Every April, we honor our planet on Earth Day with a selection of works celebrating the natural world. With titles ranging from stories of wilderness survival to nonfiction works about conservation and sustainability, this Collection features a broad spectrum of ideas regarding nature and our role within it.
Publication year 1912
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment
Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Colonialism, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Realistic Fiction
Publication year 1910
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Self Discovery, Natural World: Environment
Tags Children's Literature, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief / Death, History: World, Fantasy
The Secret Garden is a middle-grade novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was first published as a serialized novel in The American Magazine between November 1910 and August 1911, and in 1911, it was republished in book form. Burnett had already written two extremely successful novels: Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886) and A Little Princess (1905). Over her lifetime, she wrote 36 books and plays and numerous short stories and was one of the most... Read The Secret Garden Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery
Tags Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction, Science / Nature
Publication year 2002
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Magical Realism, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
“The Shell Collector” (2002), a short story by American author Anthony Doerr, tells the story of an unnamed, blind shell expert living alone with his dog, Tumaini, on an isolated Kenyan island. He receives unwanted international attention after curing a local girl of malaria by exposing her to the bite of a deadly, venomous cone shell.This guide refers to the edition in the short story collection of the same name, published by Simon & Schuster... Read The Shell Collector Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Politics / Government, History: U.S., American Literature, History: World, Western, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Climate Change, History: World
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History (2014) is a nonfiction book about the development, impact, and extinction of various species throughout the history of the world. Written by Elizabeth Kolbert, an American author, journalist, and Pulitzer Prize winner, the book focuses on Earth’s environmental, biological, and ecological aspects and how these factors impact the world and its inhabitants. Kolbert argues that we are currently in the process of experiencing a “Sixth Extinction” caused almost entirely... Read The Sixth Extinction Summary
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Objects, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2016
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2017
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment
Tags Realistic Fiction, Disability, Children's Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2013
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Grandparents, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Historical Fiction, Western, History: U.S., History: World
Publication year 1855
Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Language, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Fairy Tale / Folklore, American Literature, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Agriculture, History: U.S., Science / Nature
Publication year 1915
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Self Discovery, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Music
Tags Music, Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, American Literature
The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather is the second novel in her classic American series entitled The Great Plains Trilogy. The trilogy includes O, Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the Lark (1915), and My Antonia (1918). Each novel in this trilogy explores different stories of women who find themselves challenged, nurtured, and built up by the natural beauty of the American West. These novels explore the conflicts and compromises when women either lean... Read The Song of the Lark Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Aging, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment, Society: Immigration, Emotions/Behavior: Regret
Tags American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction
The Spectator Bird, Wallace Stegner’s 11th novel and winner of the 1977 National Book Award, takes a hawklike view, both expansive and intimate, of such things as aging, death, love, loss, temptation, and regret. A sequel to his novel All the Little Live Things (1967), Bird follows the same protagonist and narrator, the retiree Joe Allston, but interlaces past and present, death and rebirth, memory and mythology. Stegner, who was 67 when Bird was published... Read The Spectator Bird Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Objects, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Space & The Universe, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Language
Tags Philosophy, Science / Nature, Psychology, Religion / Spirituality, Anthropology, Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 1920
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism
Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Children's Literature, Animals, Action / Adventure
The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting is a classic children’s book first published in 1920. Lofting, an English author and former civil engineer, crafted his tale of an eccentric doctor who learns to talk to animals by drawing on his experiences in the British Empire during World War I. Lofting’s story, which began as letters home to his children to escape the harsh wartime realities, belongs to the fantasy genre and has captivated... Read The Story of Doctor Dolittle Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Climate, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Food, History: World, Politics / Government
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Business / Economics, Sociology, Health / Medicine, Politics / Government
The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health—and a Vision for Change (2010) is a book by Annie Leonard. It is based on a short animated documentary with the same title (2007) written and narrated by Leonard. Leonard criticizes American consumer society that values novelty, accumulation, and low prices for being unsustainable. Overconsumption affects our health, our happiness, and our planet. Leonard travels from factories, to... Read The Story of Stuff Summary
Publication year 2013
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World, Health / Medicine
Publication year 2017
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Society: Immigration
Tags Lyric Poem, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality, Women's Studies (Nonfiction), Modern Classic Fiction, Romance, Mental Illness