Marjory’s River of Grass: Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Fierce Protector of the ­Everglades

Gr 1-4–In 1915, when Marjory Stoneman Douglas stepped off of the train in Miami, she had to ask her father what the Everglades were. By the late 1940s, she would be one of the people responsible for saving them. Douglas quickly fell in love with the region’s beauty and unique ecosystem, only to confront the looming threats to its survival. Through adept biographical storytelling, Douglas’s life’s work of fighting for the Everglades is brought to the center. Her passion and perseverance helped bring about the recognition of the Everglades as a designated treasure by the National Park Service in the 1930s, and eventually, its establishment as a national park in 1947. But the work of protecting and preserving this land was far from over. The narrative, while concise and clear, is marked by poetic flourishes that engage young readers while maintaining focus on Douglas’s legacy. The inclusion of primary source quotes from Douglas’s seminal work, River of Grass, along with presidential declarations, enriches the narrative and provides authentic voices to the historical context. The back matter includes valuable source materials and additional information.