Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: A Guide to the Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: A Guide to the Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants Reviews

• 
  James Estrella

  Thank you to NetGalley and the authors for an advanced copy of this young adult adaptation of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass.
  
  As a community college educator, I’m constantly looking for accessible, affordable, and challenging texts to assign in my ethnic and gender studies classes. I typically refrain from assigning young adult adaptations since I find most to be a bit too simplistic, even for young adults. However, this young readers adaptation is different. An emphasis on key passages and discussion prompts is helpful for youth and adults alike. The adaptation doesn’t include a couple essays that are in the original, but this is a plus if you’re looking for a shorter read to assign in classes with supplemental materials or if your community read is on a shorter timeline. And the art! Beautiful and worthy of dialogue on its own. I also appreciate that the art is by Indigenous creatives.
  
  Overall, this text would work well in any introductory Indigenous Studies, Ethnic Studies, or environmental justice course. It’s also great if you’re looking for a shorter adaption that doesn’t sacrifice the original’s depth and complexity of ideas. I can’t wait to share it in class and with my local neighborhood read. A solid adaptation of an already stellar book that I can’t recommend enough.
• 
  Beth

  Nice book with reflective questions to get you to think about your own traditions and relationship with nature.
• 
  Syntaxx

  Miigweetch NetGalley and Zest Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
  
  I am Indigenous and have been hearing about the original version of this book since before it was published. “Braiding Sweetgrass” has been recommended to me numerous times by numerous sources (it was even selected for my friend’s church book club!), nevertheless, I just never quite got around to reading it. When I saw this version for young adults, I jumped at the chance to review it and I have not been disappointed.
  
  The book is beautifully illustrated and the ideas are moving, powerful, and most importantly, accessible. The author does a fantastic job of breaking these complex concepts down into digestible bits that anyone can understand and begin to engage with. The illustrations are gorgeous and provide good context to the text.
  
  I recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand Indigenous ways of knowing, environmentalists, and young people in general because the world they are inheriting is literally on fire and this might be the survival handbook they need to make it into the next future.
• 
  Kari

  
  I received a preview of just the first chapter of this book, and I’ll say that it was enough to make me want to read the rest of it when it’s released! The adult version has been on my “to read” list for a while now, and I’m considering going straight for the the YA version upon its release! At least from what I read, this version makes the information so accessible for younger readers, and the visuals and reflection questions add greater depth to the insight that is written on its pages. This is something I’d be very interested in sharing with my students, so that they, too, can “look for relationships and understand the threads that connect the world. To join instead of divide.”
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this advanced sample!
  
  
• 
  wanderonwards

  Thank you to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for sending me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Braiding Sweetgrass is one of those books that I recommend to everyone: I first read it in 2021 and it’s stayed in my mind ever since. For me, it was that exceptional of a read. So it should come as no shock to anyone that I was thrilled to learn there was a young adult adaptation in the works.
  
  This YA version of Braiding Sweetgrass was everything I look for in a young reader’s adaptation: presenting the ideas of the original in an engaging and teen-accessible way while preserving the feeling of the original and offering something new. I don’t have both copies to compare chapter-by-chapter, but the YA version seems to stay fairly true to the original. Of course, not everything can be included, but there are a couple of original essays new to this version. Two of my favorite new additions for the YA adaptation are the incredible illustrations and questions throughout that encourage action and further self-reflection.
  
  Overall, this is an excellent young reader’s adaptation of one of my favorite reads. I will definitely be adding a copy to my library. Thank you again to NetGalley and Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to review an ARC.
• 
  Kirsten

  "you have to be involved. You have to contribute to the well-being of the world."
  
