Diary of a Young Naturalist
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- Create Date：2021-04-24 09:52:20
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Dara McAnulty
- ISBN：1529109604
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Summary
WINNER OF THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR NATURE WRITING 2020
WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARD FOR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2020
WINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS FOR NON-FICTION 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020
'Really， really special' CHRIS PACKHAM
'An extraordinary voice and vision' ROBERT MACFARLANE
Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of Dara McAnulty's world， from spring to summer， autumn to winter， on his home patch， at school， in the wild and in his head。
Evocative， raw and beautifully written， this startling and special book vividly explores the natural world from the perspective of an autistic teenager coping with the uprooting of home， school， and his mental health， while pursuing his life as a conservationist and environmental activist。
In a work of power and hope， Dara recalls his sensory encounters in the wild - with blackbirds， whooper swans， red kites， hen harriers， frogs， dandelions， Irish hares and more - while drawing a moving portrait of a young activist dealing with change， and a family making their way in the world。
'One of the most talented and passionate writers of our era' STEVE SILBERMAN
WINNER OF THE AN POST IRISH BOOK AWARD FOR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2020
WINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS FOR NON-FICTION 2020
SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020
'Really， really special' CHRIS PACKHAM
'An extraordinary voice and vision' ROBERT MACFARLANE
Diary of a Young Naturalist chronicles the turning of Dara McAnulty's world， from spring to summer， autumn to winter， on his home patch， at school， in the wild and in his head。
Evocative， raw and beautifully written， this startling and special book vividly explores the natural world from the perspective of an autistic teenager coping with the uprooting of home， school， and his mental health， while pursuing his life as a conservationist and environmental activist。
In a work of power and hope， Dara recalls his sensory encounters in the wild - with blackbirds， whooper swans， red kites， hen harriers， frogs， dandelions， Irish hares and more - while drawing a moving portrait of a young activist dealing with change， and a family making their way in the world。
'One of the most talented and passionate writers of our era' STEVE SILBERMAN
Reviews
Claire
，
Such a wonderful book， an important reminder of the joy to be found in nature， especially the small things （including bugs）， of lying on the grass and watching tiny creatures， or birds， or listening。 Dara McAnulty is from Northern Ireland and the beauty and history of the place is all through this book， he writes with knowledge and enthusiasm that is infectious and informative。 He also has autism and this book gives a fascinating insight into what it's like to live with autism both his own and h Such a wonderful book， an important reminder of the joy to be found in nature， especially the small things （including bugs）， of lying on the grass and watching tiny creatures， or birds， or listening。 Dara McAnulty is from Northern Ireland and the beauty and history of the place is all through this book， he writes with knowledge and enthusiasm that is infectious and informative。 He also has autism and this book gives a fascinating insight into what it's like to live with autism both his own and his family。 I was also moved by the lasting impact the trauma of being bullied had on him。 He is a fabulous writer with important points to make about climate change and how we no longer appreciate our environments。 。。。more
Malene
，
A most phenomenally wonderful book。。。should be must-read （or listen） for each and every living person， and particularly recommended for young people。 A comfort， a guide， a description of nature， poetic and beautiful。
Marita Snyman
，
