Books to Check Out

Start off at your local library or bookstore!

Here are some links to library systems in southeastern PA (search the catalog online or go in person to browse):

• Montgomery County
• Chester County
• Delaware County
• Philadelphia County
• Bucks County

Some ideas to get you started:

• Rodale's Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening - a massive reference book that covers it all from the experts
• A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson
• Urban Gardening and Farming for Teens series - includes beekeeping, raising chickens, composting, community gardening, and more
• The Green Teen Cookbook by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy
• Eat Fresh Food by Rozanne Gold
• Sam Stern's books - a British teen who loves to cook
• The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition by Michael Pollan
• Eat, Drink, Vote by Marion Nestle
• The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
• advanced readers might like the work of farmer and anthropologist Gary Paul Nabhan

Any bookstore or library will have a selection of cookbooks and gardening books - this is just a small sample. The library is a great place to go, because you can explore and check out all the books that look or sound good, and get the information you need without spending money or cluttering up your house permanently. You can find some authors you like and then check out their other work. Most have online content as well.