Hiking

Children's Literature

Reaching out to old-school compass carriers and GPS gadget geeks alike, this title in the “Outdoor Adventures” series vibrantly covers many facets of hiking. Laid out in bite-sized chunks of text with plenty of charts and graphics, the titles in this series cater nicely to their audience, late elementary/middle school students with fluent web literacy. Also helping to reach the audience are glossary-supported, sport-specific terms that boost credibility and readability. Topics covered range from the necessary “Getting Started” to the obligatory “Staying Safe” and “Healthy Habits,” with the latter offering a variety of recipes for GORP, trail mixes basically consisting of what the acronym suggests, “good old raisins and peanuts.” Standing out as especially refreshing amidst the expected headings is a “Join the Club” section, which offers suggestions for getting involved with the sport and gives a shout-out to the American Hiking Society. Also scattered through the pages are “Get Connected” bubbles, which offer websites that provide further detail about the headings they fall under. One link even offers up a hike calculator, allowing trekkers to figure out the difficulty of their journeys. Another connects to the aforementioned American Hiking Society’s user-friendly, informative site. While the subject matter here may not be as thrilling, rugged, or glamorous as other titles in the series, this book offers useful hiking information in a vivid, easy-to-digest format. Reviewer: Paul Walter