going wild: helping nature thrive in cities

* Long-listed for the Green Earth Book Awards 2019, and selected for Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s Best Books for Kids and Teens 2018 (starred selection)

Going wild. We don’t see it as a good thing. And why would we? For most of our time on earth, humanity has been running from lions and other wilderness dangers. We’ve worked hard to make our local landscapes as safe and convenient as possible. Sometimes that’s meant paving over areas that might burst into weeds. Other times, we’ve dammed rivers for electricity or irrigation. But now pollution, climate change and disruptions to the water cycle are affecting the world in ways we never anticipated. What if the new key to making our lives safer (and even healthier) is to allow the wilderness back into our cities?

Reviews

“This book is highly recommended for both public and school libraries. The book offers great ideas for classroom field trips and nature projects. It offers ideas for individual projects as well. It is no small feat to combine descriptions of widespread environmental degradation with examples of hope and positive change but this is indeed what Michelle Mulder has done in Going Wild.”

- Resource Links

“Perfect for inspiring readers to explore the natural world while also encouraging discussion about the environmental changes caused by humans.”

- School Library Journal

“Young readers will have no trouble finding references they can relate to throughout this book as they examine their own urban lifestyles for the vital connections with nature that are emphasized here … Going Wild could be well used to stimulate discussion on the topic. Highly Recommended.”

- CM Magazine

“Mulder approaches her topic with enthusiasm … Readers intrigued by the idea of greener cities will find plenty of encouragement here, along with examples from around the world. One or two attractive color photos appear on every page. A short, persuasive introduction to the rewilding movement.”

- Booklist

“[Readers] will certainly get her message: we all need a stronger connection to the natural world. [Mulder] encourages young people to get outside and get their hands dirty (it’s healthful!) and to get involved in citizen-science efforts. Her text is made more accessible with clear subheadings, italicized words (defined in a glossary), and plentiful photographs from around the world, which include a variety of ages and races. Sidebars offer interesting ‘Wild Facts’ and ‘Making Tracks,’ examples from her own life. Recommended for settings where others in the series have been useful.”

- Kirkus Reviews