Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children

by Tom Brown Jr.

No matter what type of outdoor experiences are planned--day-trips to local parks or long wilderness treks--Tom Brown can help children and adults fully appreciate the boundless beauty of our most precious natural resources.

From Library Journal
Prolific author, operator of a popular wilderness survival school (in New Jersey's Pine Barrens), "The Tracker" Brown believes that society and school have dulled our sense of the interconnectedness in all nature. His "field guide" stresses awareness, tracking, survival, and a philosophy derived from an Apache elder, and he hopes parents will teach their children these values and skills. The first half of this seventh in a series discusses careful observing in nature; the second, aimed at children aged 4-11, presents survival skills for shelter, water, fire, and food. There are specific suggestions for games to teach these concepts, but the bulk of the text urges teachers (parents) to value the nature ethic. For public libraries, city or country.
- Roland Person, Southern Illinois Univ. at Carbondale Lib.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Genres: Nature, Childrens, Survival, Nonfiction, Science, Outdoors, How To

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Tom Brown Jr. was an American naturalist, tracker, survivalist, and author from New Jersey, where he ran the Tom Brown Jr. Tracker School.
In his books, Brown wrote that, from the age of seven, he and his childhood friend Rick were trained in tracking and wilderness survival by Rick's grandfather, "Stalking Wolf" (whom Brown stated was Lipan Apache). Brown wrote that Stalking Wolf died when Brown was 17, and that Rick was killed in an accident in Europe shortly thereafter.
Brown spent the next ten years working odd jobs to support his wilderness adventures. He then set out to find other people in New Jersey who were interested in his experiences. Initially Brown met with little success, but was eventually called on to help locate a crime suspect. Though the case won him national attention, he and authorities in the Ramsey, N.J. area were subsequently sued for 5 million dollars for charging the wrong person. Despite this controversy, he was able to build on this exposure to develop a profession as a full-time tracker, advertising his services for locating lost persons, dangerous animals, and fugitives from the law. According to People magazine, "He stalks men and animals, mostly in New Jersey."

Reviews

[Kate Seader · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are looking for a simple How To guide then this is not the book for you. Weaving together a philosophy of our connection with nature and how we can survive as a part of it, this book emphasizes the need for basic skills and practices to be part of our everyday. From awareness and fox walking, to debris shelters and primitive fires, this is a guide that is meant to be the beginning of a skill set not the solution.

[Jamie Goss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mostly enjoyed it. It wasn’t terribly helpful for me because (a) most of it doesn’t apply to those of us living in the desert; and (b) I don’t have much nature/survival knowledge myself. But it was a worthy read to at least get me interested and start on a path to teaching my kids (and myself) more about nature survival skills.

[Belle Meade School]

608

[Df3photo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to help teach children to appreciate the earth and what's around them.

[George Gragg]

So far it is well laid out.

[Aijun Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book - best ive come across in a long time-
He talks about how to not let your kid become a robot-
helps teach kids- senses- awareness- tracking- LOSTPROOFING!
and basic skills like building a shelter- fire ....

excellent book!
i want to send my kid to his school!!!!

[Michele Sorensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used these practices to teach my own children, and now my grandchildren. Tom Brown is a master. Can't forget when I hike to have "no deadline, no destination," for maximum enjoyment!