Product Description
From the author of the beloved classic The Great Kapok Tree, A River Ran Wild tells a story of restoration and renewal. Learn how the modern-day descendants of the Nashua Indians and European settlers were able to combat pollution and restore the beauty of the Nashua River in Massachusetts.
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Customer Reviews (6)

Picture book ecology for children
I once taught a multicultural course to high school students. After we had studied Native American culture for awhile, one girl asked, "Can you tell me one progressive thing the Indians did for this country?" I didn't have to answer--the class answered her question. "They taught us respect for Mother Earth."

Lynne Cherry does that in "A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History." This is the true story of a natural people who lived along the banks of the Nashua River in Massachusetts in the 1400s. They called it the Nash-a-way, or River with the Pebbled Bottom. They hunted only what they could eat and asked forgiveness of the animals they killed; they took only what they needed, living in the rhythm of forest and river life.

Lynne Cherry added a wonderful artistic design to every other page by squaring the text and placing in the loop items relevant to the story. For example, the page about Native Americans building a village and hunting what they needed, she draws utensils, arrowheads, baskets, vegetables--infusing the story with rich detail. On the opposite page is a full-color depiction, in this case, of village life.

When the trader comes, he brings knives, pots, kettles, cups, beads, and finally a trading post. The text about farms is surrounded by farm implements, livestock, inventions of the time--just like a flat-surfaced diorama. There is so much to look at, to study.

The Nashua was still healthy, but in the 1800s millers started damming it. The Industrial Revolution finally began spilling its sputum into the pure waters. By the 1960s the river was dead.

It took the instigation of Marion Stoddart, who started the Nashua River Cleanup Committee in 1962, to begin a grass-roots campaign to clean up the river. Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1965. Close to 500 youths worked five months to clear debris from the river and banks. By 1979 the river was clear again and wild animals had returned.

This was not a dream. Sometimes it takes only one person to set change into motion and an artist to visually record it.

The History of a River
This book iswonderfully illustrated.Lynne Cherry's style is to put a large picture on
each page surrounded by smaller pictures all relating to the subject.In this book the
subject is the course of a river over time and the effects of humanity on its health.
The side pictures relate to the people and their lifestyle at the time.The text gives
relatively simple explanations of what is occurring on the page.

Great Historical/ Environmental Read
Ages 10+
Follows the life of a river from Native American time through present and details the story of human destruction of a river and the human renewal of the resource. Definitely a read for grades 5+ due to the "urgency" of environmental destruction*we don't want to scare the kids to help them appreciate the resource*

This book is fantastic for third graders!
I used this book with my third grade class when they were studying theeffects of water pollution on a large body of water. They had alreadystudied Native Americans in second grade and this book just blended the twosubjects together.The step by step portrayal of man's harm to the NashuaRiver helped my children learn about how they were harming the ChesapeakeBay in Maryland.Lynne Cherry is a fantastic author and presents two greatsubjects that are highly interesting to children.Any teacher that teacheseitherNative Americans or water pollution should include this book intheir lessons!

This is one of the greatest books ever written.
This book was given to me at age 12. I am now 17 andit is still my favorite. I will never outgrow the beautifulpictures, or the very important lesson it teaches. Every page is expertly laid out, with exquisite paintings depicting the river and the era being discussed. The message of environmental conservation and protection is inspiring. Lynne Cherry makes this vital part of our existence understandable to young children, andeven adults, often the harder group to reach. I highly reccommend this book for anyone who wants their children to appreciate the worldaround them and learn that they can, and should, do their best tosave it. ... Read more

Product Description
As the seasons change, a river in Alaska reveals its remarkable biodiversity. A great web of life is presented--the river and its shores sustain an astonishing variety of plants and animals. The river is home: salmon fry and rainbow trout live in it, plankton drifts in its current. The river is food: bears and bald eagles catch salmon, big fish chase little fish, tree roots absorb the river water. This evocative nonfiction picture book follows a year in the life of this Alaskan river. The lyrical text and lush paintings introduce young readers to the sights and sounds of the river and its inhabitants and are rich in details certain to fascinate ecologists of all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

THIS PERFECT BOOK IS A SATISFYING EXPERIENCE!
The author and illustrator of this book are amazing.Together they create books of wonder.When you open the pages you feel right away like you are taking a journey into rural Alaska and meeting its river life in all its beauty for the first time (at least for most of us).Supposedly for children in grades 2-4, I would include younger, as well as older, children as well.As for adults, it's a real winner!

