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!)

This is another ARC I got from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and once again I'm extremely glad I did! This book was a magical adaptation of an already wonderful book. Monique Gray Smith's adaptation of Robin Wall Kimmerer's prose is pitch-perfect. It's really wonderful how the prose from the original is adapted for younger readers but loses none of the voice or care from Kimmerer's original - Smith's work on this front clearly comes from a place of love and care and it shines through every word. The illustrations are also wonderful touches that highlight and emphasize the critical lessons in the text. I can't wait for my library to buy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lerner Publishing Group, and the authors for an advanced copy of this book.

I’ve been intrigued with Braiding Sweetgrassfor 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 an array of 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.

I first heard of BRAIDING SWEETGRASS when a book club that I technically joined but am terrible at participating in read the book for one of its selections. I followed some of the discussion about the book, and I had it on my reading list, but hadn’t managed to read it by the club deadline. So when I saw that there was a YA version coming out, I figured that would actually be perfect to read and review here.

One of my favorite things about the book is how thoughtful it is. The author shares stories and traditions, inviting readers into a greater understanding of the way that North American Indigenous people see the world around us. Instead of thinking of ourselves as the most important or only important creatures, she invites us to think of all of nature as fellow creatures, or kin. I like the inherent respect and the way that changes the connection with the natural world when I think of it like that.

She also shares the idea that we approach nature with gratitude, appreciating her gifts. Asking before we take. Taking only what we need. Using everything we take.

The book is broken into short sections that explore tradition and the science underlying those methods. Do they work? Why? How? I loved the connection between those two things. I think it really resonates with me that spiritual truth and science are hand in hand, not oppositional forces. So I loved that exploration.

She also continually invites readers to think about how we interact with the natural world. In what ways are we connected to nature? How can we connect? Or show gratitude? How can the traditions she shares (and cautions against appropriating) influence how we see and act in nature.

So I feel like she gave me a lot to think about, and a lot to look forward to experimenting with.

I think BRAIDING SWEETGRASS is a great book for anyone interested in conservation or plants or nature. It’s also a welcoming read to any who want to learn more about Indigenous people, their history, and their beliefs.

Review will post on 11/5/22.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. This is a book so many people need. I would recommend ot to everyone

Young adult adaptations of popular works are tricky; you don't want to infantalize the content but you also want to make it more readable for the younger audience. Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults succeeds in this, making an important work on indigenous culture and history incredibly approachable and engaging.

The original book is something that everyone should have in their personal library. This young adult/teen adaptation was outstanding. The stories and information regarding Natives is phenomenal. I am very excited to recommend this revamping to others who have also enjoyed the original after publication date.

Meditative and calming with really interesting stories about the natural world. Prompting questions help you think about your place in the world.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the #gifted copy.

I have been fascinated with Sweetgrass since living in Charleston and watching people making baskets. I was excited to read this book to learn more about it. I was not disappointed. It really is a great source to learning about Sweetgrass.

I’ve known of the relationship of Native cultures to the natural environment for quite some time. But it took Braiding Sweetgrass for me to comprehend the depth of the reciprocal relationship. The idea that nature depends on humans as much as humanity depends on nature was new to me. Robin Wall Kimmerer does a beautiful job of explaining how Native practices respect and honor the natural world. Nature is a gift and plants are harvested with love and respect. And no part is wasted. She also showed how some of our society’s attempts to save the environment are actually doing more harm than good. Although the book was a bit long, it gave me a lot to think about and a new appreciation for Native culture and practices. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful adaptation of his lovely book. The original was recommended to me by a student and I can return the favor and recommend this new text even further.

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.

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.

Just truly excellent--I cannot express that enough. It's simply eye-opening and it warms and comforts the heart, reaching deep to where something I know we all know but have unconsciously lost resides. We all need this book.

I love the artwork and the helpful notes as well--notes that even as an adult I found I needed sometimes. It's a wonderful adaptation and I really wouldn't be able to recommend it enough! The original and this are a must-have for everyone's collections.

A thoughtful treatise on appreciating and remembering our place in nature aimed at a younger audience. This looks to be an excellent adaptation of the original Braiding Sweetgrass to be made more accessible. There are beautiful illustrations and images throughout, and definition boxes alongside the text will aid younger readers in understanding key concepts as they read. An excellent read for any young adults who are interested in nature.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Reading the adult version of Braiding Sweetgrass was a transformative experience, and I've long wished to share that experience with my students. In this edition, Monique Gray Smith does an excellent job of preserving Kimmerer's main ideas and poetic prose while increasing the accessibility factor for emerging readers, and adding a little more to the braid for relevance in a 2022 world.

I am looking forward to buying a class set of this book for my high school science students. I plan to use sections of it to facilitate discussion about the nature of science, why we learn science, and the importance of becoming naturalized to place even if we aren't indigenous to it.

Overall, I highly recommend this book.

Never did I think Braiding Sweetgrass could be made even better,,,, but here we are. I cannot wait to use this in the classroom. It will be a core memory for the kids.

Great content, but sometimes it got too repetitive. I think this version was a lot more accessible and a lot more organized than the original, however. Thank you for letting me review it!

This is an incredible adaptation of the book Braiding Sweetgrass. Working in outdoor education I have heard a lot about Robin Wall Kimmerer and I am hopeful to pass along this version of their book to the students I work with!