LoveReading Says
Diary of a Young Naturalist recounts a year in the life of an autistic and highly gifted 15 year old, struggling with school, bullies, moving house and fearing the decline of the natural world whilst rejoicing in it. Dara McAnulty is clearly an extraordinary person and a beautiful and mature writer. His descriptions of his adventures in nature are inspiring for children, but also sure to brighten the souls of many an adult too.
The intensity with which nature presents itself to the author is overwhelming, and his ability to share this with the reader is enthralling. It’s a rollercoaster ride being in the head of this young man, but the book has the magic to open our eyes and ears to what beauty is around us each and every day - if only we looked!
McAnulty's knowledge of wildlife and nature is simply extraordinary. His autism is a burden but also a super-power, providing him with piercing insight to a world that simply cannot be ignored with all its truth, tragedy and hope pouring out of every hedgerow, pond and dry stone wall.
This is a diary which highlights our essential connection with the natural world, the landscape and our history embedded within it - but more importantly, it is also about our futures. Dara McAnulty is on a mission, and if the quality of this book is anything to go by, he will have a huge impact. For many children, this book will be the beginning of a wondrous journey. ~ Greg Hackett
Greg Hackett is the Founder & Director of the London Mountain Film Festival
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Diary of a Young Naturalist Synopsis
A BuzzFeed "e;Best Book of June 2021"e;From sixteen-year-old Dara McAnulty, a globally renowned figure in the youth climate activist movement, comes a memoir about loving the natural world and fighting to save it.Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of a year in Dara's Northern Ireland home patch. Beginning in springwhen ';the sparrows dig the moss from the guttering and the air is as puffed out as the robin's chestthese diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are vivid, evocative, and moving.As well as Dara's intense connection to the natural world, Diary of a Young Naturalist captures his perspective as a teenager juggling exams, friendships, and a life of campaigning. We see his close-knit family, the disruptions of moving and changing schools, and the complexities of living with autism. ';In writing this book,' writes Dara, ';I have experienced challenges but also felt incredible joy, wonder, curiosity and excitement. In sharing this journey my hope is that people of all generations will not only understand autism a little more but also appreciate a child's eye view on our delicate and changing biosphere.'Winner of the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing and already sold into more than a dozen territories, Diary of a Young Naturalist is a triumphant debut from an important new voice.
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Dara McAnulty Press Reviews
This book is very pertinent. It’s a diary but essentially timeless. It’s about enduring, it’s about passion, beauty and connection. It’s really, really special Chris Packham
Our planet and its wildlife are in a dire state, but if anyone can help save them, Dara can - and he’s bringing our generation along with him. Bella Lack
His portrait of loving parents raising three neurodivergent children on poetry, punk and puffins is profoundly moving. Alex Preston, The Observer
Rich poeticism courses through the writing that belies his years. Hilary A White, Irish Independent
Like reading William Blake or Ted Hughes, it really is a strange and magical experience...surely one of the most talked about nature books, or any books, this year. The Daily Mail
I adored it. Lauren St John
'...the fanfare is wholly justified: this is an astonishingly assured book for one so young.' Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller (Non-fiction Book of the Month, June 2020)
This lovely and remarkable book. Charlotte Moore, The Spectator
an extraordinary voice and vision: brave, poetic, ethical, lyrical. Robert Macfarlane
Breathtaking. Philip Marsden
McAnulty's writing glows with his deep sympathy for the natural world Tim Flannery
About Dara McAnulty
Dara McAnulty is a naturalist, conservationist and activist from Northern Ireland. He's received many awards for his conservation work, including from BBC Springwatch, The Daily Mirror and Birdwatch magazine.
He's written and presented numerous natural history programmes for BBC radio and television, and become an ambassador for the RSPCA, the iWill campaign and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Dara is the youngest ever recipient of the RSPB medal for conservation. He lives with his family and Rosie the rescue-greyhound at the foot of the Mourne Mountains in County Down.
Diary of a Young Naturalist is his first book.
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