Outdoors is For Everyone: Books to Help You Get Outside

Outdoors is For Everyone: Books to Help You Get Outside

It’s summer, with longer days, more sunshine, and warmer weather. It’s a great time to be outside — but as someone who hasn’t always loved being outside, I get that it’s not always easy as saying “get outside!” Being outdoors and in nature does not come naturally to me. I’d rather be inside in the air conditioning, wearing comfy sweats, and curled up with a great book. However, I know that both my son and I are happier, much less stressed, and healthier being outside, getting plenty of sunshine and fresh air, and exploring nature…even if I don’t always love the bugs.

It’s been a process for me. Because I want my son to love nature, I have had to very deliberately choose outdoor activities like our nature class, and make a concerted effort to take our homeschooling outside when we can, even if it’s just a morning walk around our condo building, or sitting outside on a blanket for our read-alouds.

While I still consider myself a “newbie” with the outdoors, I love reading memoirs about those who are more adventurous than I, like Morgan Sjogren’s Path of Light, or Jennifer Pharr Davis’s Becoming Odyssa. But there are other books that are great to read to help you get started on your outdoorsy journey — whether you’re thinking about hiking, trying an outdoor sport, or not quite sure you “belong” in the outdoors. (You do). I’ve put together a list of some books to pique your interest, encourage you, or provide you with some reassurance about getting started on your outdoor journey.

Fat Girls Hiking: An Inclusive Guide to Getting Outdoors at Any Size or Ability by Summer Michaud-Skog

I got this book when I started to think about hiking and being outside more, and I think it’s great for people of any size. It’s very easy to get intimidated by other people on the trail, especially if you look or feel like you’re not “the type” of person to hike or be outdoorsy. Michaud-Skog outlines how she got started hiking, how FGH came about, and how accessibility is and can be centered in outdoor activities like hiking. With plenty of pictures and lots of practical advice, this is a great book with which to get started. There’s also an Instagram (@fatgirlshiking).

Catch a Crayfish, Count the Stars: Fun Projects, Skills, and Adventures for Outdoor Kids by Steven Rinella (June 13th)

Rinella’s book Outdoor Kids in an Inside World was a game-changer for me, and so I was excited to see this book. This feels like one I’ll dive into a lot with my son, especially this summer. There are things like putting together an explorer’s kit, making your own compass, how to learn different kinds of knots, foraging tips, beach treasure hunting, cleaning fish, and much more. It’s an adventure-filled, informative, and interesting book full of fun activities to do throughout the year. It’s mainly geared for kids ages 8 and up, and some of the activities do require an adult’s guidance or supervision (clearly stated in the book).

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10 Sunshine-Filled Summer Books for Toddlers

10 Sunshine-Filled Summer Books for Toddlers

Summer is on the way, bringing with it longer days, warmer weather, and the chance to join in with a whole host of summer activities! Summer can be an especially fun time for very small children, who will love seeing how the change of seasons affects plants and animals, and who will look forward to exciting days at the park or the beach. Whether you live in the city or the countryside, there are plenty of great things about summer to enjoy, including ice cream, barbecues, warm evenings, and outdoor games. While us adults have lived through many (many, many) summers, sharing them with little ones can bring the magic back, and remind us of the joy this season brings.

If you have a toddler in your life who’s learning about the seasons, or eager to get outside and play, there are plenty of great summer books for toddlers. Some of them focus on summertime plants and animals, while others explore all the cool summer games children can play. If you want some inspiration for what to do this summer, or just want to share a fun read with your little one, check out this list of cute and fun toddler summer books, with storylines and illustrations that will keep you entertained all summer long!

Best Summer Books for Toddlers

Is It Warm Enough For Ice Cream? by DK

Ice cream is one of the best things about summer, and it is certainly one of the things that most toddlers and kids look forward to. In this cute board book, little readers can learn about the changing seasons and the build-up to summer, seeing how the world changes as the days get warmer —- until, finally, it’s warm enough for ice cream!

One Hot Summer Day by Nina Crews

In this beautiful photo-illustrated picture book by author and artist Nina Crews, we follow a young girl as she explores all the wonderful things about summer in her neighbourhood. Focusing on the five senses, One Hot Summer Day is not only a great read, but an inspiration for summer activities, like drawing with pavement chalk or playing in the summer rain.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Summer by Eric Carle

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a much-beloved classic, and this tie-in book lets fans of Eric Carle’s fun story and illustrations explore everything that’s fun about summer. The Very Hungry Caterpillar and his insect friends enjoy the buzz of a summer garden, with a focus on sensory experiences that is great for little children learning about the world around them.

