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In the 30‘s two botanists took an excursion through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado in wooden boats to collect samples of plants. They were the first to try to chart the botanical ecology of this unusual area, where desert meets water and extreme weather makes the cliff faces constantly change.

The author included so much history of the times, and the societal misogyny that meant most press attention focused on their gender instead of science.

I reread BRIGHTY OF THE GRAND CANYON yesterday, and I‘m rather amazed at how dark it is. It starts with Brighty‘s human BFF‘s murder and follows the wee burro through several more years in which he experiences frequent abuse from humans.

There are bright spots too, though. It felt very Buddhist to me, actually, in how it mixes Brighty‘s joyful moments with the violent suffering he endures when people try to tame him. Huh.

Today‘s little reread haul from the local bookstore where I‘ve still got a bunch of credit. The owner told me she almost sent BRIGHTY OF THE GRAND CANYON home with the person who brought it in, but she figured someone, somewhere, would want a very old book about a donkey. I read it when I was very small AND I had the Breyer model of Brighty. I‘m happy I can revisit it.

#middlegrademonday
#karisimo

DOWNRIVER by Will Hobbs: “an action-packed story of a wilderness trip which leads a group of teenagers to learn about nature, survival, and themselves.“

It's about a group of troubled teens rafting down the Colorado River and camping at spots as they continue their journey. My students loved this book, even more so because we lived in AZ! 🏞️

This is one of those books that ruins the dreams and silly ideas you have in your head regarding if you had made different choices in life. Specifically, it shows the many ways in which being a park ranger is frustrating and at times even traumatic. The book started off as a series of stories conveying how hard the ranger life is. As it progressed, it focused more on the lives of two specific rangers with results both tragic and touching. 4/5

“Grand Canyon“ by Jason Chin is a visually stunning picture book that delves into the geological wonders of the Grand Canyon. Through captivating illustrations, it takes readers on a journey through time, exploring the canyon's diverse landscapes and the powerful forces that shaped it. This engaging book provides a concise and informative glimpse into the natural history of this iconic landmark.

This book would be great to read with students in first all the way up to adulthood. It could be used in science or social studies class and you could read specific pages to match a specific topic. You could read the book and have students research the different landscapes of the Grand Canyon or have students research another national park.

The book is a beautiful non-fiction book that describes every detail, stage, and fact about the Grand Canyon in an interesting and engaging way. I think this book would be good to use from first grade through adulthood. It gives facts in a child-friendly, story-like fashion that is not too over bearing for young readers. The illustrations feel like you are actually there and help bring the words to life.