It starts in the winter, then comes spring.We meet the various trees and birds of the setting, and then go below the river's surface to encounter salmon fry eating plankton and tiny insects, even a harlequin duck diving underwater in search of caddisfly larvae and insects.The kingfisher flies above "with a beak that looks too long for his head."And there is a beautiful illustration of a rainbow trout, a salmonid also known as steelhead.It's pink and gray colors are lovely.

There is a moose sipping from the river when a playful trout slaps water into its face while a watchful child giggles from behind a tree.The illustrator, Jon Van Zyle, is an Alaskan artist and the official artist of the Iditarod.

Then comes summer along the river, brown bears, otters and eagles catching salmon.And we get to know the soil, home to insects and plants.In summer, juncos feed on seeds of flowers and grasses while squirrels toss cones from the crowns of green spruce trees for seeds to eat through the coming winter.

And winter does return.As the author, Debbie S. Miller, gifted in poetic prose, writes, "A sheet of winter ice tucks in the whispering river."And there is a gorgeous two-page layout of a winter panorama with many birds flying south, and we learn "Raven stays."

Author and illustrator have collaborated on several prize-winning books.One of my other favorites is "Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights."If you like this one (and I can't imagine anyone not liking it), I highly recommend that one as well.

Beautiful Alaska
This is an excellent lower and upper elementary informational picture book. Rich language is combined with double-page realistic oil paintings asthe story of a year in the life of an Alaskan river is told. The river isshown to be a constantly changing home and source of food to manyecologically connected living things. ... Read more

Product Description
The mighty Yangtze River - the third-longest river in the world - is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. This intriguing book takes readers along this ancient transportation route, strategic natural boundary, and lifeblood of an agricultural society. The near completion of the Three Gorges Dam has displaced more than a million people and changed the river's ecosystem dramatically. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine pick for any library strong in world geography
The 'Rivers Around the World' series is a fine pick for any library strong in world geography. Each book focuses on a different major world river, discussing history, peoples who depend upon it, travel and commerce, and comparison to other world rivers. THE GANGES: INDIA'S SACRED RIVER, THE AMAZON: RIVER IN A RAIN FOREST, THE YANGTZE: CHINA'S MAJESTIC RIVER, THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES: RIVERS OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT, THE ST. LAWRENCE: RIVER ROUTE TO THE GREAT LAKES, THE NILE: RIVER IN THE SAND, THE RHINE: EUROPE'S RIVER HIGHWAY and THE MISSISSIPPI: AMERICA'S MIGHTY RIVER are fine study guides for any general geography library. ... Read more

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The UK Land-Ocean Interaction Study provided a major opportunity to measure and model the processes controlling the fluxes of materials between river basins and coastal seas. This book presents accessible summaries of key results this research. Written by leading contributors to the programme, the book covers aspects of the physical, sedimentological, chemical, and biological processes controlling fluxes between river catchments and coastal seas in temporate environments. It also describes technological advances in the measurement of processes and longer term monitoring of the fluvial, estuarine, and coastal environments.

Product Description
The popular Rookie Books expand their horizons - to all corners of the globe! With this series all about geography, emergent readers will take off on adventures to cities, nations, waterways, and habitats around the world…and right in their own backyards. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Life Near a River
Great book for an emergent reader.Kids need to learn about habitats and this is a great book to share. ... Read more

Product Description
The river rat is back! Following the success of "The Last River Rat," "Kenny Salwey’s Tales of a River Rat" presents even more of this legendary storyteller’s "rat tales" that are sure to delight, inform, and entertain.

Using six thousand acres of Upper Mississippi River valley swamps and floodplain forests as his stomping grounds, Kenny Salwey grew up learning the ways of the old-time river rats. Today, he holds the honored title of Last River Rat.

A born storyteller, Kenny inherited the ability to spin a tale from his maternal grandmother. In this latest collection of "rat tales," Kenny pursues runaway steers through the river bottoms, battles a wary old trout, and shares his sleeping quarters with a black bear. Kenny also partakes of the quieter things in life, like sauntering through the swamp, befriending a pair of squirrels, and kickin’ skunk cabbage. Through all his backwater adventures and misadventures, Kenny never stops learning from his natural world.

