Wild With Child: Adventures of Families in the Great Outdoors

Wild with Child is a unique collection of true stories by parents who boldly head out into the wilderness with kids in tow (or in the lead, as the case may be). These stories run the gamut of adventure: winter camping, climbing, spelunking, field research, skiing, llama trekking, fishing, hunting, and searching for pirate treasure with children of all ages. Readers should bundle up before they strike out into the Rocky Mountains with Mark Jenkins, whose idea of quality time with the kids is camping in a snow cave. Leslie Leyland-Fields shares deep gratitude as her brood safely migrates to an Alaskan island by bush plane. Maleesha Speer confides her personal evolution as she awakens to the wonder of her unborn child in bear country. Whether just beginning the course of wild parenting or looking back at the trail they've taken, these writers aren't willing to accept Disneyland as the final frontier. Even the most civilized among them insist that their children grow up feeling grass between their toes and sun on their skin. It’s a healthy heritage, giving kids a steady set of bearings, making them strong, and helping them rise to challenges.

Writer, mother, and former field biologist Jennifer Bove lives with her family in Calico Rock, Arkansas, when they're not on the trail.