1 – Aani and the Tree Huggers – Jeannine Atkins

Age range – 5-10

When the trees in Aani’s village in India are going to be cut down, the villagers try to explain their dependence on them for food, fuel and shelter for the animals. When the tree cutters cannot be reasoned with, Aani wraps her arms around her favorite tree to save it. The other women follow Aani’s example. See what happens in this tale based on a true story with artwork inspired by 17 th century northern Indian art miniatures.

2 – A Cool Drink of Water – Barbara Kerley

Age range 4-8

Whethersqueezed from a bottle, a burlap bag, or sipped from a thin tin cup, everyone everywhere enjoys a nice cool drink of water. That is the focus of this book with photos from the National Geographic Society showing how people around the world obtain, use and conserve this precious natural resource. With the addition of a double end page of small copies of the book photos, each with a caption and location on a map and text with nouns in print and verbs in italics, this book is an enriching learning experience.

3 – Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir – Barbara Bash

Age range 4-8

Take a look at life in an old-growth Douglas Fir forest in the Pacific Northwest. The forest is explored from the green mossy treetop canopy to the underground root systems and the diverse group of creatures that live within the trees. The informative text and beautiful watercolor pictures combine to show that a forest is much more than a group of trees. It is a well-defined biome with a unique cycle of life. This book received the NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children honor and is printed on paper containing a minimum of 50% recovered waste and absolutely no fiber from old-growth trees.

4 – Animals You Never Even Heard Of –

Patricia Curtis

Age range 7-10

Have you ever seen a Pudu? How about a Red Uakari? Or an Axolotl? There are a dozen unusual species in this book with one thing in common: they are all endangered! See a color photo and read a description of each creature and their habitat. Then learn why each is facing extinction and what we all can do to help.

(A Pudu is the world’s smallest deer, a Red Uakari is a monkey, and an Axolotl is a salamander.)

5 – A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History – Lynne Cherry

Age range 4-8

Here is an amazing story of the Nashua River in New England and its transformation from a clear, clean water resource to a sluggish dying river, polluted muddy and red by a nearby paper mill. See the Nashua River from the 1400s when Native Americans and a vast array of fish, birds and animals inhabited this fertile river valley through the industrial 1800s and the water pollution that followed. Learn how, through the efforts of one woman named Marion Stoddart, the Nashua River has been restored to its original beauty, another example of the difference one person can make.

6 – A Walk in the Rainforest – Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini

Age range 4-8

A is for Amazing Anteaters and V is for Vibrant Vanilla Orchids. Learn the alphabet while you discover some of the many species of plants and animals that inhabit the rainforest. A list of intriguing facts about each species is included. What is equally intriguing is this book was written by the author when she was 14 years old! Kristin has since written several other books, each with an environmental message: “Swim Through the Sea” and “A Fly in the Sky”. It’s no wonder Kristin is referred to as an “Eco Star” by the Cousteau Society. Her publisher states “environmental awareness at a very early age is the key to preserving our world” which is also what the Kid’s Page on this site is all about!

7 – The Bald Eagle Returns – Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Age range 9-12

In 1984 when Dorothy Hinshaw Patent wrote a book titled “Where the Bald Eagles Gather,” this majestic bird was endangered in 43 states and threatened in 5 others. Thanks to the efforts of conservationists and the Endangered Species Act, the Bald Eagle is no longer on endangered species list. Learn about the return of the Bald Eagle as well as many interesting facts about this amazing bird and why it is considered the national bird of the United States.

8 – The Case of the Missing Cutthroats: An Ecological Mystery – Jean Craighead George

Age range 8-12

When a girl from New York City catches her first fish in the icy Snake River of Jackson Hole Wyoming the mystery begins. The fish Spinner catches is a huge Cutthroat thought to be extinct! As she and her cousin set out to discover how this one fish survived and made its way to the Snake River, they have many exciting experiences such as a lightning storm on the side of a cliff and an encounter with a dangerous grizzly bear. While they try to solve this exciting eco-mystery, the children also find a way to restock the fish in a nearby pond.

9 – Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children – Cait Johnson, Maura D. Shaw

All ages

Make a “talking stick” to help pass long winter days, create your own dream pillow, string a Native American corn necklace, construct a garden goddess or plant a “grass pot”. These are only a few of the ideas and activities suggested in this handbook of Earth-respecting experiences for any family or classroom. Each activity is Earth related and designed to be easily incorporated into any daily routine. Here is a valuable resource for adults and children who want to celebrate their love and appreciation for our planet.

