Henry David Thoreau for Kids

Hands-on nature activities for the budding transcendentalist
 
Author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau is best known for living two years along the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. He is also known for spending a night in jail for nonpayment of taxes, which he discussed in the influential essay “Civil Disobedience.” More than 150 years later, people are still inspired by his thoughtful words about individual rights, social justice, and nature. His detailed plant observations have even proven to be a useful record for 21st-century botanists. Henry David Thoreau for Kids chronicles the short but influential life of this remarkable thinker. In addition to learning about Thoreau’s contributions to our culture, young readers will participate in engaging, hands-on projects that bring his ideas to life. Activities include building a model of the Walden cabin, keeping a daily journal, planting a garden, baking trail-bread cakes, going on a half-day hike, and starting a rock collection. The book also includes a time line and list of resources—books, websites, and places to visit—which offer even more opportunities to connect with this fascinating man.

“Well organized and with plenty of grist for both minds and hands.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Existential topics do not, at first glance, seem well suited to young readers, but [author Corinne] Smith, a tour guide at Thoreau Farm, in Concord, Massachusetts, manages to make them completely accessible though activities that honor Thoreau’s most basic tenets.” —Booklist

“[Author Corinne] Smith intricately explores the various roles that Henry David Thoreau assumed throughout his lifetime.” —School Library Journal

“The easy-to-read book targets readers of middle-school age.” —LNP

Corinne Hosfeld Smith is a licensed tour guide at the Thoreau Farm Birthplace in Concord, Massachusetts, and the author of Westward I Go Free: Tracing Thoreau’s Last Journey. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.