The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey's Life in the Wild - Softcover

Bestul, J Scott

3.9

106 ratings by Goodreads

9780896587496: The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey's Life in the Wild

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0896587495 ISBN 13: 9780896587496

Publisher: Voyageur Press, 2005

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Kenny Salwey is a modern-day American hermit who has lived most of his life in the Mississippi river bottoms, coming to know the river ecosystem with an intimacy unavailable to most. Now, Kenny shares his love of, and knowledge about, the mighty river. The Last River Rat is a seasonal look at Kenny’s unique life. Each chapter covers a month of Kenny’s year and starts by detailing his activities—such as deer hunting, ginseng digging, or mushroom picking—and closes with one of Kenny’s own "Rat Tales": his personal thoughts on various aspects of his way of life, such as the importance of dogs or memories of other river rats with whom he has crossed paths. Through Kenny—a true naturalist who provides sage advice about living off the land and protecting the river’s ecology—and The Last River Rat, you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the natural world.

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About the Author:

J Scott Bestul

From School Library Journal:

Adult/High School-Fans of Gary Paulsen and Tom Brown, teens who head for the woods when school is out, and city slickers who want to connect with the outdoors will relish this month-by-month glimpse into the disappearing way of life of a woodsman who lives off the land on a swampy and hilly bank of the Mississippi in Wisconsin. Salwey, a loner who decided to communicate his love of the wild with others in an effort to conserve and protect it, shares with a professional outdoors writer one year in the woods. He begins with April, and the format repeats for each month thereafter: first a short piece by Bestul on the climatic changes, then the two spend some time sharing a seasonal activity, such as ginseng hunting or deer hunting, followed by a piece in which Salwey tells something about his experience in the woods. This coverage is wonderfully evocative-one can almost hear the geese honking. Biology and earth science teachers will find the book an excellent resource for following the natural year as the school year proceeds; no month's reportage depends on previous months. Readers will find it is a privilege to accompany the pair through this fascinating and lovely corner of the world.

Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA

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