Charlie Whistler's Omnium Gatherum: Campfire Stories and Adirondack Adventures

In the tradition of The Dangerous Book for Boys, a visually dazzling compendium of practical knowledge, fascinating trivia, and worldly wisdom for young boys—designed as a charming and informal full-color family scrapbook treasured by generations of one family at their Adirondack summer camp.

On a late summer afternoon, while rustling around in his family’s Adirondack cabin, a boy named Charlie Whistler finds a dusty cloth-bound scrapbook. It is the Omnium Gatherum, a colorful, illustrated grab bag of stories, arcana, and much more, faithfully collected over generations by Charlie’s father, grandfather, and generations of Whistlers before them.

Its pages hold a universe of age-old wisdom, from the simple—how to tie a slipknot—to the esoteric—how to find your way in the forest, or predict the tides—to the exotic—how to understand simple phrases in dozens of languages.

Charlie Whistler’s Omnium Gatherum is a delightful, ceaselessly readable, and unique gift book for boys of all ages: a nostalgic evocation of American childhood, a keepsake for modern fathers to hand down to their sons, and an irresistible, page-turning read for everyone who loves to lose themselves in the world of imagination.

“Energy is eternal delight.”—William Blake

Charlie Whistler’s Omnium Gatherum is a spirited compendium of letters, poems, drawings, photographs, and ephemera gathered by generations of the fictional Whistler family during their summers in the Adirondacks.

This unique scrapbook is a treasure trove of wisdom and practical knowledge. It is a celebration of family, adventure, and the great outdoors, and an inspiring gift for all ages.

“If you were to distill the several essences of Adirondack forests, invigorating lake waters, family traditions and a zest for life, and then capture them in the form of a book, you probably could not come closer than Charlie Whistler’s Omnium Gatherum . . . Vigorous, eclectic and beautifully designed, this book for young readers is also rather daring.” - The Wall Street Journal