Read by the author， I enjoyed this audiobook tremendously。 Wise and mature for his age， no doubt because of a life as an outsider， Dara finds solace and inspiration in nature。 He is so young yet his knowledge of the natural world is impressive。 I loved his accent and self awareness。 The tight-knit family is unique and I was touched by the understanding， support and space they give each other。 This book inspires me to garden differently， for example having more wild spaces for natural habitats to Read by the author， I enjoyed this audiobook tremendously。 Wise and mature for his age， no doubt because of a life as an outsider， Dara finds solace and inspiration in nature。 He is so young yet his knowledge of the natural world is impressive。 I loved his accent and self awareness。 The tight-knit family is unique and I was touched by the understanding， support and space they give each other。 This book inspires me to garden differently， for example having more wild spaces for natural habitats to form。 Also to get out more， to focus， to be still， to watch more closely。 。。。more
Colin
，
Well done to small independent publisher Little Toller， for spotting the potential of a young （fourteen when he wrote this diary） man from Northern Ireland with a deep love for nature。 Dara McAnulty’s book has gone on to feature in several prize shortlists and won the prestigious Wainwright Prize。 Dara writes with a clear-eyed passion and immediacy about the world around him and with a well-developed sense of outrage about the depredations that humans have wrought on it。 His is a powerful voice Well done to small independent publisher Little Toller， for spotting the potential of a young （fourteen when he wrote this diary） man from Northern Ireland with a deep love for nature。 Dara McAnulty’s book has gone on to feature in several prize shortlists and won the prestigious Wainwright Prize。 Dara writes with a clear-eyed passion and immediacy about the world around him and with a well-developed sense of outrage about the depredations that humans have wrought on it。 His is a powerful voice for change and action， and if he sometimes feels despair， it only serves to drive him onward with more commitment。 His first person account of the experience of living with autism is also revealing and fascinating。 On the strength of this first book， he is bound to go far。 。。。more
Yarub Khayat
，
مؤلف هذا الكتاب شاب بريطاني من إيرلندا عمره 16 عاما مصاب بالتوحد، فاز بسبب كتابه هذا المتعلق ببيئة الغابة التي كان يرتادها، بجوائز مرموقة وبتقدير معنوي من قبل جهات بيئية معتبرة، وينافس كتابه هذا خمسة كتب أخرى على الفوز بجائزة أدبية رفيعة جدا （ منها كتاب السيرة الذاتية لباراك أوباما ） وذلك حسب الوضع يوم كتابة هذه المراجعة أي 9 إبريل 2021。تم تشخيص معاناة هذا الشاب من طيف التوحد عندما كان في السابعة من العمر 。。 كان وقتها يفضل العزلة والابتعاد عن الأماكن المزدحمة ولا يهتم بكرة القدم ولا بالألعاب الأ مؤلف هذا الكتاب شاب بريطاني من إيرلندا عمره 16 عاما مصاب بالتوحد، فاز بسبب كتابه هذا المتعلق ببيئة الغابة التي كان يرتادها، بجوائز مرموقة وبتقدير معنوي من قبل جهات بيئية معتبرة، وينافس كتابه هذا خمسة كتب أخرى على الفوز بجائزة أدبية رفيعة جدا （ منها كتاب السيرة الذاتية لباراك أوباما ） وذلك حسب الوضع يوم كتابة هذه المراجعة أي 9 إبريل 2021。تم تشخيص معاناة هذا الشاب من طيف التوحد عندما كان في السابعة من العمر 。。 كان وقتها يفضل العزلة والابتعاد عن الأماكن المزدحمة ولا يهتم بكرة القدم ولا بالألعاب الألكترونية التي يحرص عليها من في عمره، ووجد في الطبيعة والغابات المنتشرة في موطنه بشمال إيرلندا أكثر من مجرد مهرب من حياة الصخب والتنمر الذي كان يتعرض له من أقرانه: وجد فيها منظومة تساعده على الحياة بأمان ！وحيث لاحظ من خلال علاقته هذه مع الغابة، سلوك ومشاعر الحيوانات والطيور المختلفة، ونمو الأشجار والمزروعات الأخرى، وتأثر ذلك باختلاف فصول السنة، فقد قام وهو في سن الرابعة عشرة من العمر بكتابة ملاحظاته يوميا على مشاهداته في الغابة وعلى نفسه ونموه، وذلك على مدار عام كامل مبتدئا بفصل الربيع ثم الصيف ثم الخريف وصولا للشتاء، وقد تضمنت ملاحظاته هذه أوصافا وتعليقات لا تصدر إلا من متأمل للغابة ملاحظ لكل صغيرة وكبيرة بدقة وهدوء، عاشق لكل ما يراه فيها، دقيق الملاحظة بشكل استثنائي。الجدير بالذكر أن إسم هذا الشاب مؤلف الكتاب/ （ Dara ）، يعني باللهجة الإيرلندية "الحكيم" 。。 ويبدو أن في ذلك مصداقا للقول بأن لكل من اسمه نصيب。صدر هذا الكتاب في شهر يونيو عام 2020، مكونا من 240 صفحة، مكتوبة بشكل سلس وجذاب وكلمات مختصرة وسهلة。 بالفيديو القصير المرفق تسجيل لهذا الشاب يتحدث فيه عن محتويات كتابه، وفي رأيي أنه يستحق المشاهدة وهو خير دعاية لقراءة الكتاب。https://youtu。be/RouNh5qt0_g 。。。more
SueLucie
，
What a gorgeously written and emotive account of three seasons’ observation of the world around him from this very young author。 He describes in almost sensory detail the wild places he visits with his family， the wildlife and plants he sees there and his responses to these experiences， along with comments on his daily life and inner feelings， his hopes and fears for the world he is growing up in。 I feel privileged to have been on these journeys with him。A few passages that struck me especially: What a gorgeously written and emotive account of three seasons’ observation of the world around him from this very young author。 He describes in almost sensory detail the wild places he visits with his family， the wildlife and plants he sees there and his responses to these experiences， along with comments on his daily life and inner feelings， his hopes and fears for the world he is growing up in。 