  This is required reading.
  Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer's gift of voice and knowledge is woven throughout and not lost in this young adult adaptation. By reading, you gain an appreciation for all of Mother Earth's gifts given to sustain a good life. She evaluates our modern society and asks deep questions of how we can return to an appreciation for the land and join in the act of reciprocity. I appreciate the teachings and lessons and it makes me look at plants and the land in a new way; I want to learn more about the native plants surrounding my home.
  This is a collection filled with love and hope.
  I hope Dr. Kimmerer will continue to record and write, I would love to read more!
• 
  Megan

  I read this for work, as it is one of the texts we are considering adopting for summer reading. Admittedly, this is far outside my comfort zone, but I found the reading of this work to be enlightening and peaceful. This book blends indigenous culture and beliefs with botany, leading to a text that brims with gratitude for our planet and all it gives to the human race. It encourages humans to engage in a more symbiotic relationship with our world and all its plants and creatures. For our students, I think it will provide a look at climate studies that is rooted not just in science, but also in our shared humanity, and provides hopeful alternatives for communing with our planet.
• 
  Andrea Wright

  Truthfully I did not read the entire book before being archived, but I was enjoying what I read. I will check this out from the library to try again because I felt like it was so different from the original book. I would love to see them both side by side.
  Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review this book!
  Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults by Robin Wall Kimmerer; Monique Gray Smith. #BraidingSweetgrassforYoungAdults #NetGalley
• 
  Sydney Young

  I was lucky enough to review a first chapter sample arc for BRAIDING SWEETGRASS FOR YOUNG ADULTS and have to say that it is gorgeous and thought provoking, and I wish I had been able to read something like this when I was younger. In the same vein as BRAIDING SWEETGRASS, natural botany and stories figure very much into this chapter, and so I assume the whole book, but with a twist. The big twist is a story of Kimmerer's educational training and scientific boxing (I don't want to give it away, please read to understand), and how young adults can learn to think outside the box form a young age. Absolutely love this and want my own copy when it publishes.
• 
  Melanie

  This book has moved me. This book makes me rethink my connections to the Earth-past, present, and future. It helps me examine my worldview and how a life of reciprocity and gratitude help sustain the Earth. The connections humans make not only to one another but to the resources we consume have profound impact.
• 
  Erika

  This book can easily be integrated into classrooms with students of any age - teachers can share the teachings with young students, passages can be read and discussed, and the book could be studied from grades 6 to 12. Powerful teachings for everyone.
• 
  Talya Boerner

  Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review the first chapter of Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults (to be published 11/2022).
  
  Author Robin Wall Kimmerer is a botanist and a member of the Potawatomi Nation. In Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, she uses personal stories to bring the reader into her world. She asks thoughtful questions and provides scientific definitions in sidebar notations. Illustrations are clear and informative. With prose that is as tranquil as a walk beneath the forest canopy, Kimmerer reminds the reader of the interconnectivity of all living things.
• 
  Tatyana ♡

  Thank you to NetGalley, Lerner Publishing Group, and the authors for an advanced copy of this book.
  
  I’ve been intrigued with Braiding Sweetgrass for some time, so when I heard about the YA adaptation I jumped on the opportunity to read it. Robin Wall Kimmerer uses personal experiences, anecdotes, and gathered knowledge to weave together lessons about ecology. The book covers various topics including understanding sustainability and reciprocity, gratitude, our relationship with nature, and reclamation.
  
  Throughout the book, I enjoyed the push to reconnect with history and reclaim culture. I also deeply appreciate and respect the frequent reminders that readers should find ways to learn from this information without appropriating Indigenous culture and practices.
  
  I honestly think the YA adaptation of Braiding Sweetgrass is a perfect gift to younger readers. The entire time I was reading, I kept thinking about how I would have benefitted from having this book at a young age. The information is presented in an accessible language without degrading the message or making the reader feel like they are being spoken down to. The illustrations and photographs add to the book's character. I found the definitions fit well, and the guided questions kept me engaged with the overall message.
  
  This should be a staple that is read periodically rot fully digest the message. I’ll be recommending this to everyone I can.
• 
  Annie

  Originally posted on my blog
  Nonstop Reader.
  
  Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults is a generous and rich collection of stories and indigenous wisdom written and curated by
  Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer and adapted from her book Braiding Sweetgrass. Released 1st Nov 2022 by Lerner on their
  Zest imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in paperback, library binding, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
  
  This book combines folkloric wisdom as it intersects science/botany and the deep longing most people feel to *belong* to something larger than the individual. Throughout the book there are stories handed down in an unbroken chain through oral tradition as well as practical knowledge. It's a hopeful, gentle book full of optimism. 
  