Balancing insight with laughter, and populated with a colorful array of swampland travelers and animals, Kenny’s tall tales bring alive the rich simplicity of a life lived along the mighty Mississippi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Great sequel
This book follows the same theme as his first-"The Last River Rat" co-authored with J Scott Bestul- that being living a subsistence lifestyle in the Upper Mississippi River bottom lands along the Wisconsin-Minnesota state lines. The book begins with a somewhat extensive biography written by his wife.Then the tales begin.They are written in an easy folksy style as you might expect him to speak.The reader goes trout fishing, gets lost, and tromps through the sloughs with the writer. Barely making it thru high school, he evolved into a well read, educated and philosophical person.He shares a combination of worldly knowledge and his hard won understanding of natural things and events.By the end of the book, you feel you know him well enough to call him "Kenny"

I like Kenny's stories
I felt the book was interesting in that Kenny talks about conservation in a simple manner.He is an excellent story teller.The book also gives interesting insights into how people made a living along the Mississippi in earlier times.

river rats
I liked this book so much, I ordered another copythrough Amazon to be sent to a dear friend, I met at the Redgreen lodge. I am waiting for the chance to see the documentary on most of our PBS stations again. Or Discovery, whatever they show it on. In either case, a good read for just about anytime. thanks, paul

Skilled Storyteller
Pack your bags and go along with Kenny as he ventures along the banks of the Mississippi River.You'll think you're right there with him.

Tales of a River Rat:
I met Kenny and his stories are just as he is.He has a skill in telling stories that makes you wish you were there with him.I would recommend the book to all the people that enjoy the Mississippi river area. ... Read more

Product Description
Highlights the Rhine River, a major transportation route in Western Europe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine pick for any library strong in world geography
The 'Rivers Around the World' series is a fine pick for any library strong in world geography. Each book focuses on a different major world river, discussing history, peoples who depend upon it, travel and commerce, and comparison to other world rivers. THE GANGES: INDIA'S SACRED RIVER, THE AMAZON: RIVER IN A RAIN FOREST, THE YANGTZE: CHINA'S MAJESTIC RIVER, THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES: RIVERS OF THE FERTILE CRESCENT, THE ST. LAWRENCE: RIVER ROUTE TO THE GREAT LAKES, THE NILE: RIVER IN THE SAND, THE RHINE: EUROPE'S RIVER HIGHWAY and THE MISSISSIPPI: AMERICA'S MIGHTY RIVER are fine study guides for any general geography library.
... Read more

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Have you ever wondered:

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Customer Reviews (1)

Amazon River--source of life for millions
I read "The Amazon (Great Rivers)" with a sense of hope. In one of the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C., I visited an exhibit about rain forests. The single fact I most remember is how much and how fast the rain forests are being destroyed DAILY. This was 16-17 years ago.

Just a few years later this book was published. The author, Michael Pollard, concludes with the government's efforts to halt all destruction, to bolster work to save the forests, and better yet, efforts in replanting where trees have been chopped down. He writes about the success of the Amazonian Indians to save their homelands.

When I closed this 48-page information book designed for upper elementary, middle school students, I was relieved. It was exciting to learn natural facts about the Amazon, and equally about its protection. Those who destroy it include ranchers wanting to extend grazing land, those who want to build roads and settlements, discovery of iron, gold, and other minerals, and subsistent farmers who want to eke out a living.

Here are some basic facts about the Amazon River:

1. The source is a melting glacier high in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Its first name is the Apimurac.
2. Along the lower slopes of the Andes, the Apimurac becomes the Tambo, then changes again to the Ucayali where it can reach a 3-mile width during rainy season.
3. When the north-flowing Ucayali turns east, it is joined by the Maranon whose name it picks up for the next 2485 miles.
4. The Amazon is the largest river in the world with one of its tributaries, Rio Negro, second.
5. The world's largest river island is located at the mouths of the Amazon.
6. Certain animals like the toucan are found only in the Amazon lands.
7. A Portuguese explorer named the river after the warrior women of Greek legend after seeing natives dance. His mistake in describing these "women" was not knowing they were men in costume (skirts).
8. The Amazon area inclues parts of five countries and is larger than all of Western Europe.
9. The food chain is delicately balanced. Destruction of one species can cause the death of many others.
10. The plentiful macaw is killed by natives for its feathers and for food.