10 – Common Ground: The Water, Earth and Air We Share – Molly Bang

Age range 6-12

This tale of a small village long ago that shared a common green takes on universal significance and provides an easy to understand example of what can happen when the Earth’s shared resources are used and misused. Present day problems such as fishermen catching more fish than they need, lumber companies cutting down too many trees, and the over-use of oil, gas, and water by everyone further emphasizes our need to conserve our natural resources for both future generations and the future of planet earth….our shared “common ground”.

11- Dear Children of the Earth: A Letter from Home – Schim Schimmel

Age range 5-9

“Dear Children of the Earth”, begins a letter from Mother Earth to children everywhere. In the letter Mother Earth tells children of her love for them and asks for their love and care in return. Mother Earth expresses her concern for all Earth’s creatures referring to them as our “sister and brother animals”. She asks that children appreciate the Earth and all its life forms, treat her with respect, and give her their protection in this letter from Mother to child. Read Mother Earth’s letter to you, then write your own letter back to Mother Earth.

12 – The Desert Is Theirs - Byrd Baylor

Age range 5-8

The deserts of the Southwest are the focus here. The poetic text introduces the Papago Indians, the plant and animal life in the desert and their closeness to the land. Learn how each adapts to the environment, lives with respect of one another, and shares the “feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together”. This book is a 1976 Caldecott Honor winner for the beautiful illustrations by nature artist Peter Parnall.

13 – Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help Heal the Environment – Linda Schwartz

Age range 8-11

14 – Earth Day Birthday – Pattie Schnetzler

Age range 4-10

The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 by 20 million people. Today Earth Day is celebrated in more than 140 countries around the world by more than 200 million people! One way to celebrate Earth Day any day of the year is with this song about 12 animals, some endangered and some threatened. Sing the song to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Ready, set, sing….”On the first Earth Day Birthday the wide world gave to me a bald eagle in a blue sky….” Sing through all 12 verses, and then make up some of your own! Ideas for having your own Earth Day party are also included.

15 – Eco-Fun: Great Projects, Experiments, and Games for A Greener Earth – David Suzuki, Kathy Vanderlinden

Age range 9-12

The interdependence of our ecosystem is explored through 50 fun environmental experiments covering 5 themes: Earth, air, water, biodiversity, and energy. Each experiment includes a supply list of common and inexpensive materials (many of them on hand in most homes), step by step directions, and a “How It Works” explanation. Find out how to measure the pollution in your area, make recycled paper, make fake fossils, and make your own “green cleaners”. A fun quiz or puzzle at the end of each of the 5 themes further adds to the learning-by-doing focus of this book.

16 – Ecology Crafts for Kids: 50 Great Ways to Make Friends with Planet Earth – Bobbe Needham

Age range: 8-12

Here are 50 fun craft projects to make using materials that are recycled, reused, or found in nature. Each project is presented with a materials list, easy to follow directions, and colorful photographs. Learn to make baskets, puppets, birdfeeders, picture frames, vases, or many other useful items and learn about ecological issues and environmental organizations along the way. A short biography of naturalist and conservationist John Muir and inspiring stories about kids who have made a difference make this more than an ordinary craft book.

17 – Empty Lot, The – Dale H. Fife

Age range 4-8

Harry Hale has an empty lot to sell. He places a “For Sale” sign in the lot and finds several people interested in buying it to use for a factory or a parking garage. When Harry visits the empty lot to decide his selling price, he discovers the lot is not “empty” at all! It is home to birds, frogs, insects, plants, a stream, and even a tree. Harry changes his “For Sale” sign to read “Occupied Lot – P. S. Every square inch in use!” and realizes the Earth belongs to all creatures, big and small, showing how just one person’s choice can make a big difference.

18 – Everybody Needs A Rock – Byrd Baylor

Age range 4-8

19 – Extinct!: Creatures of the Past – Mary Batten

Age range 4-8

Take a look at some animals that lived on Earth millions of years ago. Most are now extinct such as dinosaurs, dodo birds, and giant insects. Learn about animals you may never have even heard of such as killer kangaroos, giant birds, bear-size beavers, and other super-size mammals. The extinction of more recent creatures such as the passenger pigeon is also examined as well as the current efforts to protect threatened and endangered species of all kinds.

