Diary of a Young Naturalist

May 17, 2021
In this stunning debut, Northern Irish 16-year-old conservationist and activist McAnulty delivers a galvanizing love letter to nature. McAnulty, who’s on the autism spectrum, was often bullied in school and discovered that “wildlife and the magnificence of nature” made sense to him far more than other people. The author’s lush prose enchants as he chronicles a year of campaigning for climate justice and exploring the vastness of Northern Ireland’s outdoors, witnessing its beauty in everything from a silver-crowned chaffinch “with confetti flecks on its silver crown” to the intricate flight patterns of bats “making strange angles as they take to the air to feed.” Much like fellow activist Greta Thunberg, McAnulty sees his passion for climate justice as his superpower. He writes about juggling school, meetings with the Environment Minister at the London Zoo, and the emotional stress caused when “the urgency of supporting collapsing ecosystems and protecting wildlife gets overtaken by human narcissism and insecurity.” Even still, that doesn’t stop him from calling out the hypocrisy politicians often show in the face of climate change. “The Minister made grandiose promises and plans that day, but where are they now?” This should be required reading.

June 1, 2021

McAnulty, a teenage naturalist and environmental activist from Northern Ireland, had already earned a degree of fame via social media when he became the youngest winner of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Medal. For his new book, he was also the youngest winner of the Wainright Prize for UK nature writing. Published in the United States for the first time, McAnulty's volume presents a yearly account of natural history, season by season. His lyrical descriptions of birds, insects, landscape, and seascapes are beyond his years, yet he also candidly relates the teenage angst of dealing with bullying and trying to find a place in the world. Though description of the natural world predominates here, McAnulty's narration of his inner thoughts is sometimes more informative. He discusses being on the autism spectrum and wrties that dealing with other people and conventional school prove particularly challenging for him; it is in nature and his family that he finds refuge. VERDICT Not a nature guide as such, but should appeal to many, including fans of nature writing, those who'd like to read about a naturalist on the spectrum, and, of course, all who find inspiration in nature.--Teresa R. Faust, Coll. of Central Florida, Ocala

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 15, 2021
A teenage Northern Irish naturalist chronicles his struggles to protect the natural world around him. In this impressive debut, McAnulty takes us through a year in his life (from age 13 to 14) as an environmentalist juggling the demands of being a teenager with autism. Three other members of his immediate family are also on the spectrum: his mother, brother Lorcan, and sister Bl�thnaid. His father is not. "I have the heart of a naturalist, the head of a would-be scientist, and bones of someone who is already wearied by the apathy and destruction wielded against the natural world," writes the author. "The outpourings on these pages express my connection to wildlife, try to explain the way I see the world, and describe how we weather the storms as a family." Exploring the wild with his family provides the opportunity to recharge and escape the bombardment of noise, feelings of claustrophobia, and torment from others that he faces at school. From McAnulty's diary entries, it is clear that he and his loving, affectionate family are always in search of adventure. During the year he recounts, the author also endured the emotional strain of his family's move to a different town, which required him to switch schools. For such a young author, McAnulty displays an astounding ability to capture and articulate his feelings and the nuances of the natural world, and his sincere compassion and lyrical prose captivate: "Above the bulrushes, a cloud of hoverflies. The light is dappled and sepia. I'm dazzled by the delicacy of the moment. My insides explode, words ricochet outside-in. I hold them close, because capturing this on a page allows me to feel it all over again." The author also implores others to do their part in protecting the environment, finding local action to be the most effective. "As nature is pushed to the fringes of our built-up world," he writes, "it's the small pockets of wild resistance that can help." A heartfelt, uplifting, hopeful memoir from a talented new voice in nature writing.

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March 1, 2021
McAnulty, an award-winning young climate activist in Northern Ireland with a large, international following, shares his diary of evocative, thoughtful, and utterly charming nature observations. McAnulty, who has autism, as do his siblings and his mother (dad is the odd one out), writes candidly about his struggles with anxiety and how they present in noisier and more congested areas. His affinity for patient contemplation outdoors spurs him to a degree of watchfulness that eludes many and contributes to his insightful commentary about what he sees and what he's learned about the land. While he does reflect upon moments in the classroom and at home, the flora and fauna of the Irish countryside are the starring players here. McAnulty has a gift for painting pictures with words, and he invites readers to see what he loves and feels compelled to protect so that they may love and defend nature, too. Infused with joy, this is a title to linger over, one that will inspire readers to appreciate the living world. An interesting counterpart to Greta Thunberg's family memoir, Our House Is on Fire (2020).

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