Each year on April 22nd, we come together to celebrate Earth Day. First launched in 1970, this global event brings billions of people together around the world in the name of protecting the earth and environmental conservation. While you can filter books that feature the Environment and Conservation on our Browse Titles page year-round, we wanted to highlight some of our favorites to share with your students in a school-wide reading program or with families at home this Earth Day.
Willodeen by Katherine Applegate
It takes a special person to love the most unlovable of beasts, and 11-year-old Willodeen is just that person. She sees the value of screechers (a cross between a warthog, a beaver, and a skunk) even when the rest of her town thinks they are worthless. But, as her father taught her, “Nature, Willodeen, knows more than we do, and she probably always will.” Can Willodeen get her neighbors to understand how the dreaded screechers are interconnected with the town’s beloved hummingbears before it is too late? Willodeen is a story of a young naturalist with themes of family, friendship, and integrity.
Solimar is the reluctant soon-to-be princess in the mountains of central Mexico. While her father and brother are away, a rival king threatens the habitat of the beloved monarch butterflies. Solimar teams up with Berto, a talented and resourceful boy from the forest, to make the treacherous river journey to the port to warn the king and save the kingdom. With the help of her pet quetzal bird, an enchanted doll, and a magical rebozo, this team shows that integrity, tenacity, and courage can indeed rule the day. Perfect for those who like their empowering stories with just a touch of magic.
Rescue at Lake Wild by Terry Lynn Johnson
Twelve-year-old Madi, animal whisperer and junior rehabilitator, has pushed her parents to their limit. They lay down the law: no more wild animals. But when Madi and her friends find orphaned beaver kits, she just can’t turn away. Madi secretly cares for the babies while racing to find them a safe home. The situation becomes more serious when the town considers a bounty on beavers, viewing them as worthless pests. Madi, Aaron, and Jack put their heads together to engineer a solution that helps the town and saves the beavers. Terry Lynn Johnson’s page-turner will have families cheering for the kits and learning about the complexity of natural ecosystems.
Stella Díaz Never Gives Up by Angela Dominguez
Stella Díaz, a Read to Them favorite, is back with a new adventure, some new friends, and a new cause – keeping plastics out of the ocean. Join Stella on her family trip to Oaxaca, Mexico and head back home with her to Chicago to start the Sea Musketeers club and make a difference!
This book is perfect for schools who want to learn more about ocean conservation while exploring Mexican culture. You’ll learn some Spanish, too.
As the Lost-and-Founder of the Grand Nautilus Hotel, Herbie Lemon is used to reuniting things with their rightful owners. However, Herbie is out of his depth when Violet Parma stumbles into his life, seeking her parents who vanished from Eerie’s shoes twelve years ago. Violet and Herbie are quickly caught in the crosshairs of a local writer’s search for the Malamander egg, a magical relic that grants its holder any and all wishes they might have… A relic that the Malamander – a half-fish, half-man that’s kept residents of Eerie-on-Sea weary of misty evenings for generations– is determined to take back. Thomas Taylor’s atmospheric fantasy is perfect for anyone ready to embark on a larger-than-life adventure, who might be searching for their place in the world, and who holds an appreciation for things that are just a little bit strange.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
William and his family live in Malawi where, in 2002, they struggled for their lives during a famine. Turning to his natural inquisitiveness and ingenuity, everything changes for the better when William discovers a picture of a windmill in an old science textbook. Convinced that a contraption like this can help his family, he dives into the science behind energy production and proceeds to make dream become reality. Armed with donated library books, junkyard scraps, and an unwavering desire to learn, William literally harnesses the wind to bring electricity to his home, his village, and to far-flung parts of the African continent in this young reader’s edition of a real-life story.
What will you be reading this Earth Day? Let us know in the comments below!
