Customer Reviews

A Mind with Wings: The Story of Henry David Thoreau

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I read some of A Mind with Wings every night for a week to stretch it out. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thoreau has so much life to him in this book. The Hausmans chose just the right places to meet him and just the right tone for him to speak to us, grown ups and kids alike. And I learned a heck of a lot. I never knew so many of the things that were in the book; things it gave me pleasure to learn. I always loved HDT, but he seemed kind of old and dead in my mind. In this story he was young and lively and friendly. I hope this book introduces this man, who started nonviolent revolution and was a fearless abolitionist, to today's younger students. As a middle school teacher, I will bring this book into my class so my children can meet HDT in a way that they will think of him as a friend.

The portrait of Henry David Thoreau written in "A Mind With Wings" is so good that I wanted to read Walden Pond again. The authors have done a great job of researching each detail and made this reclusive author turn into a real, warm-bodied human being whose writing is ever more accessible to me. I hope a great many others will also enjoy this new perspective of a great author.

There is no other single person who represents the spirit of America's environmental and creative consciousness movement as does Henry David Thoreau. The Hausma's have done a considerable service of introducing the great man to children and young people and in an accessable manner. Let us all be reminded of the importance of nature.

Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (8/06)


"A Mind With Wings" is a book for young readers about the life of Henry David Thoreau. It takes us from birth to death and includes all of the major events in between. We learn how Henry grew up in a family of free thinkers. We meet influential people in his life such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Brown. We learn of his setbacks and achievements such as getting thrown in jail, but turning it around into a lecture series. Using information from biographies on Henry David Thoreau as well as notes from his journal, the book gives readers an intimate peak into the life of this great American thinker. Henry David Thoreau was a son, a brother, a pencil-maker, a thinker, a writer, a naturalist, and so much more.

Any young reader asked to do a report or research paper on Thoreau should pick up this book. The authors know their audience. A timeline and glossary are included in the back for reference and the book is just long enough for the intended age group.

I was excited to read this book, because I have never been able to dive into "Walden", yet I wanted to get a sense of this man. After reading "A Mind With Wings", I have a better understanding of where he was coming from and feel better prepared to try reading "Walden". However, it goes beyond that. This book teaches lessons that all of us should practice. It reminds me that I need to slow down, take more walks in the woods, and get to know nature better. Henry also teaches us to follow our hearts and personal morals. If something seems wrong to you, don't do it. Stand up for what you believe in. Henry did all of these things, lived a full life, and died a peaceful man.

Book received free of charge.

The Hausmans have reincarnated a technique popularized by YA biographies written in the mid-20th century -- that of presenting historical facts in the context of reconstructed conversation. It is hoped that the reader can differentiate between the two. In the old days, that kind of text was pulled off as gospel truth. Here the authors explain their craft in an opening note, maintaining that the dialogue in this book comes from Thoreau's own writings. Sure enough, it does. But even so, one has to wonder how close this presentation comes to reality. Gestures and actions are attached to the words that may not have been there to begin with. No one can provide a genuine transcript of his everyday life.

Otherwise: the chapters are short and follow titles like "The Name," "The Rebellion," "The Woods," and "The Pond." The main events of Thoreau's life unfold during his exchanges with friends and family members. The reading is easy and goes quickly. Appendices include a chronology, a glossary, and a bibliography to help novices better understand Thoreau and the time and place he lived in. I like the cover graphic quite a bit. And the title is based on a few lines from "To W.T. Scott," a poem by John Ciardi that devotes several stanzas to Thoreau. The Hausmans include those lines on an opening page (but not the full poem or even the title, which I had to find on my own).

My concern is that a young person will pick up this book and assume it to be a literal account of Thoreau's life. Busy librarians and bookstore clerks may even classify it as a biography in spite of the cataloging guidelines on the title page verso. Taken in the spirit of being fiction, it's OK, especially if it leads readers to more substantial works, like Harding's or Richardson's biographies or Thoreau's own essays and books. [This review is based on an advance reading copy.]