Five favourite children’s books about the Great Outdoors, compiled by author Barbara Henderson
There is something about the high places, isn’t there? Mountains have sparked untold awe in civilisation after civilisation, century after century. Take the Gods of Olympus? Or the revelation of the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai. From Himalayan yetis to the mountain lairs of Norse dragons, the mountain landscape has felt ‘other’ – in mythological and religious terms, as well as geographical.
I don’t have a fantastic head for heights, but to quote my fellow author Lari Don: ‘As far as I’m concerned, mountains are there to be got on top of.’
So, without further ado, here are some children’s and teen stories featuring mountains. Grab your harness and let’s go:
Mountain Rescue Dog by Juliette Forrest
This gorgeous book combines a touching love between a girl and her dog with the forbidding mountain landscapes of the Highlands of Scotland. It handles issues of grief with sensitivity and balances the dangers and glories of the wilderness beautifully.
Callum and the Mountain by Alan McClure
On keeping with the stories of old, the titular Mountain in Alan McClures wildly original tale is associated with magic. The story is a celebration of living in the shadow of mountains, but also of friendship, music, imagination and – and yes, of unfathomable mountain magic.
The Abominables by Eva Ibbotson & Jamie Littler
What if you found yourself kidnapped by yetis and put in charge of their unruly children? A light-hearted book full of fun, but also full of awe and respect for the mighty mountain landscape of the Himalayas.
There’s a Mountain in this Book by Rachel Elliot, illustrated by Genevieve Lacroix
A stunning non-fiction book for children of all ages, this visual feast is jam-packed with information and cleverly designed to be interactive, with information to discover behind die-cut flaps and folding pages. The Alps, Kilimanjaro, Himalayan and the Rockies – children will find themselves immersed in mountain landscapes and their many habitats.
Rocking Horse War by Lari Don
This book deserves to be much better known – tapping into the old magic we associate with mountain landscapes. With a historical 1920s setting and magical rocking horses, the heroine Pearl must discover her missing siblings with the help of her friend Thomas. However, can she succeed when ancient magic turns the very rocks of the mountains against her? A fantastic magical adventure!
Barbara Henderson is the award-winning author of a dozen books. Her historical and eco-fiction for children is widely studied in schools, and she has won two Young Quills Awards from the Historical Association. She was the inaugural Forth Bridge Writer-in-Residence. Barbara is based in the Scottish Highlands where she still teaches Drama – but she loves to travel and spread the story-love in schools. When she gets the chance, she likes to head to a coffee shop, a museum, a ruin or to the nearby hills. Her latest novel for children, contemporary Mountain adventure I Don’t Do Mountains, is out now from Scottish Mountaineering Press.
Read our My Book Corner review by Sarah Broadley here.
