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 1970
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: War, Identity: Indigenous, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment
Tags History: U.S., Military / War, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, History: World, Classic Fiction
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, a nonfiction history by librarian and historian Dee Brown, was published in 1970 and became a widely influential bestseller. Dee Brown (full name Dorris Alexander Brown) was the author of more than 30 fiction and nonfiction books. As a librarian at the University of Illinois, he had access to the primary historical records from the late 19th century that became the main... Read Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Summary
Publication year 1986
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Climate Change, History: U.S., Science / Nature, Business / Economics, History: World, Western, Politics / Government
Originally published in 1986, Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner illustrates how precarious the American West’s water supply is. This reality was something few people, including Westerners, realized at the time. The book was listed as one of the Modern Library’s 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of the 20th century and was nominated for a National Book Critics’ Circle Award. It was also made into a PBS documentary. There is... Read Cadillac Desert Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime / Legal
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship
Tags American Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture, Anthropology, Animals, Class, Education, Philosophy, Poverty, Relationships, Science / Nature
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck was originally published in 1945. A Nobel Prize-winning writer, Steinbeck grew up in Salinas, California, which is near Monterey—the location of Cannery Row. Aside from a few years in Palo Alto, New York, and Los Angeles, Steinbeck spent most of his adult life living in Monterey County, and he drew on his personal experiences to write Cannery Row.Considered literary fiction or classic literature, Cannery Row is realistic and was written... Read Cannery Row Summary
Publication year 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Economics, Natural World: Climate
Tags Politics / Government, History: World, Climate Change, Science / Nature, Business / Economics
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Race / Racism, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Arts / Culture, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1983
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags History: U.S., Colonial America, Education, Education, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, History: World
William Cronon wrote a scholarly assessment of the ecological changes in the land wrought by the arrival of New England’s European settlers from about 1620 to 1800 called Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England (1983). Cronon examines both the Native American and European land usage during the pre-colonial time period, including farming, hunting, fishing, and the commercial harvesting of the fruits of the land. In particular, Cronon explores the... Read Changes in the Land Summary
Publication year 1976
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Humor, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature
Written in 2012 by Carl Hiaasen, Chomp is a young adult novel set in Hiaasen’s native Florida (specifically, Everglades National Park). Hiaasen, who began his career as a journalist, is the author of six other books for young readers (as well as numerous adult novels). Because his work blends humor with grim realism, Chomp features characters who are just as “bizarre” as their Florida setting. Primarily known for his crime fiction, Hiaasen also crafts stories... Read Chomp Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Teams, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags History: African , Politics / Government, Business / Economics, Technology, Social Justice, Science / Nature, History: World
Publication year 2004
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Climate, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment
Tags History: World, Climate Change, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Social Science, Business / Economics, Sociology, Politics / Government
Following his best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel (1997), geologist and anthropologist Jared Diamond published a companion book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, in 2006. Where Guns, Germs, and Steel described how various environments around the world helped or hindered human civilization, Collapse explains how environmental abuse ruined many past societies and how it threatens civilizations today. An updated edition, released in 2011 by Penguin Books, is the subject of this... Read Collapse Summary
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Romance, Holidays & Occasions
Publication year 1980
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Education, Society: Globalization, Society: War
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Business / Economics, Arts / Culture
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things is a work of nonfiction by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, published in 2002. The book argues that a radical change must be made to the Western world’s industrial and manufacturing systems, which are devastating to the natural world in their present state. Through discussions of environmentalism, industrialism, and design, the authors urge us, as a society, to think differently about what it means to be... Read Cradle To Cradle Summary
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Psychological Fiction
Publication year 1998
Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Literary Criticism, Philosophy
Publication year 1956
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth
Tags Lyric Poem, Science / Nature, Race / Racism, African American Literature
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Marriage, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, History: World, Historical Fiction
Publication year 2010
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Action / Adventure, Fantasy, Climate Change, Children's Literature
Dark Life (2010) is a dystopian young adult novel by American author Kat Falls. The novel is the first of a two-part series, followed by Rip Tide. Dark Life is set in post-apocalyptic East-Coast America, now ruled by a government called the Commonwealth. Water covers most of the planet’s surface in the wake of climate change and a select group of pioneers now live under the sea. Teenage protagonist Ty Townson uncovers a wide-reaching government... Read Dark Life Summary