Earth Day is a worldwide event on April 22nd that is celebrated to demonstrate support for environmental protection. In honor of Earth Day, here is a list of our favorite books about the earth, the environment, conservation, and sustainability.
Biographies
Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
recommended for ages 5-8
JBIO GOODALL
Great for younger readers, Me… Jane is a short biography about primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall. She is best known for her long-term study of wild chimpanzees.
The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery
recommended for ages 10-14
JBIO SKOMAL
Sy Montgomery has several books focused on animal scientists who work in different areas of the world. This book follows Dr. Greg Skomal, a scientist who studies Great White Sharks. Children can learn more about the animal, as well as the research processes that help us learn more about sharks.
Nonfiction
Buried Sunlight: How Fossil Fuels Have Changed the Earth by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm
recommended for ages 5-8
J 333.82 BAN
In a simple, understandable book, Bang and Chisholm talk about what fossil fuels are, how our use of them is changing the balance on earth.
Our World of Water: Children and Water Around the World by Beatrice Hollyer
recommended for ages 7-10
J 363.61 HOL
This book follows the lives of children in Peru, Mauritania, the United States, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Tajikistan. It shows the many roles that water plays into their lives. Rich with pictures, this book highlights the importance of protecting our natural resources.
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul
recommended for ages 6-9
J 363.728 PAU
The people of Njau, Gambia drop their plastic bags when they can no longer use them. One woman, Isatou Ceesay thinks that something more can be done with the waste. She finds a way to reuse it, and turns it into a profitable business.
Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau
recommended for ages 5-8 J
597.928 COU
Viv finds out that the lights from her hometown are confusing baby sea turtles, who rely on moonlight to find their way to the ocean. She leads a campaign to turn out the lights, and help the sea turtles survive.
Grow! Raise! Catch! How We Get Our Food by Shelley Rotner
recommended for ages 4-7
J 641.3 ROT
This book explains where we get our food from, and how the food-to-table process works.
Fiction
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
recommended for ages 10-12
J HIA
When the construction of a new building threatens the survival of an endangered species of owls, Roy and his friend work together to save the land.
Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
recommended for ages 10-13
J SAC
Two students stumble into mud and form a rash. They start investigating what caused it and learn more about the ramifications of bad science.
Graphic Novel
Science Comics: Coral Reefs, Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks
recommended for ages 10+
J GRAPHIC 577.789 WIC
A story about coral reefs and the life they support underwater.
The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown
recommended for ages 10+
J GRAPHIC 978.032 BRO
A graphic novel telling the story of the Great American Dust bowl, and the farming practices that caused it.