I feel privileged to have been on these journeys with him。A few passages that struck me especially:Dara， my name， means ‘oak’ in Irish， and sitting up in the branches of that majestic tree， feeling the pulse of a life that has been growing in Castle Archdale soil for nearly five hundred years， I was clinging to my childhood by a twig。I feel the need to be brave but am unsure how I can be。 The world is so confusing most of the time。 The noise， the images， the instructions。 Orders， demands。 All clamouring， always clamouring。 Shouting above it all seems impossible。 Should we all be content with changing a little corner of our world？In a fast-paced and competitive world， we need to feel grounded。 We need to feel the earth and hear birdsong。 We need to use our senses to be in the world。 Maybe， if we bang our heads against a brick wall for long enough， it will crumble and fall。 And maybe the rubble can be used to rebuild something better and more beautiful， enabling our own wildness。 Imagine that。An inspirational read and I look forward to following his progress as an activist and author。With thanks to Random House， Ebury Press via NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC。 。。。more
Lynda
，
You can hear the author’s enthusiasm & love of all things nature in his writing。 Love the family connection with autism & amazing how his autistic Mum has created a special bond and knowing when downtime is vital。 We’ll have to look out for Dara as the eventual replacement in years to come for brilliant Chris Packham maybe。。。
Lucy
，
I got this book in a book box and， while I loved the cover， memoirs weren't normally something I picked up。 But I was in the mood to read nature books and so I picked this up。 It's a little strange to review a memoir of someone's life but I really liked how this was done。 There was a kind of narrative as McNaulty moved schools and homes and really settled into becoming a youth activist。 Along the way， we got a picture of how nature is very intergrated into his life and how the environment is rea I got this book in a book box and， while I loved the cover， memoirs weren't normally something I picked up。 But I was in the mood to read nature books and so I picked this up。 It's a little strange to review a memoir of someone's life but I really liked how this was done。 There was a kind of narrative as McNaulty moved schools and homes and really settled into becoming a youth activist。 Along the way， we got a picture of how nature is very intergrated into his life and how the environment is really important for him and I liked the details about the different birds and animals he is focused along the way。 I would say that it took me a little while to get into this book， the writing style was surprisingly dense and I probably wouldn't end up rereading it。 4 stars！ 。。。more
Angharad Elin
，
What a wonderful book！ Hopefully my Gran will love it too。 Author is 100% a star of the future。
Joe Tristram
，
An amazing book。 I was not thrilled to find it on my to-read pile: "diary" and"young naturalist" sounded like a signpost to uninteresting reading and I was quite wrong！ A very engaging insight into the mind and emotions of a 13 year old young man whose solace is nature。 A real wake up call to the amount and detail of wildlife that can be observed in suburban gardens， parks and not-very-wild wild places。 And another good reminder that the climate and natural world crisis needs to be dealt with， u An amazing book。 I was not thrilled to find it on my to-read pile: "diary" and"young naturalist" sounded like a signpost to uninteresting reading and I was quite wrong！ A very engaging insight into the mind and emotions of a 13 year old young man whose solace is nature。 A real wake up call to the amount and detail of wildlife that can be observed in suburban gardens， parks and not-very-wild wild places。 And another good reminder that the climate and natural world crisis needs to be dealt with， urgently。 。。。more
Samantha
，
