Earth Day

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