  Graphically, it's quite appealing, with pages broken up into sidebars and text boxes, interspersed with line drawn illustrations by
  Nicole Neidhardt. The author has also included an abbreviated bibliography and links for further reading. 
  
  Five stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or possibly as a support/adjunct resource for related classroom study (world cultures, comparative religion, history, ecology/science, etc). The book is adapted for ~12-18 year olds, but there are valuable takeaways here for all ages.
  
  Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
• 
  M Samuell

  I first learned of Robin Wall Kimmerer during her guest interview on the podcast "Ologies with Alie Ward',
  Robin is a profound speaker and has an unparalleled passion for Indigenous Botany. I never knew American plant life could be so awe-inspiring! I have had Braiding Sweetgrass on my TBR ever since.
  
  Conceptually, Kimmerer weaves an engaging narrative from the first page. (Who doesn't love an underdog in STEAM?) However, I feel as though the 'Young Adult' model may be unfairly balanced. The sidenotes in the first chapter alone offer definitions for concepts like 'botany' and 'worldview' yet expect the reader to understand things like 'energetic reciprocity' and the history of Indian Boarding Schools.
  
  In a guided lesson these topics could be explored with the depth that they deserve. As a recreational read, however, I cannot envision many teenagers/young adults staying the course.
  
  I would like to give this introduction a 5/5 for storytelling alone, but the sample is too short to properly gage relative interest. As a result, I will settle for 3/5 and eagerly anticipate the full release.
• 
  Kasey Giard

  One of my favorite things about this book is the way that the author will share traditions or indigenous stories and then explains the science that undergirds those ideas concerning how to care for and interact with the environment.
  
  There are a lot of introspective questions in the book that invite the reader to explore what they believe about nature and our role in caring for the environment. I loved the way the author breaks down different scientific studies. I also loved the stories she tells about different people she met and how their lives impacted her own. It weaves a beautiful circle showing how we are all connected and inviting us to take care of one another or see one another in a different way.
  
  I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this book far exceeded what I thought it would be. I read it as an e-book, but I feel like this is one I'll need to order a hard copy of so that I can write notes and see the pages as I think through things.
  
  Fans of the study of nature or readers looking to expand their understanding of indigenous beliefs definitely need to read this one.
• 
  Ashleah

  I read Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer just a few months ago. I recently found out that Monique Gray Smith is adapting it as Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, which is exciting! Thanks to NetGalley, I was provided a sample chapter with illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt. I'm definitely going to be reading the full version once it is released in November 2022.
  
  First of all, Neidhardt's illustrations are breathtaking, and coordinate perfectly with the text on the page. There are also photographs of different plants that are being discussed. I like that there are offset definitions of terms included in the prose, as well, to help the young adults reading the book to understand concepts that might be new to them. There are also offset discussion questions, to help the reader think critically about the text that they are reading. At the end of the sample, there are further discussion questions for even deeper critical thinking about the topics that were brought up in this chapter.
• 
  Sam

  What a gift!
  
  I am blown away with how effectively Robin Wall Kimmerer's journey and heart for storytelling has been translated in this new version for young adults. Even as an adorer of the original Braiding Sweetgrass, I've found myself wondering if young adult shouldn't have been the real audience all along. Braiding Sweetgrass is thought provoking, timely, relevant, a joy, and should be required reading for anyone interested in the different ways in which we can relate to and be in relation with the world around us. So what a gift it will be to have a more accessible and visually engaging version of Robin's stories for our young naturalists, environmentalists, and Indigenous youth.
  
  I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to read an advance chapter of Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults" and eagerly await its full release this upcoming fall 2022!
• 
  Novel Obsession

  I purchased a copy of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass when it first came out. I wanted to support a book written by an Indigenous person who is also a scientist. I had hoped that it would be as good as the hype. It was, and is. There isn’t anything quite like it. When I was offered a chance to read Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, I definitely wanted to check it out. I work with a lot of teens and hoped that this would be a great addition. The book is good, but I feel like it has been simplified too much for that demographic. Your average teen reading this book doesn’t need to have the word botany defined for them. Many of the social issues are much too simplified. Personally, I would rather give the original version a recommendation to teens over this YA edition.
  
  Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher.
• 
  Zoe Elizabeth (Booksatlunch)

  Unfortunately, this book fell pretty flat for me compared to the original. I'm so gutted about the textbookification of this edition - especially the definitions. Some of them come off as pretty condescending - even for teens. I would have rather a YA edition that didn't feel like it was for classrooms but for teens who are actually excited for learning about the intersection of Indigenous practices and modern science.
  
  The prose is pared down and less dense, but still does a really wonderful job at showing the beauty of Kimmerer's original prose and the magic behind her works.
  
  The illustrations are also STUNNING and add so much to the story. I would love an illustrated version of the original full text.
  
  Overall, I'm hoping that this will get some teens interested in this book, but I think this adaptation did some disservice to itself and appealing to teens outside of a classroom.
  
  Thanks to the publishers for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Ann

  I've been meaning to read the original Braiding Sweetgrass for so long. Braided grass is such an effective metaphor for this book, wherein Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer braids indigenous wisdom, science, and her personal connection with plants into essay/chapters compelling to read and absorb. This YA edition adapted by Monique Gray Smith adds discussion prompts, key concept sidebars, and arresting illustrations by Nicole Neidhardt. The 1,2,3 punch of science, story, and indigenous insight works just as well here. I will definitely recommend this to my educator friends and to colleagues in the literary journal world, too. This is an adaptation done right.
  
  [Thanks to Lerner Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]
• 
  Libriar

  This is an excellent adaptation of Kimmerer's adult book. It omits information about her personal relationships and tightens things up to really focus on plants, nature, and Indigenous knowledge. I believe there is also a new essay or two (although I read the original some time ago so I could be mistaken.) Adults who want to read something shorter than the original will like this. I'm not sure how many teens would pick this up on their own but it would be wonderful to use in a high school course with students. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter are excellent but made it feel a bit more like a textbook (and I felt a bit guilty that I didn't properly reflect after each chapter!) ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
• 
  Ryan Yewchin

  Okay, two people liked my review purely on stars so I’ll post a written on.
  
  Excellent. Interesting to read an adaption, having read some of the original. Monique is an incredibly versatile writer and pulls this challenge off well in terms of transferring voice and content.
  
  In terms of ideas, I do find it interesting and challenging to read indigenous pedagogy. It is a different way of knowing and being and there are challenges to that understanding for me.
  
  The understanding of time is non linear for the Iroquois. There are only great times. What was is and will be again. You learn about the Three Sisters, how their biology works collaborative in growing and eating. You learn how this lesson was taught in a time of famine and how the time of famine will come again and we will be taught again.
  
  Certainly a number of things to sit with.
• 
  Myn

  I haven’t read the original Braiding Sweetgrass (I plan to though) but this “for young readers” edition is spectacular. I don’t honestly think it is for just young readers as there is plenty for every human to absorb and reflect upon and is written without the down-graded simplicity that often accompanies “young reader non-fiction”. This book is breathtaking in its beauty and lessons. It’s truth screams from every page. The book itself is beautiful with crafted images and carefully placed quotes. There is such profound truth in Indigenous teachings and I believe our global society needs to heed these teachings soon than later. I have much to ponder as I consider how I wish to proceed through this materialistic and capitalististic world.
• 
  Nikki

  I read the original version of this book and loved it. As a school librarian, I was thrilled to see it adapted for young readers. This edition does not disappoint. The encompassing warmth of the author's connection with nature comes through just as strongly here as in the original book. Perhaps even more. This book will draw readers in and hold them captive in the best way. As seen through the author's lens, nature and its impact on all of us, is clear and manifest. The message is simple; if you let it, nature will guide and change your life in ways you cannot imagine.
  
  I can't recommend this book enough. It should be in every middle school and high school library.