11 Plus Exams Forum

hi, my DS2 is in the wildlife team. Quite right, too, actually, since what he doesn't know about birds ain't worth knowing. However, he's a tad scanty on general wildlife - of the buds of trees / habits of plants / how toadspawn differs from frogspawn (is in chains, not clumps, since you ask!) end of things.

My DS1 was (somehow) in this team 2 years ago and we went to one of the rounds (there are inter-school quizzes). Frankly: scary. The level of knowledge required was GCSE, I'd've thought, and there's no team collaboration, so if you don't know your answer on the colour of ash trees in bud (black, as it goes), then that's you shamed. And it's horribly public.

Can anyone suggest a good, basic British wildlife book?? My DS2 is very interested in all this sort of thing so it's something I should already have got - I bought the Usborne guides, the slim ones on Urban wildlife etc, but need something a tad meatier but with pictures.

Any help gratefully received although I'm not desp hopeful.

Sorry can't help.

But oh for the days of the nature walk!!

Many's the time when I was a girl about hum ha years ago, when the teacher would announce a walk to the great delight of all and off we'd go either across the fields or by a stream, sometimes through the woods and all the while bluebells, pussy willow, oak trees, daffodils and all other manner of things were pointed out to us.

Yet another great loss to our children's education!!

We got the collins gems books for our DD's. Pocket sized, so make good field guides but plenty of info. We have one on trees, one on wild flowers, one on british birds, and a few others (including SAS survival guide )
Have a look here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trees-Collins-G ... 967&sr=8-4 and see what other customers have bought, there are loads

Have you discovered the Wild About Britain website yet? Its packed with fantastic photos and a number of enthusiasts and professional wildlife experts contribute to the forum. There's also a lot of links from there to other websites which might interest him.

thanks, girls. I was wondering about Collins. Don't want to encourage anything in pockets as DS2 the scruffiest little piglet in the world. Every book he reads is dog eared to the point of absurdity come the time he's through it - so loves his book and EVERY page seems to include some gem so EVERY page has to be folded down. Go figure on how useful this is. Will seek out that website, too, Fruity.
Love hum ha years ago. Teacher would now be put in prison for that, no doubt. Shudder to think of all the contravening of health and safety

Wildlife of Britain and Europe by Michael Chinery in the Kingfisher Field Guides range is very good. Very well illustrated, 800+ species, colour-coded sections, at-a-glance descriptions of features, range, habitat.

It measures 22 x 12 x 2 cm and is sturdy paperback and robust enough to handle tough treatment/field trip etc. It comes on all our family holidays.

Cannot believe I just measured a book ! Don't say I never do anything for you

Sorry Milla forgot to say it has no plants/trees in it. Everything else though

measuring!

Not a specific book, but anything by Nick Baker (TV Prsenter) is great - we have several produced in concert with Wildlife Trust

bit off topic but my 2 DCs not interested in such books (though I have some great Nature Guides by Collins, nice size to fit in waterproof pocket) -DC1 will devour fiction and at a push history/biology books but for DC2 it's cars and sport - suffice to say needs much incentive to go on nature walks!