Th Diary of A NaturalistDara McAnulty⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A fascinating and riveting read。 This is the very special and personal nature experience diary of 15 year old Dara McAnulty。An Irish boy with Autism， finds crowds and talking to others a challenge， yet at such a young age with the challenge of having Autism he puts a lot of grown adults to shame。 He is an Activist fighting for nature， nature needs a voice to speak loud and clear and to make humans realise if we don’t do something now we will leave a Th Diary of A NaturalistDara McAnulty⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️A fascinating and riveting read。 This is the very special and personal nature experience diary of 15 year old Dara McAnulty。An Irish boy with Autism， finds crowds and talking to others a challenge， yet at such a young age with the challenge of having Autism he puts a lot of grown adults to shame。 He is an Activist fighting for nature， nature needs a voice to speak loud and clear and to make humans realise if we don’t do something now we will leave a path of destruction behind us。Dara talks about all his connections with birds， trees， leaves， conkers， spiders – in fact of its part of nature he is there， living， feeling and being in the moment。 He teaches us that nature can offer us， the human being an escape， a place to be with animals not against them。After watching the film ‘Into The Wild’ earlier in the week and sobbing my heart out I felt this was a perfect book to read next。My passion for trying to help has been ignited and I have started to plan a few a things that I’m going to do to help:1。 I am going to recycle some old wood and build a bird station in my garden and plant some wildflowers beneath for birds and butterflies to enjoy2。 I am going to go “plogging” once a month where I will run but pick up litter on the way round3。 I will try and use more recyclables and therefore produce less plastic wasteWe can all do our bit for nature。 Choose three things you could do to help out world thrive to be a better place。 Let us all live well together， humans， animals and plants alike。Thanks Dara for an exceptional insight into your world and for being such an inspiration。 。。。more
Vanne
，
Waargebeurd dagboek van de 15-jarige autistische en prijswinnende Dara uit Noord-Ierland， die zich inzet voor natuurbehoud en schrijft over zijn gevoelens， de natuur en zijn strijd om het groen in de toekomst te behouden。 Voor Biblion alwaar de gehele recensie te zien zal zijn。 Wonderlijk verslag。
Rob
，
Great to read of someone's enthusiasm for nature and the positive effects it has had for them while growing up。 If we all had this connection we wouldn't accept the mess the ecosystem is in which we are a part of and depend on。I think that I may have read enough diary formats for a while though as this book didn't fully engage me as it should have despite the fact that it was well written。 Great to read of someone's enthusiasm for nature and the positive effects it has had for them while growing up。 If we all had this connection we wouldn't accept the mess the ecosystem is in which we are a part of and depend on。I think that I may have read enough diary formats for a while though as this book didn't fully engage me as it should have despite the fact that it was well written。 。。。more
mahesh
，
After started learning Bird photography， I was able to identify diverse bird species and their behavior。 Exploration of the bird universe introduced me to the unique world of freedom， beauty， and magic。 To get closer to the realm of birds and nature， "Diary of young naturalist" books have contributed a lot from the day I have started reading。The author is itself a Naturalist， So he constructed a picturesque kingdom of Birds and forest in this book。 Writing skill and stronghold on a vocabulary of After started learning Bird photography， I was able to identify diverse bird species and their behavior。 Exploration of the bird universe introduced me to the unique world of freedom， beauty， and magic。 To get closer to the realm of birds and nature， "Diary of young naturalist" books have contributed a lot from the day I have started reading。The author is itself a Naturalist， So he constructed a picturesque kingdom of Birds and forest in this book。 Writing skill and stronghold on a vocabulary of an author made me jealous， it is surprising to see exceptional writing skill at a young age。 Somehow he has inspired me to write day-to-day bird watching in my journal， I am very grateful for that。 Hope he inspires more people who love birds。It is not a novel， Its a journal of a naturalist and conservationist。 You might lose interest if you are not familiar with birds and trees， Sometimes you have to google so many bird names mentioned in the book if you are not a part of Europe。 Even I have searched birds' names in Google since I am familiar only with Indian birds。Since he has autism， you should try to understand his journal through the viewpoint of an autistic person's behavior otherwise you might find this book exaggerated sometimes。 You don't have to worry， He is not like Greta Thunberg（ How dare you！！！！）。 Please go on reading。Overall it is a good book if you are interested in nature。 。。。more
Debs Erwin
，
