The Young Adventurer's Guide to (Almost) Everything: Build a Fort, Camp Like a Champ, Poop in the Woods-45 Action-Packed Outdoor Activities

by Ben Hewitt, Luke Boushee (Illustrator)

45 step-by-step, illustrated activities that teach kids everything from how to see like an owl to build the world's coolest fort from sticks. (ages 8-12)Calling all adventurers! Want to know how to build a fort from nothing but sticks? Or find your way through the forest? This survival guide is your ticket to getting down and dirty in nature and learning to make the coolest things with your own two hands.   Look inside to learn how    • Use a knife without bleeding    • Sleep in the woods without freezing    • Escape a bear without getting eaten    • Poop in the woods without falling down    • Find your way home without a GPS    • Eat bugs without throwing up    • And so much more!

Genres: Nonfiction

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2020

About the author

Ben Hewitt writes and farms in Northern Vermont. His work has appeared in numerous national periodicals, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Gourmet, Discover, Skiing, Eating Well, Powder, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Bicycling, and many others. He lives with his wife and two sons in a self-built home that is powered by a windmill and solar photovoltaic panels. To help offset his renewable energy footprint, Ben drives a really big truck.


His book The Town That Food Saved, published by Rodale, tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system. Ben is currently working on a book about food safety, to be published by Rodale in 2011.

Reviews

[RachelVogus · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It is very hard for me to rate this book. On the one hand, I think its content, organization, and tone are stellar. The authors immediately drew me in with their exciting first chapter on how to select the right knife for outdoor adventures, their chapter on edible bugs, and their instructions on how to poop in the woods. Their humorous take on all things outdoors shines throughout the book. I also appreciated their acknowledgment of and respect towards indigenous traditions.

At the same time, there were several parts where illustrations or sidebars were references that were not actually present in the book. Frustrating! In addition, I began this book excited to tap into my wild side 😀 through learning about camping and trekking but by the end I felt very intimidated. Could I actually do many of the things suggested in the book? I did not feel confident I could.

However, I did take away many things from the book and I think that if one were already a fairly adept camper (with modern conveniences), this book might give you plenty of exiting ideas for future trips.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book filled with lots decent information (if a little basic) and some really cool projects to try on your next camping trip (or in the backyard). I wish it had more pictures, and I'm still not sure why the 'avoid cultural appropriation' rant in the introduction was necessary as nothing that was discussed even came remotely close to reaching that point. I am nonetheless considering buying a household copy (borrowed it from the library).

[Cadie Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son will love this book when he is older. I loved the humor in it.