Bushcrafty story books for kids

[weekend_warrior]

I'm sure we've done this topc before - but I can't seem to find the thread anywhere.

I'm looking for books I can read/read with by 8 year old son - he's starting to get the bushcraft bug and I'd like to find a few bedtime fiction stories that have a bushcraft theme to them. Any ideas?

[woodwalker]

Try Robin Hood stories, I think the publisher "Ladybird" does them, or did them. Incidentally old editions of ladybird classics go for a lot on Ebay....

But Robin Hood is very good, good moral leader, although some of the tales are "darker" than others and perhaps more suited to older readers.

woodwalker

[g4ghb]

not bushcraft as such but I loved my copy of 'The Hardy Boys' Survival Handbook' when I were a lad!

Just tried to find it - and its seems out of print!

[Toadflax]

Try the Hatchet books by Gary Paulsen - a boy is stranded in the Canadian Wilderness and survives using his hatchet.

A very good read.


Geoff

[Wayland]

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver ( Wolf Brother, Spirit Walker and Soul Eater. ) http://www.torak.info

Modern writing with bags of bushcrafty stuff and a good story for kids.

I'm reading them myself at the moment.

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

The Adventure series books by Willard Price are very good. Great series that travel the earth.

Catweazle is another great kids book.

Phil.

[dommyracer]

Not fiction, and possibly not bushcraft per se, but I remember reading Thor Heyedral's Kon Tiki Expedition when I was about that age, proper adventure story!

[sam_acw]

I second the Willard Price books. Not too PC with African servants et al. but great reads.

[mace242]

Me too. Just finished the first and really enjoyed it - and I'm 36 Just about to go out and buy the second one.

[British Red]

You really out to try the "Dangerous Book for Boys" - not a story book but packed with great father son projects - a stonking read.

I believe Chris Ryan has done some kids fiction with a survival theme.

I liked "Swallows and Amazons" at that age - plenty of camping, sailing on Lakes etc.

I would heartily recommend Anne MacCaffreys "Black Horses" (Arthurian but lots of herb lore and outdoors stuff)

Red

[Toadflax]

And nobody seems to have mentioned Stig of the Dump yet. I've just looked out my copy from 1966.


Geoff

[weekend_warrior]

Thanks guys - some great recommendations there.

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

You really out to try the "Dangerous Book for Boys" - not a story book but packed with great father son projects - a stonking read.

I had this book bought for my son and I at Christmas by the in-laws, great book!!!

Glad to see Willard Price has been suggested by some others folk on here. I'm going to read them to Ben once I've completed all the Harry Potter books, think we're on the fourth so hopefully only a couple to go!!!!!

Oh BTW weekend-warrior how about The Hobbit not bushcrafty but it made a big impression on me at that age.

Phil.

[andyn]

Try the Hatchet books by Gary Paulsen - a boy is stranded in the Canadian Wilderness and survives using his hatchet.

A very good read.


Geoff

Echo that. Great books. Not just for kids either. Well maybe big ones

[Ahjno]

Have a look at these:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/sea...343&DoReWrite4

[SMOKOE]

My favourite was 'Brendon Chase' by 'BB' (Denys Watkins-Pitchford)
About three brothers who run off to live in the forrest like Robin Hood

Read it to my six year old last year and he enjoyed it

[weekend_warrior]

Oh BTW weekend-warrior how about The Hobbit not bushcrafty but it made a big impression on me at that age.

Phil.

Yep, we've done the Hobbit and a couple of the Alan Garner books (Moon of gomwrath and elidor). Robin Hood and alll the of the Arthurian stories

I think I'll try the hatchet and willard books though - they sound just right.

[C_Claycomb]

My Side of the Mountain; Talking Earth; To Hook a Fish and Catch a Mountain and Julie of the Wolves all by by Jean Craighead George. All are about young people, and have real bushcraft in them, not fictional stuff.

Another vote for the Arthur Ransom books, Swallows and Amazons etc.

Rosemary Sutcliffe wrote good stuff about the time of the Romans. Eagle of the Ninth and Frontier Wolves had very evocative descriptions of the wilds beyond Hadrians Wall.

I was into all the above at the age of 8 and 9.

