Traces the history of anti-black racism -- with a special focus on Concord and Massachusetts -- from the early 1800s through the May 2020 death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Includes a special sidebar defining how the words "race" and "racism" have been used and interpreted, throughout the years. Published by our friends at the Robbins House.

A constant reminder to "live deliberately." This cloth wristband is made of soft eco-friendly and biodegradable bamboo fabric. It has a bamboo barrel lock made from 50% less plastic than a standard barrel lock. Be as careful as you are deliberate, though -- because this wristband cannot be removed once the lock is fastened, unless you cut it off your wrist. Recommended for adults only.

A collection of writings by and about strident antislavery leader John Brown (1800-1859). Contents: A lengthy selection of letters written by Brown ; "Letter to the Editor" / Victor Hugo ; "With a Rose" / Louisa May Alcott ; "The Portent" / Herman Melville ; "John Brown" / Ralph Waldo Emerson ; "The Last Days of John Brown" / Henry David Thoreau ; "John Brown" / Frederick Douglass ; "Osawatomie" / Carl Sandburg ; "John Brown's Prayer" / Stephen Vincent Benet ; "The Blow," "The Riddle of the Sphinx," and "The Legacy of John Brown," by W. E. B. DuBois.
Dover Publications, 2021. Paperback, 246 pp.

Transcendentalist philosopher and educator Amos Bronson Alcott first penned his 58 Maxims for Teaching, By Which to Regulate the Instructor's Practice in Instruction in 1826. These collected words of wisdom and counsel guided his own educational techniques and later informed his teaching practices at Boston's Temple School. Includes a brief biography. A terrific gift for a teacher.
Applewood Books, 2020. Small hardback, 20 pp.

A classic edition of one of Henry David Thoreau's classic works. Contains all ten essays written about Thoreau's first three excursions to Cape Cod in southeastern Massachusetts. This is a quality reprint of the Thomas Crowell edition published in 1908. Includes illustrations by photographer, artist, and writer Clifton Johnson (1865-1940), who also supplied an introduction.
Sea Wolf Press, 2020. Paperback, 207 pp.

A classic edition of one of Henry David Thoreau's classic works. Contains the full texts of both Walden and the essay, "Civil Disobedience." This is a quality reprint of the Thomas Crowell edition published in 1910. Includes illustrations by photographer, artist, and writer Clifton Johnson (1865-1940). Also available in hardcover.
Sea Wolf Press, 2020. Paperback, 294 pp.

Takes the reader on several journeys to Concord, Massachusetts, specifically Walden Pond, with several characters all interrelated but very different. Lucy is a chocolatier from New Jersey who always tries to do the right thing and to see the good in people even if it hurts her in the long run. Billy, her smart but complicated lawyer husband, despises her optimism and is hell bent on making her as miserable as he is. Rico, a biker, doesn’t look like a romantic, but truly is one, as is evident by his relationship to Diana, whom he literally brings back to life. Through her divorced years, Lucy encounters Ted, who lost his soul, and Chris, a country singer/songwriter from Lubbock, Texas, who comes to the pond searching for something missing in his life.
Spanning the early 1980s through 9/11, to the 2020 pandemic, the threads follow these “pilgrims” who are united by their love of Henry David Thoreau. His quotes guide and motivate the characters throughout their journey.
Lucia Nelson Publishing, 2020. Paperback, 225 pp.

A blank field notebook featuring drawings from Henry David Thoreau’s Journal throughout, as well as a full-color Journal manuscript page with two drawings. Includes a brief introduction to Thoreau’s Journal drawings as well as suggestions for writing field notes. Use this book to jot down on-the-spot observations or, afterward, to collect memories of a walk or an encounter. Printed on high-quality paper. With introduction by Kathleen Coyne Kelly.
The Thoreau Society, 2022. Paperback, 60 pp.

On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe. Her poem is presented here in a special edition, with a foreword by Oprah Winfrey.
Viking Press, 2021. Hardcover, 32 pp.

A 16-ounce glass mug with handle. Imprinted on the glass is the definition of "Transcendentalism:" 1."A philosophy based on the idea that divinity pervades all of nature and humanity, asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition." 2. "A literary and philosophical movement of the 19th century, which developed around Concord, Mass., associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, A. Bronson Alcott, Henry David Thoreau and others." Stands six inches tall. Perfect for the beverage of your choice. Cheers!

Originally published in 1868. This classic has remained enduringly popular, becoming the inspiration for a whole genre of family stories. It tells of the March family: Marmee, who looks after her four daughters while her husband serves in the Civil War; and the girls Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy who experience domestic trails and triumphs as they attempt to supplement the family's small income. In the second part of the book (sometimes known as Good Wives), the girls grow up and fall in love. Highly autobiographical! This edition is interspersed with black-and-white photos from the 2019 movie.
Abrams, 2019. Hardcover, 468 pp.