20 – Extinct Fact Files – Simon Furman

Age range 9-12

Explore 6 amazing creatures that once inhabited the earth, but are no longer with us. All 6 are now extinct! Learn how and where the mammoth, dodo bird, great auk, saber-toothed tiger, Tasmanian tiger, and Irish elk lived and what may have contributed to their extinction. With 99% of all species that once existed on Earth now extinct and many more creatures endangered or threatened, this book gives valuable information about what each individual can do to help

21 – Family of Earth, The – Schim Schimmel

Age range 2-8

“The Earth looks different to each of us, but we share only one Earth,” writes author Schim Schimmel. With minimal text and beautiful acrylic paintings, the different way each animal “sees” its world is contrasted with the one thing all creatures share…..planet Earth. The fact that this is a sturdy board book (perfect for toddlers and even infants) emphasizes the idea that children are never too young to begin a growing appreciation, respect, and love for the Earth and all its creatures.

22 – Farewell to Shady Glade – Bill Peet

Age range 4-8

Here’s another fun and exciting tale with an underlying environmental message from storyteller Bill Peet, author of two other wonderful environmentally themed books, “Wump World” and “The Gnats of Knotty Pine”. When bulldozers invade Shady Glade and chase a raccoon and his friends from their woodland habitat, they must find a new home. The author’s book dedication best relates his feelings “.…with the hope that the new generation will carry on….preserving what is left of our natural world.”

23 – 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Recycle – Earthworks Group

All ages

24 – Flute’s Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush – Lynne Cherry

Age range 4-8

After hatching in a nest in the Belt Woods, an old growth forest in Maryland, Flute the Wood Thrush makes his first migration south. Follow Flute as he flies from Maryland on the east coast of the America across the Gulf of Mexico to a rainforest in Costa Rica to spend the winter months. When the spring season returns to Maryland, Flute flies back again. Meet Flute’s mate, Feather, as they return to the Belt Woods to build a nest and raise their young. Learn the many dangers migrating birds face, as well as the names of many of these birds. Because of the popularity of this book, the Belt Woods environment was saved from land developers and preserved for birds like Flute and the many other species inhabiting this environment. The author Lynne Cherry is convinced that letters from children who read the story of Flute saved the land. She writes, “Children helped to save Flute’s home and children, in many ways, can make a difference in the world.”

25 – Fun With Recycling: 50 Great Things for Kids to Make from Junk –
Marion Elliot, John Freeman

Age range 9-12

Wait! Before throwing anything away, check out the projects in this fun eco-craft book. Step by step directions and colorful photographs guide young environmentalists in creating 50 projects using easy to find materials and all kinds of “junk” from everyday items to packaging that is too often thrown away. Just a few of the cool things you will learn how to make are musical instruments, puppets, masks, decorations, games, and toys.

26 – Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message – Jake Swamp, Chief Swamp

Age range 4-8

The Native American authors draw on the ceremonial traditions of the Iroquois or Six Nations of New York and Canada for the text, based on a Mohawk morning prayer. It offers thanks to the Earth for the precious gifts of blue waters, rain, clean air, food, sun, moon, stars, animals, and “for showing us ways to live in peace and harmony”. The prayer is also written on the last page in the Mohawk language, yet another way to foster appreciation of the diversity of all people on Earth.

27 – Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest– Lynne Cherry

Age range 4-8

A man enters the Amazon rain forest intent on cutting down a huge Kapok tree. When he rests at the base of the tree, he is lulled to sleep by the “heat and hum” of the rain forest. As the man sleeps, the creatures of the forest whisper to him about the interdependence of the plants and animals on Earth and of the importance of trees to the environment. His last visitor is a boy from the Yanomami tribe who wakes the man to ask that he see the rain forest with new eyes. A map of the world’s tropical rain forests and a closer look at the creatures of the Amazon rain forest rounds out this look at these magnificent and diverse biomes and our need to protect them.

28 – Grover’s 10 Terrific Ways to Help Our Wonderful World – Anna Ross, Tom Leigh, Children’s Television Workshop

Age range 2-6

Sesame Street’s Grover suggests 10 ways to be a good friend to planet Earth. With puzzles, tricks, experiments, and step by step projects, Grover gives young children ideas about planting trees, recycling, fixing things that are broken, not wasting water, and picking up litter. The fact that this environmental information is presented by familiar characters like Grover and his Sesame Street friends makes this an excellent book for fostering respect and care for the Earth in even the youngest children.

29 – If You Are a Hunter of Fossils – Byrd Baylor

Age range 9-12

Could a hot, dry desert once have been a cool, wet ocean? Could a cool, wet ocean once have been a hot, dry desert? The hunter of fossils searches for signs of the sea in the rocks of the mountains in west Texas. How can the fossils he finds reveal anything about how the area looked millions of years ago? Read and find out.