[richardnhunt]

I liked "Swallows and Amazons" at that age - plenty of camping, sailing on Lakes etc.
Red

Oh i blame these for so much. If it hadn't been for the dream of sailing, camping and all the rest, I probably wouldn't be stuck now as a Sea Scout leader. Seriously though - superb books

Anyone know where you can get them on cd/mp3 - audible don't seem to have them

Rich

[weekend_warrior]

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver ( Wolf Brother, Spirit Walker and Soul Eater. ) http://www.torak.info

Modern writing with bags of bushcrafty stuff and a good story for kids.

I'm reading them myself at the moment.

Looks like the Guardian are putting the audiobook of Wolf Brother up as a downloadable MP3 In thirteen episodes, over the next thirteen weeks.

http://books.guardian.co.uk/wolfbrot...097767,00.html

[mace242]

Thanks loads. Downloaded first part already.

[Neanderthal]

I believe Chris Ryan has done some kids fiction with a survival theme.
Red

Alpha Force. I've got the first one and enjoyed reading it.

weekend_warrior PM me an address and I'll stick it in the post if you're interested.

Stu

[Huon]

Red's suggestion of the Swallows and Amazon stories is an excellent one - particularly for this country.

Another goodie is "Two Little Savages" by Ernest Thompson Seton: http://www.authorama.com/two-little-savages-1.html.

Some of the books by Ronald Welch are good and deal with frontier life.

Jack London is superb.


From memory R M Ballantyne is good. I liked Coral Island, Dog Crusoe and Condemned as a Nihilist in particular. Speaking of Crusoe, I think there may be another 'Crusoe' book worth a read.

I'll add more as they occur to me.

Cheers,

Huon

[Hardworms]

I loved Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as a boy. Not Exactly Bushcraft but lots of outdoor life and boyhood shenanigans! I also second anything by Jack London, Call of the Wild in particular but White Fang is excellent. His short stories were what made me fall in love with the outdoors. Some are superbly dark and funny.
Also, give Ernest Hemingway's short stories a try. The ones about Nick (can't remember any titles, sorry) are particularly good.

[African]

I recomend Rascal by Stirling North and A Story like the Wind by Lourens van der Post. The last a bit heavy going but good for adults!!

[pothunter]

Robinson Crusoe

[xylaria]

The bear scouts by jan berenstain, I still find it funny and so do my kids, the reading age is about KS1. The dad in it reminds me of my own dad .

[Mikey P]

My Side of the Mountain; Talking Earth; To Hook a Fish and Catch a Mountain and Julie of the Wolves all by by Jean Craighead George. All are about young people, and have real bushcraft in them, not fictional stuff.

Another vote for the Arthur Ransom books, Swallows and Amazons etc.

'My Side of the Mountain', most definitely. If this doesn't start the outdoor adventure urge, your kids are a lost cause.

Swallows and Amazons too - got me into sailing when I was a kid.

[Jodie]

Neither of these is about bushcraft but both have spirited female 'leads' and a taste for
adventure and I'd highly recommend them to anyone with daughters. I've no idea if boys
would enjoy them to be honest - the stories are good but they might be put off by the
titles, possibly?

She, The Adventuress by Dorothy Crayder
Set in the late 60s or early 70s Maggie is a young girl whose aunt pays for her to
travel from America to Italy by sea. She starts of terrified but - lo and behold! - she
finds her feet (and her sea legs) en route and learns to fend for herself.

Unfortunately it appears to be as rare as hens' teeth, but worth a read if you can
find it.

Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf by Catherine Storr
Written in the mid 50s it's the story of Polly who finds that the local wolf will stop at
nothing to try and eat her and her little sister. Both outsmart him on every occasion
and there are some delightful bits of dialogue. In one scene Polly is using cherry
stones to work out her future when the wolf comes along and asks about the
rhymes she's using. She tells him about the "Monday's child is full of grace" rhyme
and the wolf mentions that wolves have their own rhyme to tell them how children
should best be cooked, which is:

Monday's child is fairly tough,
Tuesday's child is tender enough,
Wednesday's child is good to fry,
Thursday's child is best in pie.
Friday's child makes good meat roll,
Saturday's child is casserole,
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day,
Is delicious when eaten any way.

[Yorkshire Boy]

The Hobbit

Call Of The Wild

White Fang

Stig

The Silver Sword

The Long Walk, My dad got for me from a 2nd hand bookshop.
It's a true story of a Polish guy,
and others, who escape a Soviet camp in Siberia and make it to India.
Harrowing though...

Shackleton.

Treasure Island

Gulliver's Travels

Earthsea Trilogy

The Black Couldran (spelling?) series, 7 books?

Bloke on the Island, with Man Friday?

Sorry can't remember any more at the mo......