Books That Made a Naturalist

How these books from my childhood and high school education influenced my current interest in the natural world.

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As I prepare to leave home for college this fall, I’ve been looking back a lot at my childhood and education, remembering the struggles, joys, and triumphs of it all. Something I’m thinking about specifically is the struggles I have faced with reading. I was never a big reader growing up, and I’m still not one today. I had extreme challenges when first learning to read, and it has always been hard for me to focus on a book for very long. My parents and I believe I have dyslexia, and even though I have overcome many obstacles when it comes to reading, I still don’t find myself sitting for hours pouring over a good book. And yet, as I look back at my life so far, I realize that books have been an important force in developing my memories, relationships, and interests.

In this post, I will be highlighting and discussing a few books that inspired my passion for nature and my aspiration to become a naturalist. Growing up with these books was a wonderful opportunity that I appreciate more every day.

"I held my breath and he came nearer. He came so near I could have touched him. But I didn't move and I didn't speak. And Fawn came up and licked me on the cheek." ---Play With Me

Play With Me is a lovely picture book by Marie Hall Ets that tells the story of a young girl who learns to make friends with wild creatures. At first, she tries to catch them in order to play with them, but every single creature runs away, leaving her all alone. As she sits silently by the pond, alone and sad, she starts to notice that all the creatures slowly return to sit beside her. A fawn even comes up and licks the girl on the cheek! She realizes that because she was silent and still, the creatures weren’t afraid of her anymore. I remember that every time my mom would read this book to me, I would go outside and sit as still and quiet as I could. Sure, I never lasted long enough to have a fawn kiss me on the cheek, but I learned the valuable role of patients and silence in observing my surroundings. To this day, I think fondly of this book when I sit in a natural area.

"I pulled the stub of a crayon from my pocket, and drew the fawn, in all its wildness, onto the old gray boards of the raft. When I had finished,I knew it was just right." ---The Raft

The Raft by Jim LaMarche is an enchanting story book about a boy who is sent to his grandmothers house by the river for the summer. At first, he’s not at all happy to be there. One day he finds a raft all marked up with sketches of bears, deer, raccoons, otters, birds and other wildlife. From that moment on he never stops discovering new things. On his last day of summer with his grandmother, the boy adds his own sketch to the raft: a sketch of a sweet fawn that he had rescued earlier that day. This book inspired me again and again as I read it over and over. I re-drew each of my favorite pages, and was inspired to find other things to sketch in my own yard and neighborhood. This book and its gorgeous illustrations not only inspired me to continue improving my drawing skills, but also to begin drawing animals and plants. The Raft remains a huge inspiration to me as I nature journal and it makes me want to become a “river rat,” just like the grandmother in the story.

"Like a man who needs his glasses to find his glasses, we seemed to need the end to achieve the end----we needed to understand the desert to appreciate the desert." ---Wondering Through Winter

Wondering Through Winter by Edwin Way Teale is such a cozy book. In it, Teale writes in beautiful detail about his travels with his wife around the United States during winter. It's like a travel blog, in book form. The way he describes landscapes and storms and sounds and sights transported me to a different place. I could feel the crisp air and smell the campfire smoke in the distance. Sprinkled between his narrative are pieces of information and explanation of a certain natural history topic, making his books both entertaining and educational. Because of Teales graceful, informative style, I was inspired to start writing more about my experiences in nature. His books were actually my main inspiration to start writing a nature-related blog. Wondering Through Winter is just one of a four part series, one book for each season of the year, and Teale has written several more besides. I’m hoping to read through the whole series one day.

"Outstanding leadership made possible the triumph over the Rocky Mountains. Lewis and Clark had welded the Corps of Discovery into a tough, superbly disciplined family. They had built unquestioning trust in themselves, and knew the strengths and skills of each of their men intimately." ---Undaunted Courage

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose is a history book about the great adventure of Lewis and Clark. The book explores Lewis’ very own journal that he wrote during the journey and expands on it, explaining historical context and scientific discoveries. Although the books main focus is on Lewis’ interaction with the Native Americans that he and his corps encountered, it also explains the processes Lewis followed to scientifically observe and record his surroundings. Ever since I began reading this book, I have wanted to join Lewis and Clark on their journey into previously unrecorded land. Their endurance and courage have inspired the adventurer in me to seek out new discoveries and their adventure encouraged me to pursue studies in the natural sciences. I dream of one day standing over great wildernesses that few have seen before me, like Lewis did many times during his life.

"So many of the little wonders of the everyday world---which can be truly spectacular---go unobserved most of the time because we haven't been trained how to see them." ---For the Love of Physics

For the Love of Physics by Walter Lewin is a beautiful look at the world through the lens of physics. Lewin explains concepts using entertaining anecdotes and a sense of child-like fun, yet dives into enough detail to give the reader a good understanding of the topic. This book made the scary world of science more accessible to me, showing me that physics isn’t just this “out there” science that is only used by rocket scientists. From this book, I gained a whole new tool-set with which to explore the world and encouragement to further pursue the sciences.

"See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you---you of little faith?" ---Matthew 6:28-30

The Holy Bible is ultimately the most influential book in my life. As a Christian, I try to turn to it every day in search of wisdom and guidance, and I treasure many pieces of it in my mind and heart. Learning about God, the Creator of the universe, has called me to wonder and worship in many areas of life, one of them being the earth and its incredible biodiversity. Learning about God and the way in which He created and cares for this world has compelled me to learn more about it. God created this masterpiece of a universe, and I believe we are each called to appreciate it and treasure it. Doing so has shown me more and more just how much God loves me, and I am grateful for the opportunity to observe pieces of creation everywhere I go.

Each of these books has influenced me in their own way, shaping my mind and interests into what they are today. But these are just a few of the many. It’s fascinating how books can so powerfully impact even someone who struggles to read. I learned lessons and have developed interests through reading each of these wonderful books. I encourage you to reflect of what books shaped you, and to recognize the power of knowledge in your life. I look back and am forever grateful for the opportunity I received in reading each of these books, whether short or long, simple or complex, and I look forward to reading and learning even more in college and beyond.