Deserving of all the accolades and the awards， this is a wonderful book。 If everyone knew even a fraction of what Dara knows about the living world then we'd all be far better off and it is inspiring me to learn more and slow down to notice more in nature。 These pages ring out with honesty， passion， clear insight about the destructive path we're on for ourselves as well as nature， and a deep love of the living world。 Deserving of all the accolades and the awards， this is a wonderful book。 If everyone knew even a fraction of what Dara knows about the living world then we'd all be far better off and it is inspiring me to learn more and slow down to notice more in nature。 These pages ring out with honesty， passion， clear insight about the destructive path we're on for ourselves as well as nature， and a deep love of the living world。 。。。more
Philippa Mckenna
，
What an absolute joy it was to spend a year with Dara as his diary took me through each of the seasons in turn， exploring the natural world through his eyes and perspective as an autistic teenager。 I feel inspired， and my own love for nature has taken on a new meaning。 What a wonderful work of non-fiction。
Lucas
，
This was one of the most beautiful pieces of literature ever created。 People underestimate young people and this is a perfect example。 Can not recommend it enough for children and adults alike！
Toria
，
This was a great nature memoir written by a 15 year old！ The book feels both youthful yet mature and is really engaging in his love for nature and his strong bond with his family， his mom and two siblings also have autism like him。 I really do hope Dara McAnulty writes another memoir or something else as I really enjoyed his writing。
Karen
，
Book club made me read it。 Was a slog for me but at same time I'm glad I persevered Book club made me read it。 Was a slog for me but at same time I'm glad I persevered 。。。more
Onella
，
Amazing。 Showstopping。 One of a kind。 All the other words from that one meme。 This book opened my eyes up to the world around me for what seemed like the first time。 When I go on walks now I notice all the wildlife that I didn't even realize was there before and since I don't know species of plants and animals just by looking at them， I downloaded an app which helped me identify them just from my photos （it is by NatGeo so it is legit）。 One of my favourite things about this book was that the Iri Amazing。 Showstopping。 One of a kind。 All the other words from that one meme。 This book opened my eyes up to the world around me for what seemed like the first time。 When I go on walks now I notice all the wildlife that I didn't even realize was there before and since I don't know species of plants and animals just by looking at them， I downloaded an app which helped me identify them just from my photos （it is by NatGeo so it is legit）。 One of my favourite things about this book was that the Irish mythology was talked about alongside the places where Dara goes and gave a different perspective on the place。 The myth relates exactly to the nature and land and as a mythology geek， this made me happy。 。。。more
Steve Griffin
，
Dara McAnulty feels deeply about wildlife。 For him， it is a counterpoint to the bullying and rote learning of school life in his home in Northern Ireland。 He is endlessly curious and loves education but， for him， school is not the place for it。 Rather it is in the woods and mountains around his home， in the oyster catchers he sees on the seashore and hen harriers in the forest， the woodlice crawling about in his garden。I loved this passionate diary， which is not only a homage to the natural worl Dara McAnulty feels deeply about wildlife。 For him， it is a counterpoint to the bullying and rote learning of school life in his home in Northern Ireland。 He is endlessly curious and loves education but， for him， school is not the place for it。 Rather it is in the woods and mountains around his home， in the oyster catchers he sees on the seashore and hen harriers in the forest， the woodlice crawling about in his garden。I loved this passionate diary， which is not only a homage to the natural world we are so busily decimating but also a work suffused with vision and poetic intensity。 Each season begins with a breathless flow of consciousness。 McAnulty consciously stores up happy memories of nature to help him cope with the stresses of teenage life。 He's firmly rooted in science but also deep within the Romantic tradition。 At times his experience and writing is reminiscent of Wordsworth， for whom memories of nature offered 'tranquil restoration' amidst the 'din of towns and cities'。 This short book is a clarion call to avert destruction and its method is the simplest and the best: to help us see what's there， and learn again to wonder at it。 From that all good will flow。 。。。more
