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 2023
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community
Tags Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale / Folklore
Publication year 1971
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose
Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Biography
Publication year 1995
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment
Publication year 2020
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags Science / Nature, Creative Nonfiction, Climate Change, Agriculture, History: World
Publication year 1914
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal
Publication year 2024
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Action / Adventure
Publication year 2003
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Siblings, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction
Escaping the Giant Wave is a middle-grade disaster thriller by American author Peg Kehret. The story follows 13-year-old Kyle Davidson and his little sister, BeeBee Davidson, as they struggle to survive an earthquake, a fire, and a tsunami. Kyle battles to save BeeBee and himself, and he learns to overcome his own fears. Escaping the Giant Wave is one of six novels centered around natural disasters by Kehret and was published in 2003. Kehret has... Read Escaping the Giant Wave Summary
Publication year 1999
Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Natural World: Environment
Tags Gender / Feminism, LGBTQ, Philosophy, Philosophy, Social Justice, Disability
Publication year 2006
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Relationships: Siblings, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Relationships: Family, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Values/Ideas: Music, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Relationships: Grandparents
Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Magical Realism
Fablehaven was written by Brandon Mull and first published in 2006. It is the first in a series about an ecological preserve for magical creatures. In the novel, middle-school-aged siblings Kendra and Seth take a trip to their grandparents’ land in rural Connecticut, which they soon realize is hiding magic of all types. The siblings explore the magical world they have discovered while learning how to be both brave and responsible.Fablehaven deals with themes concerning... Read Fablehaven Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Friendship, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Food
Tags Action / Adventure, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature
Set in Canada, American author Will Hobbs’s young-adult novel Far North (1996) follows Gabe Rogers, who lives with his grandparents in Austin, Texas. When Gabe tells his father that he wants to live with him in Canada, his father tells him he may on two conditions. First, Gabe must travel up north to experience the severe cold of the Northwest Territories for one year. Second, he must attend boarding school. While flying through Canada with... Read Far North Summary
Publication year 1950
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Environment
Tags Western
Publication year 2002
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Satire, Technology, Grief / Death, Social Justice, Class, Education, Education, Fantasy, Romance
Feed by M.T. Anderson, published in 2002, is a young adult dystopian cyberpunk novel set in a future in which excessive consumerism is at the center of human identity and technology-driven artificiality serves as a distraction for a world that is in the final stages of complete ecological destruction. The feed is a brain-implanted device that integrates computer and network capabilities into the user’s consciousness and biological functions.For most, the feed is implanted at birth... Read Feed Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Environment
Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, History: World, Politics / Government
In 2006, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New York Times journalist Elizabeth Kolbert published Field Notes from a Catastrophe, an urgent review of climate change. The book began as a tripartite publication in the New Yorker, for which the political journalist received a National Magazine Award.Kolbert’s investigation begins on Greenland’s west coast, where natives have noticed the shrinking of icebergs for years. In another northerly location, the Alaskan island of Shishmaref is disappearing underwater... Read Field Notes from a Catastrophe Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Identity: Gender, Society: Community
Tags Science / Nature, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Flora/plants, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science / Nature, Climate Change, Natural Disaster, Politics / Government, History: World
Publication year 1938
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age
Tags Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Grief / Death, Education, Education, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction
Publication year 2012
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Society: Globalization, Natural World: Environment
Tags Climate Change, Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction
Barbara Kingsolver’s 2012 novel Flight Behavior presents a symbolic connection between Dellarobia Turnbow, an unhappy farm wife who secretly dreams of running away from it all, and a surprising migration of monarch butterflies that alight upon her in-laws’ property in Feathertown, Tennessee. As the butterflies struggle to survive and reproduce to continue their species, Dellarobia struggles in her efforts to deal with the consequences of her past decisions and the possibility of her new life... Read Flight Behavior Summary
Publication year 2015
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Inspirational, Religion / Spirituality