Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea [Hardcover]

Alice Waters (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2008

One of America's most influential chefs, Alice Waters created a revolution in 1971 when she introduced local, organic fare at her Berkeley, California, restaurant, Chez Panisse. Twenty-five years later, she and a small group of teachers and volunteers turned over long-abandoned soil at an urban middle school in Berkeley and planted the Edible Schoolyard. The schoolyard has since grown into a universal idea of Edible Education that integrates academics with growing, cooking, and sharing wholesome, delicious food. With inspiring images of the garden and kitchenand their young caretakersEdible Schoolyard is at once a visionary model for sustainable farming and childhood nutrition, and a call to action for schools across the country.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Waters is founder of The Edible Schoolyard, a gardening and cooking program on the campus of a Berkeley, CA, middle school. An organic garden on school grounds is tended and harvested by students, with hands-on ecology and nutrition lessons woven into the curriculum. The book details the history of the program while passionately touting the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits that arise from it. Bright photographs show the engaged youngsters at work and close-ups of the lush flora and garden fauna. Extensive back matter includes the principles of "edible education," food-related writings by some of the children, recipes, and notes that provide context for the photos on earlier pages. The text is essentially a long essay by Waters, a combination of chronology mixed with emotional storytelling. A bit rambly, and not really geared toward young readers, it may capture the interest of nature-loving kids but will likely be of more interest to adults. In a way, the whole package feels like a well-produced annual report or fundraising document for the program. Perhaps the best audience for the book would be principals looking for inspiring ideas to try at their own schools. A lovely product, but with narrow appeal to young readers.—Heidi Estrin, Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Alice Waters is president of the Chez Panisse Foundation, vice president of Slow Food International and the recipient of numerous awards. She is the author of many books including the Chez Panisse Cookbooks.

David Liittschwager is an award-winning photographer who has contributed to National Geographic.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1 edition (December 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811862801
• ISBN-13: 978-0811862806
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Organic Cooking
  • #46 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Gastronomy > History

More About the Author

Alice Waters is the visionary chef and owner of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. She is the author of four cookbooks, including Chez Panisse Vegetables and Fanny at Chez Panisse. In 1994 she founded the Edible schoolyard at Berkeley's Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, a model curriculum that integrates organic gardening into academic classes and into the life of the school; it will soon incorporate a school lunch program in which students will prepare, serve, and share food they grow themselves, augmented by organic dairy products, grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish - all locally and sustainably produced.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational book for those working with schoolchildren in an outdoor setting., July 14, 2009

By 

Opera Lover "bhutros" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea (Hardcover)

I purchased this book because I am working with a school here in Decatur, Ga, to begin a neighborhood garden. Alice Waters, inspired by the French example of good gardens as the basis of tasty cuisine help start a garden at a local middle school in Oakland, CA. This book describes the first years of the garden-a wonderful, messy project which includes the kids' written reactions and wonderful recipes. Get inspired!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Idea!, March 19, 2010

By 

DJY51 (Westchester County, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea (Hardcover)

This book is more like a brochure than a book. I gave it 5 stars as if I were rating an appeal for change, not a book. Waters advocates creating working farms in schoolyards, and incorporating education about food, farming nutrition and history into the venture. This worked in a Berkeley Middle School, and it could work elsewhere.
It's a great, timely idea that reaches hard to connect to teenagers in a profound way.

10 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Useless book, August 26, 2010

By 

Bryan (Atlanta) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea (Hardcover)

More useless drivel from Alice Waters. While I believe strongly in school gardens, this book is nothing more than Alice bragging about her heroic efforts at a local school. No information on how to start your own garden or tie educational lessons into the garden are found in the book. The first half of the book is Alice telling the story of how she founded that first garden and started the revolution, and the second half of the book is pictures of the garden. Pointless.