Just a small book filled with accompanying pictures is the basis for a good chunk of information in defining the Amazon River, its people, products, history, geography, and preservation/conservation. ... Read more

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Surveys the origin, geological borders, water, plant and animal life, and economic and ecological aspects of the Amazon River. ... Read more

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The environmental nightmare of monumental oil spills in the Persian Gulf make publication of this new edition especially timely. Numerous revisions by this well-known consultant and author on water pollution bring this popular title in line with current trends and needs relevant to pollution of streams, lakes, estuaries, and oceans. State stream water quality standards have been updated, with the latest legislation and EPA standards clearly explained. New information has been added on beach pollution, as well as viruses and their occurrence and passage through polluted water. Expanded coverage of stream pollution models such as the automated Calibration Knowledge Engineering System (KES) helps users assess water quality more efficiently. Ready-to-use mathematical and computer models, cleaning and disposal methods, and other guidelines offer additional on-the-job help. This book should be of interest to environmental, civil and chemical engineers. ... Read more

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AWARDS:
2006 Outstanding Academic Title, by CHOICE

The 2005 Award for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing by the Association of American Publishers (AAP)

Best Reference 2005, by the Library Journal

Rivers of North America is an important reference for scientists, ecologists, and students studying rivers and their ecosystems. It brings together information from several regional specialists on the major river basins of North America, presented in a large-format, full-color book. The introduction covers general aspects of geology, hydrology, ecology and human impacts on rivers. This is followed by 22 chapters on the major river basins. Each chapter begins with a full-page color photograph and includes several additional photographs within the text. These chapters feature three to five rivers of the basin/region, and cover several other rivers with one-page summaries. Rivers selected for coverage include the largest, the most natural, and the most affected by human impact.

This one-of-a-kind resource is professionally illustrated with maps and color photographs of the key river basins. Readers can compare one river system to another in terms of its physiography, hydrology, ecology, biodiversity, and human impacts.

* Extensive treatment provides a single source of information for North America's major rivers
* Regional specialists provide authoritative information on more than 200 rivers
* Full-color photographs and topographical maps demonstrate the beauty, major features, and uniqueness of each river system
* One-page summaries help readers quickly find key statistics and make comparisons among rivers ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An unequalled source book for rivers
There is no book comparable to this, and it would be nearly impossible to put together much of this information from the Internet. The author has visited these rivers and knows what he is talking about. Very factually based book.

If you love maps,rivers, river life, river facts and photos...............
.....you'll love this book. It is large in a school book fashion.I bought it for my husband who reads maps like books and loves topography/geography/geology.He really liked this tome.It centers on criteria/info on a large number of rivers and outlines the major basins with detailed descriptions of each river, life within and alteration to the flow and course.I was amazed at how many dams have been built- only 2-3 major rivers on this continent flow unimpeded.A few maps could have been clearer ( more contrasting color) but most all are great.....and many beautiful photos .My husband gave it a 5 star rating over all. ... Read more

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Children can use the colored transparencies in this spiral-bound board book to watch birds hatch and swim, trace the fascinating life cycle of the dragonfly, and learn about the plant and life of the river. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

WATCHING THE RIVER FLOW
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Is there a more beautiful bird than a Kingfisher? Is there a more tranquil scene than a river flowing quietly by? "The River" captures the moods and describes the creatures that live along a stream.

The river is in full flood; we turn the transparent overlay and now the stream has shrunk to a trickle. A little boy is playing with his toy water wheel.

We learn about the trees that grow along the riverbank and the roles they play. Poplars provide shelter and alders bind the soil together.

The highlight of the book is the focus on birdlife. Mother moorhen is on her nest. Turn the transparent page and the eggs are hatching with the chicks heading towards the water.

Now the kingfisher is diving for a fish into the river. Turn the page and he's caught a minnow. The joke is on the fisherman sitting on the bank with his rod and line. All he gets is his float and hooks tangled in an overhead branch.

Our amphibious friends get into the act. The book shows an accurate portrayal of two frogs mating. We also see the life cycle of a dragonfly, going from an egg to a nymph to an adult.

In winter the stream is partly frozen. Now the fish stay in the deep water.

There is a strong environmental message in this book, powerfully told through the use of the clear overlays.

On the penultimate page we see a family relaxing by the riverbank. Turn the page and it is all despoiled by rubbish and pollution. There is a clear message ...... look after the river!

What a shame this book is out of stock. Lobby the publishers and suppliers and make this fabulous book available once again. ... Read more

Product Description
Open your eyes to a world of discovery.

Offering a new level of information through powerful visuals, the Eye Wonder reference series was specially developed for children ready for their first books about the natural world. Full-color photography is matched with clearly written text to build a foundation for advanced exploration and help show children a stunning new view of the world. ... Read more

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