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If you could only get one nature study book…
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Which one would it be and why?
Looking at all of the wonderful options, and of course I want them ALL, but we are cracking down on our budget so that just can’t happen (not to mention I am sure I would just overwhelm myself with all the information and options). I do have Pocketful of Pinecones already which has me excited to make a focused effort on nature, especially now that the summer heat is easing up a little.
I love Anna Comstock’s Handbook of Nature Study because it has really great observation questions. When I bought my copy years ago, I read it cover to cover in one weekend.
Are you wanting a book that will help you with the identifying of nature that you see or a book that will encourage you to go out and do nature study? Handbook of Nature Study is excellent for learning about nature around you and being able to identify it and such. Keeping a Nature Journal by Clare Walker Leslie is a nice motivational resource that makes nature study seem doable, less intimidating.
Well I would put these on must have list, not necessarily the only one book. It is a series of 4 Eco journals for the 4 seasons.by Toni Albert. Website is http://www.tricklecreekbooks.com I believe the grade range is 3 rd on up.
Kk
Handbook of Nature Study is definitely the book you want. It is a resource to use for years to come. If you can not afford purchasing the paperback, you can download it as an ebook for free here:
https://archive.org/details/handbookofnature002506mbp
however it’s not as handy to use in this format.
http://www.yesterdaysclassics.com
has two sets of collections that you can purchase for an incredible price if you are interested. The first collection gives you 225 ebooks in either Kindle or epub format for $49.95. It has great titles and has books for nature studies and also some books that AO uses as well as the SCM modules. The other collection gives you 106 ebooks for the same price. The second collection has the Handbook of Nature Study subjects divided as separate books for ease of use. The nice thing about these books is that yesterdaysclassics.com has formatted the ebooks in a way that when you click on the table of contents, it takes you to the desired chapter/page. Most of the time, the free ebooks downloaded from archives are not formatted to use the table of contents, so you have to flip through every page until you reach the desired destination. So, with that said, if you have the money for these collections, it may be an incredible resource for those who are on a tight budget. If you do not have a kindle or ereader, you can still read them on a computer or print the chapter that you want. Hope that helps!
Newer print editions of the Handbook of Nature Study don’t include the chapter on Earth and Sky. I bought a 1947 edition that did include that chapter (check the number of pages before you buy it!). Also consider the print quality as there are lots of photographs, and it is hard to see the pictures in the photocopied later editions. There are lots of comments about this in the Amazon.com reviews.
Check bookfinder.com for various sources to buy new or used copies, and good prices on older editions.
karivaz – what is the difference in page numbers so I know what to look for? Why is Earth and Sky not included I wonder?
I can’t decide between an info guide or a lesson guide. I think I will start with the Handbook of Nature Study since that seems to be the popular vote and go from there! I do want the print version though. I have a Kindle that I use occasionally, but not if I have a paper option available. Thank you all!
My kids and I have gotten a lot of use, and fun, out of simple, but quality, nature guides. I have purchased them all used for just a few dollars each.
The pictutes and info are great and the kids love that they can find things on their own often. We have birds, plants, trees, insects. The nice thing is that they can be regional, so they can find out things about plants and animals in our back yard.
So not a single book, but it is another option. They have really encouraged nature study because the kids enjoy the books too
Renee,
The sections are as follows in my book:
1. Teaching of Nature Study (pages 1-26)
2. Animals (pages 27-452)
3. Plants (pages 453-735)
4. Earth and Sky (pages 736-859)
Bibliography (till the end on page 937)
I can’t imagine why the publisher took the fourth chapter out in some editions! Is anyone else on this list missing Earth and Sky, and in what edition?
I only heard that when I read the amazon reviews, so I was careful to buy the version with 937 pages. Someone else on amazon complained that a suggested reading list was not included as well, but that might be immaterial because there has been so much published since then!
In recent editions, there are other complaints about the print quality. As the photos are all in black-and-white, a photocopy may not do justice to what Comstock was trying to show. But lots of people don’t seem to mind and use their book everywhere anyway.
I am perfectly happy with my 24th edition–the pictures are clear and not photocopied, it has more info and ideas than I can ever hope to use, and it was a good buy where I found it on bookfinder.com ($19.00).
I hope you enjoy yours when you get it!
Kari
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