Zoë
，
Immersive， fascinating and just so special。 This book has it all。 I fell in love with Dara and his family。 It inspired a new live for the natural world for me and it is s must read for anyone， especially if you love nature and the outside world。 Amazing ❣️
Heather
，
Wow， what an incredible read - even more amazing considering it was written by a 14 year old。 Nature books can be dull， but this was anything but - between making observations about the flora and fauna for each season McAnulty describes the challenges of having autism and the horrors of school bullies。 But then， and due to his passion for nature and suddenly finding himself in a group of understanding friends who also care about the environment， the author finds himself in a better place。 The bo Wow， what an incredible read - even more amazing considering it was written by a 14 year old。 Nature books can be dull， but this was anything but - between making observations about the flora and fauna for each season McAnulty describes the challenges of having autism and the horrors of school bullies。 But then， and due to his passion for nature and suddenly finding himself in a group of understanding friends who also care about the environment， the author finds himself in a better place。 The book isn't just a treatise on taking care of the great outdoors， but also about the stifling and outdated education system。 I can't wait to read McAnulty's next book！ 。。。more
Lily | Literary Lily
，
ugh I just wish I could have loved this book more than I did！ Dara's writing is wonderful and it really does transport you to Northern Ireland and the natural areas he is exploring。 I loved how he wrote about his and his family's autism， with such care and warmth， but still being honest。 As an autistic person myself， I found it hard at times reading about his bullying and mental health struggles as they are oh so familiar， but I loved hearing about the hope that pulled him through。 This is a rea ugh I just wish I could have loved this book more than I did！ Dara's writing is wonderful and it really does transport you to Northern Ireland and the natural areas he is exploring。 I loved how he wrote about his and his family's autism， with such care and warmth， but still being honest。 As an autistic person myself， I found it hard at times reading about his bullying and mental health struggles as they are oh so familiar， but I loved hearing about the hope that pulled him through。 This is a really excellent read for anyone on the spectrum or for someone whose loved one is autistic。 Unfortunately for me I just found it a little too dry and repetitive。 I wanted to hear more about all aspects of his life， and found the repeated entries about walks and sitting in his hammock hard to read about continuously。 I think this speaks more to the book not truly being one for me rather than a bad book。 In fact I think this is a pretty good book and would recommend it to anyone interested in natural science and nature， but unfortunately missed its mark with me！ 。。。more
Barbara
，
Diary of a NaturalistDara Mac Anulty is a teenager from Northern Ireland on the autism spectrum。 He is seventeen years old。 His younger brother and sister， and his mom We “are all autistic， except Dad — he’s the odd one out”。 He does write a lot about each of his family members， and they all come through as remarkable。 This book won him the Wainwright Prize， which celebrates the best nature writing in the UK。Dara writes with such passion about nature， I felt I had missed out on so much in my lif Diary of a NaturalistDara Mac Anulty is a teenager from Northern Ireland on the autism spectrum。 He is seventeen years old。 His younger brother and sister， and his mom We “are all autistic， except Dad — he’s the odd one out”。 He does write a lot about each of his family members， and they all come through as remarkable。 This book won him the Wainwright Prize， which celebrates the best nature writing in the UK。Dara writes with such passion about nature， I felt I had missed out on so much in my life by not applying the intense focus to my surroundings that he does。 There were a few times when I was much younger and traveling in Ireland， that I came close。 Decades ago， the west of Ireland was an empty place， and cycling through vast wild spaces， I thought that this was the best way to really see the country – to move through it， not in a vehicle， and be subject to all the weather。 Dara replaces the word obsession -often applied to the intense interests that some people on the autism spectrum may develop- with the word passions。 