Benjamin in the Forest: Eighty Chattahoochee Tales

by Phil Miller

A boy and his grandpa have conversations to learn about trees, birds, and bugs in an Appalachian forest. Written at a fifth-grade reading level, each story fits on two facing pages and contains one or more photographic illustrations.

178 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Phil Miller is the author of From the Lives We Knew, a novel-length collection of tales told by refugees from the West Bank of Palestine, Kosovo, and Iraq, all with connections to one American couple.
A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Phil studied at Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University. His occupations have included pastoral ministry, military chaplaincy, massage therapy, and nonprofit administration. He retired from the Air Force in 2010 with the rank of colonel.
His first book, Benjamin in the Forest: 80 Chattahoochee Tales, features conversations between a young boy and his Grandpa about trees, birds, and bugs in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The stories in that book previously appeared on his blog, Berry Thorns.
Phil is the husband of Paula, father of Hope and Emily, and grandfather of Sterling and Julian. He left Notth Georgia’s mountains and has settled in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he kayaks on Lake Jeanette and plays pickleball.

Reviews

[Richard Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice, quiet book featuring 80 short stories with a small boy named Benjamin and his all-knowing, nature loving Grandfather. You can read a little bit, put the book down, and come back to it later without having to remember specific details, because all the short stories are only 2 pages long ! As told by Philip Miller, ardent nature observer (as well as former Eagle Scout), it's easy to sit back and relax as Benjamin and his Grandfather go over the details of nature in Georgia, focusing on the topics of Birds, trees, and bugs, but especially birds ! Two Thumbs up