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Reading Pathways: Alexis Hall

Reading Pathways: Alexis Hall

There are few authors working right now that are as prolific as Alexis Hall, best-selling author of urban fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. He has written over 30 books in the past 10 years alone, with many more books announced for the near future. Hall’s work has been nominated for multiple LAMBDA awards, and many credit his books for bringing queer stories to mainstream audiences.

But who is Alexis Hall? Actually, he’d rather you not know. In fact, Alexis Hall is a pen name the author uses to separate his writing career from his day job. Yes, somehow Alexis Hall has a day job on top of writing four books in 2022 alone. But in general, the author is very secretive about his personal life.

“I’m personally a strong believer that an author’s work should speak for itself,” Halls says on his FAQ page. “While I would never discourage other authors from positioning themselves differently (as long as they don’t use their platform to harm people), I actively don’t want to centre myself in my own work.”

Okay, so the books should speak for themselves. That’s all well and good, but when an author has this many books, where do you even begin? If you’re new to the world of Alexis Hall, here’s your reading pathway. These books are just the beginning of what this author has to offer, but they’re the essential must-reads.

Boyfriend Material

Boyfriend Material is a contemporary romance novel that was published in 2020. Hall told Publishers Weekly that the novel was “very strongly inspired by the kinds of comedy that I remember being exposed to in late 1990s and early 2000s. The vibe I was always going for was inspired by Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Love, Actually.” The novel was widely acclaimed upon its release. This is the book that really made Alexis Hall a well-known romance writer, and so it’s a great place to start.

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How tech is raising songs from the dead

How tech is raising songs from the dead

AI voices, holograms and 'raves beyond the grave'

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The film that Churchill tried to ban

The film that Churchill tried to ban

Why wartime classic The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp upset the prime minister

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Daniel Maier-Reimer at Galerie Clages

May 5 – June 17, 2023

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Katherine Bradford at Campoli Presti

April 20 – June 17, 2023

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Playing Ball

Rachel B. Glaser, Jamal with Confetti, 2023.

The collective dream is over. Squinting, we walk out of the playoffs and return to Life. Images linger—a giant holding a toddler in a storm of confetti. A shiny, exuberant, mantis-like man standing next to a trophy. The woman who sat courtside wearing red and white gowns. The inexplicable man-made-out-of-Sprite commercial. Duncan Robinson’s tough-guy face.

On Monday, after the great battle of Game 5, the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship for the first time in franchise history. I was introduced to the on-court chemistry between the Nuggets stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray during the 2020 Western Conference Finals. Though they lost that series in five games to the Lakers (who would go on to win the championship after beating the Heat), they were great fun to watch. I found Murray’s smile infectious. He seemed unselfconscious and comfortable in his body. When he was having fun, I was having fun.

In 2021, Jokić received the first of two consecutive MVP awards. Right before the playoffs that year, Murray tore his ACL, missing the playoffs and the entire next season. Jokić carried the team without him, but in the 2022 playoffs, the Nuggets lost in the first round to the Golden State Warriors (who later went on to win the championship). While the Sixers center Joel Embiid won this year’s MVP, most basketball fans believe Jokić is the better player. His performance in these Finals was sensational. His passes were gorgeous, his threes looked like afterthoughts. When the camera cut to him, he often seemed displeased. He was an unstoppable force, even when he wasn’t scoring. He made it look effortless. I thought of him as Paul Bunyan.

I liked whenever the broadcast cut to a room in Serbia, Jokić’s home country, where fans stayed up till dawn, watching the Nuggets game live. In the postgame interviews before the award ceremony, it was wonderful to see Jamal Murray’s teary-eyed smile as he spoke about the long journey coming back from his injury. And even a Heat fan could appreciate Jokić’s genuine disappointment upon learning that he’d have to attend a victory parade in Denver on Thursday when he was eager to fly home to Serbia to watch his horse, Dream Catcher, race on Sunday.

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A show that 'revels in its twists'

A show that 'revels in its twists'

Black Mirror season six is still dystopian – but some episodes are heavy-handed

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On The Continent: 2022/23 end of season special!

Dotun and Andy are joined by Miguel Delaney, Jonathan Johnson and Nicky Bandini to discuss the big trends across the season that was!


Will clubs like Lens and Union Berlin continue to upset the odds domestically? Can anyone really vie for Man City’s UCL crown next year? And it begins: where is Kylian Mbappé off to?


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