the Night and Listen Up! in the Orca Footprints series. Stephen is the cofounder and executive secretary of Biodiversity Conservancy International and is the editorial director of the science journal Biodiversity.

Stephen Aitken's profile page