Paints a vivid picture of the life and times of Jennie McLeod, a 20th-century college girl from the mill town of Clinton, Massachusetts. Author Leslie Perrin Wilson presents Jennie and her world through careful research, contextual narrative, and a richly annotated transcription of her 1914-1918 diary. Jennie's distinctive personality, her family, friends, studies, and aspirations, along with the presence of larger events in the background -- world war and woman's suffrage, in particular -- all come to life on these pages. SIGNED BY THE EDITOR.
Moonglade Press, 2020. Paperback, 310 pp.

Henry David Thoreau has probably generated more poems about him than any other secular individual. Beginning with his contemporaries and continuing today, they illustrate our changing views of the man in a passionate form of expression rich in emotion and meaning. Features two of Thoreau's poems, followed by 51 verses penned by others.
Homebound Publications, 2021. Paperback, 142 pp.

This colorful book for young readers weaves natural history around Henry Thoreau's life and times in a richly illustrated field notebook format that can be opened anywhere, inviting browsing on every page. Each season begins with quotes from Thoreau's schoolboy essay about the changing seasons. As we follow him through the fields and woods of Concord, we learn about his joys and challenges of growing up, as well as his experiment with simple living at Walden. For middle grade readers and up, through adults. Written by Julie Dunlap, illustrated by Megan Elizabeth Baratta. SIGNED BY BOTH on a label on the front flyleaf. This book was reviewed in Thoreau Society Bulletin 321, Spring 2023, p. 9-10.
Tilbury House Publishers, 2022. Hardcover, 96 pp.

On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. This book is a detailed reconstruction of the lives and community of this special place, and supplies a compelling interpretation of the American Revolution as a social movement: one that engaged not only the fabled Minutemen, but also women and Black residents of Concord. This revised and expanded edition, with a new preface and afterword by the author, updates a classic of American history writing for a new generation of readers. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on the title page.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2022. Paperback, 336 pp.

This 1000-piece puzzle features an exclusive illustration by Dutch artist Valesca van Waveren and is inspired by Henry Thoreau's line from "Walking:" "All good things are wild and free." As you complete the puzzle, piece by piece, you may be reminded of the simple joys of being in nature. Notice the little things! Completed puzzle size is a little more than 26 x 18 inches.
Flow / Workman, 2020. 1000 pieces. Not suitable for children under 3 years of age.

Piece together a fascinating visual exploration of the natural world. Featuring illustrations from Julia Rothman’s best-selling book Nature Anatomy, this jigsaw puzzle will open your eyes to new ways of seeing earth and sky, flora and fauna. With each piece you put in place, nature’s wonders unfold: the crystalline structure of a single snowflake, the different types of feathers on a bird, a constellation of stars. A distinctive blend of art and science, this sweeping study of the universe will delight, educate, and enlighten. Not suitable for children under 3 years of age.
Storey Puzzle, 2020. 500 pieces.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "All good things are wild and free," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3.5 x 3.25 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Goodness is the only investment that never fails," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3.5 x 3 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Our life is often frittered away by detail ... simplify, simplify," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 2.75 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 3.25 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Surely joy is the condition of life," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 3 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 2.75 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's advice, "Simplify, simplify," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 3 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Say what you have to say not what you ought. Any truth is better than make believe," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 4.25 x 3.25 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk in love and reverence," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 3.75 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "In wildness is the preservation of the world," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3 x 3 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "Always you have to contend with the stupidity of men," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3.5 x 3.25 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Henry Thoreau's quote, "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours," has been hand-burned onto a smooth tree cookie. The reverse side gives his credit as "H.D.T." This natural and one-of-a kind ornament has been sealed with a polyurethane finish and includes a twine hanger. Measures about 3.75 x 3.5 inches, with a bark edge about half an inch wide. NOTE: Each wood ornament is unique. Current stock may not look exactly like the one pictured. Crafted in Massachusetts by Burning Woman.

Tells the connected stories of how these foundational American writers and thinkers dealt with personal tragedies early in their careers. For Emerson, it was the death of his young wife and, eleven years later, his five-year-old son. For Thoreau, it was the death of his brother. For James, it was the death of his beloved cousin Minnie Temple. This book shows how the writers' responses to these deaths helped spur them on to their greatest work, influencing the birth and course of American literature and philosophy.
Princeton University Press, 2023. Hardcover, 108 pp.