His passion for nature is an escape from a world that is often overstimulating， and unfriendly。 He manifests so much joy in experiences such as seeing a murmuration of starlings for the first time， or a sudden snow squall on a mountain top in County Down at the end of February。 He reminds us to savor these moments as we may not experience them again。Like anyone who is different， especially a child and now teen， he has experienced bullying。 Bullying is a behavior that is often minimalized， and robs the victim of a feeling of self-worth。 Dara has used his diary as a place to describe those things that make him feel bad， but more importantly， those things in the world that produce great joy in him。Dara is， above all， cynical of the attention of politicians， and other adults， who acclaim young people for their environmental activism。 He notes those that show up to shake hands， and heap praise on them， quickly depart， and do nothing to change things。 Dara’s book has captivated me and moved me more than all the climate activism I have seen recently。 Right now as I write this， hundreds of thousands of Americans in Texas， as well as Louisiana and neighboring states， are experiencing the complete failure of their power infrastructure， as extreme weather has gripped the area。 We do not know yet how many lives will be lost， human and wildlife （as well as other animals）。 Those who deny climate change are blaming it on the wind turbines。 Really？ In Ireland and the UK is currently experiencing cold and snow that is practically unheard of。 Dara and his generation see the writing on the wall。 We must start to listen。 。。。more
Kafl
，
This is an amazing book， a diary following the seasons， following nature， following dara's ups and downs， his move from Fermanagh to Down， the start of the fridays for climate strike movement and so much more。 It gave both an insight into the natural world right in our back gardens as well as an insight into the struggles of an autistic teenager in his social environment。 The writing is exquisitely beautiful， i enjoyed it immensely。 This is an amazing book， a diary following the seasons， following nature， following dara's ups and downs， his move from Fermanagh to Down， the start of the fridays for climate strike movement and so much more。 It gave both an insight into the natural world right in our back gardens as well as an insight into the struggles of an autistic teenager in his social environment。 The writing is exquisitely beautiful， i enjoyed it immensely。 。。。more
Martina
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This achingly beautiful book is proof， once again， that people on the autistic spectrum are not "damaged，" but just seem to be tuned into different frequencies than most others。 I'm so grateful to Dara McAnulty for sharing how he experiences the natural world， for pointing out the heartbreaking shortcomings of our so-called "civilized" world， and for advocating for a greater understanding of the beauty of nature and all that lives within。 With the help of his unique experience and insights， Dara This achingly beautiful book is proof， once again， that people on the autistic spectrum are not "damaged，" but just seem to be tuned into different frequencies than most others。 I'm so grateful to Dara McAnulty for sharing how he experiences the natural world， for pointing out the heartbreaking shortcomings of our so-called "civilized" world， and for advocating for a greater understanding of the beauty of nature and all that lives within。 With the help of his unique experience and insights， Dara McAnulty's poetic mastery of descriptive language opens our eyes and hearts to his wondrous intimate relationship with nature and the challenges he faces living among persons who are tuned into different （and often mis-labeled more "normal"） frequencies of being。 Thank you！ 。。。more
Adrian Fingleton
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A very engaging and honest book written by this young man who obviously has a great love for nature and the outdoors。 Highly recommended for anyone with the slightest interest in our environment and the challenges that it （and we） face。
Ginna
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This book has made me think again about the love of nature we have instinctively as children， how school crushes spirits， the things I loved and was interested in in my early life and how I'm slowly circling back to "myself" This book has made me think again about the love of nature we have instinctively as children， how school crushes spirits， the things I loved and was interested in in my early life and how I'm slowly circling back to "myself" 。。。more
Debbie
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