30 – Journey of the Red-Eyed Tree Frog – Tanis Jordan

Age range 4-8

When part of the Amazon rain forest is threatened with destruction, Ronnie the Red-eyed Tree Frog must find a new home. On his long journey to the heart of the rain forest, the red-eyed tree frog encounters many other threatened rain forest creatures along the way. Finally the Oracle Toad offers Ronnie some wise advice.

31 – Just A Dream – Chris Van Allsburg

Age range 4-8

A young 10 year old boy named Walter pollutes his environment with litter, refuses to help his family sort trash for recycling, and doesn’t understand the importance of planting trees. Walter’s dream of a technological-filled future where robots do all the work for you and the world is full of all sorts of mechanical wonders is nothing like the nightmare he has one night. Instead of a technological wonderland, Walter dreams of a future world that is overcrowded, polluted, and smog-filled. When he wakes up, Walter’s desire to become one of Earth’s caretakers is also awakened.

32 – Keiko’s Story: A Killer Whale Goes Home – Linda Moore Kurth

Age range 9-12

Learn about the anatomy and life of the orca whale as the story of Keiko’s journey unfolds. Follow Keiko as he is moved from his small, cramped aquarium in Mexico City to a larger aquarium in Newport, Oregon on January 6, 1996 and finally to his return to the wild in Klettsvik Bay, Iceland on September 10, 1998. Meet the scientists, researchers, and trainers who helped Keiko on his fascinating journey to freedom.

33 – Koko Love!: Conversations with A Talking Gorilla – Francine Patterson

Age range 3-8

Would you like to communicate with a real gorilla? That’s what the author Dr. Francine Patterson can do! The gorilla she speaks to is named Hanabi-Ko or Koko, as she is better known. Hanabi-Ko means “Fireworks Child”….Koko was born on the Fourth of July. Read how Koko learned and communicated using sign language, see and meet some of Koko’s animal and human friends, and look at some of Koko’s artwork. You can even measure your human hand against the actual size of Koko’s huge gorilla hand! Best of all, learn to sign 15 words Koko uses to communicate with humans.

34 – Lonesome George the Giant Tortoise – Francine Jacobs, Jean Cassels

Age range 4-8

Park wardens in the Galapagos Islands may have found the last surviving giant tortoise on Pinta Island when they discovered George foraging for food. The food supply for these giant gentle creatures had been eaten by wild goats brought to the islands by fishermen. Follow George as he is taken to a nature preserve in Santa Cruz where efforts are made and other zoos are searched to find the giant tortoise a mate.

35 – The Lorax – Dr Seuss

Age range 4-8

“I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees,” says the fuzzy yellow Lorax in this Dr Seuss tale of greed and the destruction of a unique and beautiful environment. When the once lush land filled with Truffula Trees, Swomee Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots, and Humming Fishes becomes a polluted urban environment, the Once-ler leaves. But, he takes with him a single Truffula Tree seed. He passes the seed on to a child. Dr Seuss, like many of us, surely realizes the future of planet Earth lies in the hands of future generations. Published in 1971, The Lorax remains one of the best environmental books for children as well as adults. It is even used as a textbook in many universities.

36 – The Missing ‘Gator of Gumbo Limbo: An Ecological Mystery – Jean Craighead George

Age range 9-12

Liza is a homeless sixth grader who lives with her mother and several other homeless people in part of the lush Florida Everglades called the Gumbo Limbo Hammock. A huge and harmless alligator called Dajun lives at the center of this well balanced ecosystem, like a protector of the swamp. Liza and her friends feel protected by the giant Dajun, but the surrounding community feels threatened by the alligator. To save Dajun from being taken away or harmed by pest control officials, Liza and her friends must find Dajun before they do. The search for the alligator leads the group on an exciting eco-mystery!

37 – Mother Earth – Nancy Luenn

Age range 4-8

“The Earth is our Mother. The ground is her skin and the mountains are her bones. The trees and the plants are her living hair.” The listening stones are her ears, the frogs and snakes are her sense of smell, and the insects are her thoughts. But who or what are the eyes of Mother Earth? Like any good and giving Mother, she gives so much to her children. And how can we give back to her? What can we do to show our love and appreciation for all Mother Earth provides?

