Evening Book Group: Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

The SBPL Evening Book Group meets in the Community Room on the 4th Thursday of every month. Enjoy a stimulating conversation about books and exchange perspectives about characters and plot while getting to know your neighbors. Join us in September as we talk about Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty.

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. Highly readable, the narrative comes from a voice that is personable, knowledgeable, clear, and convincing. Dara is a sympathetic narrator, and his reflections on the world and his place in it are thoughtful and engaging.

Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of a year in Dara’s Northern Ireland home patch. Beginning in Spring—when “the sparrows dig the moss from the guttering and the air is as puffed out as the robin’s chest”—these diary entries about his connection to wildlife and the way he sees the world are vivid, evocative, and moving.

Along with Dara’s intense connection to the natural world, Diary of a Young Naturalist captures his perspective as a teenager juggling exams, friendships, and the life of an activist. We see his close-knit family, the disruptions of moving and changing schools, and the complexities of living with autism. 

Winner of the Wainwright Prize for UK nature writing and a Buzzfeed book of the month, Diary of a Young Naturalist is a "triumphant debut from an important new voice."

Print, ebooks and downloadable audiobook copies will be available to borrow from the Library or Libby. Email sbplprograms@southburlingtonvt.gov or call 802-846-4140 if you have questions, would like the Zoom link, or want to be added to the email list for this group.