As a mother of four daughters, I first discovered Thornton W. Burgess's stories when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten. Our family was immediately captivated by the woodland characters, gentle humor, and lessons about animals and the natural world woven throughout his stories.

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As we read, I began looking for resources that would help us explore the real animals, nature lessons, and character-building themes found in the books. When I couldn't find quite what I was looking for, I began creating my own.

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Burgess Books grew from that experience. Here, I create original reading guides, animal profiles, nature-study ideas, discussion topics, activities, and printable learning resources that help families and educators connect classic literature with real-world learning. The free Reading Library also makes many of Thornton W. Burgess’s public-domain stories easy to read online, while the educational resources throughout the site provide opportunities to take the learning beyond the story.

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My goal is simple: to help a new generation of children discover these wonderful old stories while encouraging curiosity about animals, nature, and the world around them.