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Living on a River

From the March 9, 2008 Pigeon Post essay of the same name.
Being an ever more urban concentrated population, fewer and fewer kids have the opportunity to wade about in a river, scrabble around embankments, and to mess around with boats (per Rat of in Wind in the Willows - "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."). While this is regrettable, there are still plenty of books that can introduce your children to the wilds, wonders and charm of a river.
What books do you recommend?

This book list is divided into three sections:
(1) Picture Books
(2) Books for Independent Readers
(3) Books for Young Adults

The list begins below with Picture Books, but you can use one of the following links to skip directly to either of the other two sections.
Go to books for Independent Readers
Go to books for Young Adults


Picture Books

Canyon by Eileen Cameron and illustrated by Michael Collier Suggested
Scuffy the Tugboat by Gerturde Crampton and illustrated by Gergely Tibor Recommended
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese Highly Recommended
Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky Highly Recommended
The Raft by Lim LaMarche Recommended
Where the River Begins by Thomas Locker Recommended
Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Max Ginsburg Recommended


Independent Readers

The River at Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston and illustrated by Peter Boston Highly Recommended
River Boy by Tim Bowler Recommended
Trouble River by Betsy Byars Suggested
A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully Suggested
A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer Suggested
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and illustrated by Michael Hague Highly Recommended
Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling Suggested
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm Recommended
Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Highly Recommended
Call of the Wild by Jack London Highly Recommended
The River by Gary Paulsen Recommended


Young Adult

The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Highly Recommended
Rising Tide The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by Deborah Kent Highly Recommended
The Blue Nile by Alan Moorehead Recommended
The White Nile by Alan Moorehead Recommended
The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough Suggested
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and illustrated by Steven Kellogg Highly Recommended
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and illustrated by Barry Moser Highly Recommended

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