Did you know/remember that July is National Park and Recreation Month? “Since 1985, people in the United States have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. This year’s theme — “Where You Belong” —celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.” (NRPA)
The grandeur of nature is so good for all of us to behold and experience. The following books take you there, with classic and acclaimed stories, histories, memoirs, and travelogues set in our National Parks for all ages.
Celebrate the beauty, history, and cultural importance of America’s 63 national parks.
Revised and updated, and featuring the newest national park, New River Gorge, USA National Parks: Lands of Wonder is a celebration of these magnificent spaces. Between its pages you’ll discover beautiful photography and inspiring ideas – perfect for planning your next adventure, whether you want to be alone amid the vast and haunting wilderness of Alaska’s Denali Park or get up close to the teeming tropical wildlife of Florida’s Everglades. All 63 national parks are covered in order of designation, showcasing what makes each one unique, with the help of maps, facts and figures, things to do, and when and where to experience it at its best.
The best-selling author of The River returns with a vibrant, lyrical novel about an enforcement ranger in Yellowstone National Park who likes wolves better than most people. When a clandestine range war threatens his closest friend, he must shake off his own losses and act swiftly to discover the truth and stay alive. Populated by a cast of extraordinary characters—famous scientists, tattooed bartenders, wildlife guides in slick Airstreams—and bursting with unexpected humor and grace, Peter Heller masterfully unveils a portrait of the American west where our very human impulses—for greed, love, family, and community—play out amidst the stunning beauty of the natural world.
AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER
Banning Lyon was an average 15-year-old, living in Dallas, TX, but in January 1987 his life quickly changed after a school guidance counselor falsely believed he was suicidal after giving away his skateboard. Days later he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and what he was told would be a two-week stay turned into 353 days that would change his life forever.
After years of highs and lows that include being adopted by his attorney and mentor, falling in love and grieving the death of his fiancée, and being sued by the same doctors who mistreated him, Banning decides to take control of his life and finds hope in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park, where he discovers new purpose in being a backpacking guide. Through friendship, nature, and eventually giving therapy another chance, Banning summons the courage to keep moving forward.
From CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Conor Knighton shares informative and entertaining dispatches from what turned out to be the road trip of a lifetime. Whether he’s waking up early for a naked scrub in a historic bathhouse in Arkansas or staying up late to stargaze along our loneliest highway in Nevada, Knighton weaves together the type of stories you’re not likely to find in any guidebook. Through his unique lens, America the Beautiful becomes America the Captivating, the Hilarious, and the Inspiring.
My First Summer in the Sierra, whose heart is the diary Muir kept while tending sheep in Yosemite country, enticed thousands of Americans to visit this magical place, and resounds with Muir’s regard for the “divine, enduring, unwasteable wealth” of the natural world.
Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, Subpar Parks features both the greatest hits and brand-new content, all celebrating the incredible beauty and variety of America’s national parks juxtaposed with the clueless and hilarious one-star reviews posted by visitors.
FOR YOUNGER READERS
Stretching across a rocky plateau in America, carved deep into the rocks by the rushing Colorado River, lies the Grand Canyon. Its bands of rock tell us about millions of years of our planet’s history and the indigenous Hopi, Havasupai, and Navajo tribes amongst others that have ties to the land. Today at least five million people visit Grand Canyon National Park every year. This stunning illustrated guide is packed with incredible facts about this natural wonders’ wildlife, people, geography, and history. The Grand Canyon has captured humankind’s imagination since the Ice Age. Now it is your turn to explore!
How did the Joshua Tree National Park in California come to be? in this STEAM picture book, meet Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, an artist, activist, and environmentalist, whose determination saved the desert and helped to create the park.
From the volcanos of Haleakalā National Park in Hawai’i to waterfalls of Yosemite to the churning ocean at Acadia National Park in Maine, I Am Made of Mountains takes readers on a tour to honor America’s great outdoors. Sixteen parks are highlighted, and the story follows a different child visiting each park and exploring the natural wonders of each location. The lyrical text paired with the expansive illustrations is an ode to the outdoors that will inspire nature lovers and National Park visitors of all ages.
For more information on these and related titles visit: National Park and Recreation Month
Penguin Random House
