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 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Survival Fiction, Action / Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Action / Adventure, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction


Publication year 1891

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: Mortality & Death

Tags Lyric Poem, Grief / Death, Business / Economics


Publication year 1952

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Lyric Poem, Love / Sexuality, Relationships


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed


Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Arts / Culture, Science / Nature, History: European, Renaissance, Italian Literature, Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure

Inferno by Dan Brown is the fourth installment in Brown’s Robert Langdon series of mystery/thriller novels, following (in order) Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and The Lost Symbol, and preceding Origin. Each edition covers a self-contained story, so readers need not follow the series in order, and often includes themes centered on European and Christian history and cultural traditions. The title character, Robert Langdon, is the only recurring character. Inferno won the Goodreads... Read Inferno Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Lyric Poem


Publication year 1989

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Lyric Poem


Publication year 1971

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness

Tags Science / Nature, Animals, Anthropology, Anthropology, Classic Fiction, Biography

Published in 1971, In the Shadow of Man is the third and most famous book by British primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall. The work details Goodall’s groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park and her unlikely journey from being a secretary in the UK to heading a major chimpanzee study in East Africa and becoming one of the world’s foremost primatology experts. Functioning as both a memoir and a scientific exploration of chimp... Read In the Shadow of Man Summary


Publication year 1991

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Environment, Society: Colonialism

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Politics / Government, Relationships, Technology, Children's Literature

Invitation to the Game is a young adult science fiction novel by Canadian writer Monica Hughes. It received the Hal Clement Award in 1992. Originally published in 1990, it was rereleased under the title The Game in 2010. This study guide refers to the Simon & Schuster 2010 print edition.Plot SummaryThe novel tells the story of Lisse, a teenager in 2154. She lives in a dystopian world where robots have taken a majority of the... Read Invitation To The Game Summary


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Society: Colonialism, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Environment

Tags Magical Realism, Philosophy, Education, Education, Fantasy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality

Ishmael is a philosophical novel by Daniel Quinn, published by Bantam/Turner books in 1992. Quinn is a prolific writer specializing in cultural critique, and Ishmael embraces many of the themes that Quinn explores in his other fiction and nonfiction works, such as sustainability and the mythology of human civilization. As a philosophical novel, the work follows a somewhat Socratic dialogue between an unnamed narrator and a telepathic gorilla, Ishmael, using rhetorical conventions to display and... Read Ishmael Summary


Publication year 1960

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance

Tags Historical Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

Originally published in 1960, Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is a middle grade historical fiction/adventure novel. Karana, the protagonist and narrator, is only 12 when hunters land on her peaceful island home and kill many of her people, including her father. When the remaining villagers leave the island in search of a safe place to rebuild their lives, she stays behind and must learn to survive on her own. O’Dell drew inspiration from... Read Island of the Blue Dolphins Summary


Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Fathers, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction


Publication year 2012

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage

Tags Historical Fiction, Natural Disaster, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, History: World


Publication year 2012

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality


Publication year 1807

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Tags Lyric Poem, Romanticism / Romantic Period


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Jason’s Gold by Will Hobbs is a work of young adult historical fiction first published in 1990. Set in 1897, the story follows protagonist Jason Hawthorn, age 15, as he journeys to the Klondike goldfields in a quest for wealth. Jason’s path follows the most common routes used during the gold rush, and he meets a variety of allies and foes, both fictitious and historical. The story explores themes regarding The Transformational Power of Adventure... Read Jason's Gold Summary


Publication year 1974

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Economics, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Animals, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction

Jaws is a 1974 thriller by American author Peter Benchley. In the novel, a great white shark attacks people in a small resort town. The local police chief leads a voyage to catch and kill the shark to save the town from financial ruin. The novel was a commercial hit and was adapted into a 1975 film which became the highest grossing movie in history at that time. This guide uses an e-book version of... Read Jaws Summary


Publication year 1922

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Beauty, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Economics, Society: Class

Tags Harlem Renaissance