Synopses & Reviews
American author and naturalist Henry David Thoreau is best known for living two years along the shores of Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, and writing about his experiences in
Walden; or, Life in the Woods, as well as 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 American thinker. In addition to learning about Thoreau’s contributions to our culture, 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 that offer even more opportunities to connect with this fascinating man.
Review
"Meticulously researched, brimming with energy and wit, it admirably fills an omission that previous biographies have been content to skip over." —Jerry Dennis, author, The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas
Review
"In her superbly written and researched book, she takes us to the places where Thoreau went and describes them, then and now. In addition, she enriches each segment of their trip with her own 'Thoreauvian adventure,' which reveals fascinating connections with Thoreau and others, from Frank Lloyd Wright in Wisconsin to lilacs on Michigans Mackinac Island." —J. Parker Huber, author, The Wildest Country: Exploring Thoreau's Maine
Review
"Corinne H. Smith has woven a complex tapestry of history, biography, and acute observation that would delight the sage of Walden Pond." —David K. Leff, author, Deep Travel: In Thoreau's Wake on the Concord and Merrimack
Review
"Smith succeeds, via enthusiasm and meticulous research, in bringing to life an underreported aspect of Thoreau's life, one that may inspire future studies." —Midwest Book Review (February 2013)
Review
"Smith here presents a beautifully detailed account of their trip. . . . The story of Thoreau's last journey is a fascinating one that is still very much worth the read. Highly recommended for all Thoreau buffs, Thoreau collections, and travel memoir enthusiasts." —Library Journal Xpress Reviews (February 2013)
Synopsis
Henry David Thoreau boasted in Walden that he had "travelled a good deal in Concord," his Massachusetts hometown. In reality, his lectures, surveying work, and natural explorations led him to select areas throughout New England, the American Northeast, and the Canadian East (Quebec). His recurring travels to the Maine Woods and Cape Cod were well documented and have been followed by "Thoreauvians" for decades. Not so, however, his 1861 "Journey West" with Horace Mann, Jr., which took the duo from Massachusetts to Minnesota and back. The details of this last, longest, and least-known of Thoreau's excursions were left veiled in mystery...until now. This is the story of two 19th-century men and a 21st-century woman who was determined to follow their 4,000-mile path.
Synopsis
"A Flaneur/Peripatetic Production"--T.p. verso.
Synopsis
While Henry David Thoreaus travels to the Maine Woods and Cape Cod were well documented and have been followed by “Thoreauvians” for decades, his 1861 “journey west” with Horace Mann, Jr.—which took the duo from Massachusetts to Minnesota and back—was left to be veiled in mystery. This book details this, the last, longest, and least-known of Thoreaus excursions. The story of two 19th-century men and the 21st-century woman who was determined to follow their 4,000-mile path, this account will intrigue history buffs as they follow in the footsteps of a popular American writer and naturalist.
About the Author
Corinne Hosfeld Smith is a librarian with more than 30 years of experience who serves on the staff of the Mondor-Eagen Library at Anna Maria College. She lives in Athol, Massachusetts. Laura Dassow Walls is the William P. and Hazel B. White Professor of English at the University of Notre Dame. She is the author of Emerson's Life in Science, The Passage to Cosmos, and Seeing New Worlds and the coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of Transcendentalism.