Jennifer Colby - Poison Ivy Makes Me Itch

Published in the United States of America by Cherry Lake Publishing
Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.cherrylakepublishing.com

Content Adviser: Elizabeth A. Glynn, Youth Education Coordinator, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and
Nichols Arboretum, University of Michigan
Reading Adviser: Marla Conn, ReadAbility, Inc

Photo Credits: dvande/Shutterstock Images, cover, 1; Praisaeng/Shutterstock Images, cover, 1, 15;
AntonionDiaz/Shutterstock Images, 5; Elliotte Rusty Harold/Shutterstock Images, cover, 1, 7;
carroteater/Shutterstock Images, 9; Alila Medical Media/Shutterstock Images, 11; wavebreakmedia/
Shutterstock Images, 13; Elena Elisseeva/Shutterstock Images, 17; NatalieJean/Shutterstock Images,
19; Golden Pixels LLC/Shutterstock Images, 21

Copyright 2016 by Cherry Lake Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means
without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Colby, Jennifer, 1971- author.
Poison ivy makes me itch / Jennifer Colby.
pages cm.(Tell me why)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-63362-615-7 (hardcover)ISBN 978-1-63362-795-6 (pdf)
ISBN 978-1-63362-705-5 (pbk.)ISBN 978-1-63362-885-4 (ebook)
1. Poison ivyJuvenile literature. I. Title. II. Series: Tell me why (Cherry Lake Publishing)
SB618.P6C65 2015
581.659dc23
ISBN-13 978-1-68444-528-8 (ebook) 2014049840

Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge the work of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Please visit www.p21.org for more information.

Printed in the United States of America
Corporate Graphics
Synchred Read-Along Version by:
Triangle Interactive LLC
PO Box 573
Prior Lake, MN 55372

Table of Contents

Playing in the Backyard

Evan and his best friend, Jake, were playing
softball in his backyard. Evan swung his bat and
missed. The ball rolled into the bushes.

I see it! Evan called. He reached his bare arm
through the branches and weeds to get the ball.
He tossed the ball back to Jake.

Evan and Jake dont know it yet. But they were
just exposed to poison ivy.

Poison ivy usually grows in natural areas. But it can also grow
in your own backyard.

Poison ivy grows throughout the United
States. It can grow as a shrub in the northern
states. It can grow as a vine in the East, Midwest,
and South. In the spring, it sprouts yellow-green
flowers. Sometimes it has green berries that turn
off-white in the early fall.

One thing stays the same. Poison ivy always
grows with three small leaflets on one stem.

LOOK!

Ask an adult to
help you find
photos of poison
ivy online.
Knowing what it
looks like helps
you to avoid it.

Poison ivy has three small green leaflets on one stem.
Remember this saying: Leaves of three, let it be.

The next morning, Evan woke up with red
bumps all over his arm. Mom! he cried. My
arm is really itchy.

Evans mom looked at his skin and frowned.
Oh honey! I think you have a rash from
poison ivy.

She made an appointment for him to see the
dermatologist .

ASK QUESTIONS!

Most people are
allergic to poison
ivy, which means
they will have an
unpleasant
physical reaction.
Ask your friends
and family if they
are allergic.

The itchy rash from poison ivy does not happen right away.
It starts to hours after touching the plant.

A Trip to the
Dermatologist

Thats a rash from poison ivy, the derm
atologist agreed. Like most people, youre
allergic to the oil of the plant.

All parts of a poison ivy plant contain an oil
called urushiol . When skin comes in contact
with the oil, a rash can develop.

You can get the rash from anything that comes
in contact with the oil. But without the oil, the
rash itself is not contagious .

Urushiol oil

Mild

Severe

Urushiol can cause your cells to release a compound.
This produces a rash.

There are three ways to get a rash from poison
ivy. Direct contact means touching the leaves,
stems, roots, flowers, or berries of the plant.
Indirect contact is if you touch anything that has
come in contact with the plant. Airborne
contact is what happens if you burn the plant,
which allows particles of urushiol to land on
your skin. Inhaling the smoke can seriously
damage your lungs.

Did you touch poison ivy? Or did you touch
shoes that walked through poison ivy? Either
way, you need to wash with soap and water as
soon as possible.

Be careful! You can come in contact with urushiol by petting a dog
that has walked in poison ivy.

Treating Poison Ivy

There are many ways to treat a rash from
poison ivy. Special lotions can help soothe the
skin. Applying a cool compress to itchy skin
can give you some relief.

Try to leave the blisters alone. Do not scratch
them, or they might break open.

Some people have a serious reaction or get