Nature Trails

Books for Readers in the Middle Grades

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!

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Adaline Falling Star by Mary Pope Osbourne.
RC 51585.
When Adaline is 11, not long after her Arapaho mother dies, her explorer father leaves her with his white cousins in St. Louis. Feeling abandoned and receiving cruel treatment from his prejudiced relatives, Adaline runs away into the wilderness, where she finds a stray dog for company. For grades 5-8.

Black Whiteness: Admiral Byrd Alone in the Antarctic by Robert Burleigh.
BR 11695.
True-life adventure of Richard Byrd, who spent six months alone in the Antarctic in 1934. Includes excerpts from Byrd's diary recounting the incredible cold and discomfort he suffered. Describes how Byrd used a kite for rescue. For grades 4-7.

Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen.
BR 12210 or RC 48214 or LP 709.
Back in society, going to school and trying to fit in, Brian savagely beats a bully who attacked him. With the help of Caleb, a blind counselor, Brian realizes that he needs to go where he belongs, in the wilderness again. Sequel to The River. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

The Case of the Mummified Pigs: And Other Mysteries in Nature by Susan E. Quinlan.
RC 49038.
Fourteen scientific puzzles about thenatural world that have been investigated by ecologists. In "The Case of the Mummified Pigs," a scientist experiments with dead piglets in cages left out in thewoods to find out what happens as time passes. For grades 4-7.

The Cay by Theodore Taylor.
RC 34450.
When the freighter on which they are traveling is torpedoed by a German submarine during World War II, a twelve-year-old white boy, blinded by a blow on the head, and an elderly black deckhand are stranded on a desert island in the Caribbean. The man's wisdom and love enable the boy to acquire courage and insight and to overcome his bigotry. For grades 5-8.

Downriver by Will Hobbs.
RC 36801.
Jessie, 15, is one of eight troubled teens participating in a nine-week outdoor survival education program dubbed by the kids as "Hoods in the Woods." The purpose of the program is to put the kids in life-threatening situations that they work together to resolve. But the real challenges start when the group, led by charismatic Troy Larsen, decides to ditch the counselor and run the white water of the Grand Canyon. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Drift by William Mayne.
RC 25103 or LP 8.
In the bleak, harsh, late winter world of the North American wilderness in the days when white settlers and Native Americans hardly understood each other's cultures, Rafe, a boy from the white settlement, and Tawana, an Indian girl, wander off together to find a bear and are swept into immediate danger on the frozen lake. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
BR 11525 or RC 30535 or LP 236.
Brian, 13 and troubled by his parent's divorce, is flying in a single-engine plane to visit his father. As Brian is the only passenger, the pilot casually shows him how to fly the plane. When the pilot has a heart attack and dies, Brian must take control. After the plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness, Brian has only the hatchet attached to his belt to help him survive. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Incident at Hawk’s Hill by Allan Eckert.
BR 1771 or RC 38913.
After a small boy wanders off one summer and loses himself on the vast prairie near his home, he is adopted by a female badger who takes care of him for two months. Based on an incident reported in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1870. For grades 5-8.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.
BR 14785 or RC 22397 or LP 37.
When her tribe moves, a Native American girl is accidentally left behind on an island off the California coast. She tells about the 18 years that she managed to survive and to find comfort, beauty, and, at times, joy in her solitude. Newbery Medal. For grades 6-9.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George.
BR 8738 or RC 34451 or LP 377.
Julie, a thirteen-year-old Eskimo girl, runs away rather than agree to an arranged marriage. Lost and starving on the barren tundra, she makes friends with a pack of wolves who save her life. Newbery Medal. For grades 5-8.

Lights Out! Kids Talk about Summer Camp by Eric H. Arnold.
BR 6875.
Summer campers talk about getting ready for their vacation, living away from home, camp food, counselors, making friends, and other experiences in this informative and funny book. For grades 4-7.

Lostman’s River by Cynthia DeFelice.
RC 46744.
When Tyler MacCauley agrees to guide the naturalist, Mr. Strawbridge, to find samples of the Everglades wildlife in 1906, he is looking forward to the money he will earn for his mother. Tyler knows about the dangers from alligators, but it turns out that humans pose a worse threat. Some violence. For grades 5-8.

Mountain Biking! Get on the Trail by Chris Hayhurst.
RC 52199.
Describes the sports of mountain-bike racing, navigating steep terrain at a fast pace, and of free-riding, hitting the trails in search of fun. Highlights the development of equipment, selecting a bike, safety, and riding techniques. For grades 4-7.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
BR 15070 or RC 50211 or LP 907.
Sam Gribley relates his adventures during the year he lives alone in the Catskill Mountains. He describes his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship. For grades 5-8.

Night Creatures by Malcolm Penny.
LP 50119.
Describes the physical characteristics and behavior of such nighttime animals as the warthog, leopard, and raccoon. Remarkable World series. For grades 4-7.

Rascal by Sterling North.
BR 10678 or RC 41995 or LP 1213.
Although his life is full with a Saint Bernard, a family of skunks, a raucous crow, and an unfinished canoe, Sterling is captivated by a tiny raccoon kit he names Rascal. The ingenious animal quickly takes over the house and Sterling's heart but also makes enemies by stealing corn and raiding chicken coops. Until he gets too big, Rascal shares many adventures with Sterling in the Wisconsin countryside. For grades 4-7.

The River by Gary Paulsen.
RC 34751 or LP 812.
Because of his success surviving alone in the wilderness for 54 days, 15-year-old Brian, profoundly changed by his time in the wild, is asked to undergo a similar experience to help scientists learn more about the psychology of survival. Sequel to: Hatchet. For grades 6-9.

River Thunder by Will Hobbs.
RC 49064.
Jessie and her friends from Downriver are back to raft down the Grand Canyon. They discover that the trip is paid for by rich kid Troy but decide to have fun anyway, only they are unaware of the record-high water due to mismanagement and bad weather. For grades 6-9 and older readers.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong.
RC 49029.
An account of the survival of a 28 man crew whose ship for a 1914 expedition to Antarctica was marooned in pack ice. Explains the daily difficulties the men faced during their nine-month ordeal and Captain Ernest Shackleton's bravery to effect their rescue. For grades 5-8.

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements.
LP 1132.
The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him. For grades 4-7.

Whirlpool by Deborah Morris.
LP 1135.
Three true stories of adventure and survival told just as they happened, with the accent on action. Real Kids, Real Adventures; number 2. For grades 4-7.

White Water by P.J. Petersen.
RC 45782 or LP 50035.
Greg confronts his own fears and assumes a leadership role when his father is bitten by a rattlesnake during a white-water rafting trip. For grades 4-7.

Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs.
BR 14660.
Fourteen-year-old Andy slips away from his kayaking group in Alaska to visit the wilderness site where his archaeologist father died. Stranded on an island by a storm and injured, Andy is rescued by a Newfoundland dog and his owner who live in a cave. For grades 6-9.