38 – Mother Earth, Father Sky: Poems of Our Planet – selected by Jane Yolen

Age range 9-12

With her choice of 40 poems about the Earth by 35 different poets, Jane Yolen has put together a collection of verses that both celebrate Mother Earth and remind us of her fragile place in the universe. The poetry is presented under 3 themes: “Celebrate the Earth”, “Sacrifice the Earth”, and “Save the Earth.” The beauty and abundance of Earth has inspired such poets as Christina Rossetti, C. S. Lewis, John Keats, Carl Sandburg, and the Teton Sioux peoples to pay tribute to Earth’s many riches, warn of Earth’s many sacrifices, and offer hope for the future of our planet.

39 – Nature’s Green Umbrella – Gail Gibbons

Age range 4-8

Learning about rain forests and how important they are to the whole world will help us better understand our need to protect them. An amazing variety of animals and plants of the rain forests are colorfully drawn and labeled with double page illustrations. Each page is bordered with rain forest vines and flowers. The geography, climate, and ecology of these complex, but fragile ecosystems are explored, as well as the effects of global warming and the ever-growing extinction of rain forest life. Learn about the efforts being made to preserve and protect Earth’s rain forests and what we all can do to help.

40 – Nobody Particular: 1 Woman’s Fight to Save the Bays - Molly Bang

Age range 9-12

When her shrimp nets are pulled up empty off the east coast of Texas, Diane Wilson realized the waters were not the same as they once were years ago. This Texas shrimper, ordinary citizen, and mother confronts the nearby chemical plants to save the polluted waters she and others have relied on for generations. Told with colorful comic book style illustrations, this is a true story of one woman’s successful fight to protect her environment.

41 – Other Way to Listen, The – Byrd Baylor

All ages

In the present day of computers, faxes, cell phones, and pagers, here is a breath of fresh air! Learn (along with a young boy) from an old man how to take time from the busy day to truly listen to the world around you. See how people all over the world celebrate sunrise and awaken the next day to honor the Earth in your own way. As Byrd Baylor writes: "The way to start the day is to go outdoors and face the sun, making it welcome for the new day by your song or gift or blessing….” This was a 1997 Caldecott Honor book for the beautiful illustrations by nature artist Peter Parnall.

42 – Planet Zoo: One Hundred Animals We Can’t Afford to Lose – Simon Barnes

Age range 9-12

Celebrate the amazing diversity of the animal kingdom as you explore 100 of the world’s endangered animals with author Simon Barnes, a wildlife journalist for The London Times. Learn about each animal and what affects its extinction will have on the world. As we learn to understand that, just as all life depends on the Earth, the Earth depends on all that inhabit it, we begin to realize the importance of finding ways to protect these creatures for the future of our planet.

43 – Recycle: A Handbook for Kids – Gail Gibbons

Age range 4-8

Recycling…..what a good habit to have! Recycling is one of the easiest and most fun ways to make our planet a safer and healthier place to live. Take a look at 5 different kinds of recyclables (glass, paper, aluminum cans, plastic, and polystyrene) and what happens to each from collection to recycling plants. See how some recyclables like paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum cans are recycled into new products. Tips are included suggesting what to recycle, how to recycle, and the many benefits of recycling to both people and the planet.

44 – Someday A Tree – Eve Bunting

Age range 5-8

Alice and her family enjoy picnics, telling stories, playing games, and resting in the shade of a huge oak tree in the meadow. The tree is hundreds and hundreds of years old. But when the leaves begin to fall from the tree in the spring, the family realizes the tree is dying. As the family and their neighbors discover what may have happened to the tree and try unsuccessfully to care for it, Alice remembers the acorns she collected from the old oak tree in the fall. How can she help?

45 - Taking Care of the Earth: Kids in Action – Laurence Pringle, Larry Pringle

Age range 9-12

Read these inspiring stories about real kids and real schools and the remarkable environmental work they have done together. In a chapter titled “Wild Places and Wild Life”, the author writes about a group of elementary school students who raised enough money to buy a section of wild land to care for and preserve. Another group of students conducted a penny drive and used the money to buy and preserve 8 acres of a rain forest in Costa Rica. Read about other Earth-friendly activities such as tree planting, saving wildlife, and recycling and become inspired by these true stories showing how children can truly make a difference. This book is printed on recycled paper and includes a list of addresses of a variety of environmental organizations.

46 – Water Hole, The – Graeme Base

Age range: 4-8

Water is the gift that keeps our planet alive. To emphasize the importance of this precious natural resource, the author shows10 different animals on 10 different continents visiting a water hole to quench their thirst. As the animals drink and the water hole dries up, the animals also leave. But, drop by drop, a torrential rainfall restores the water hole and the animals return. A die cut oval on every page decreases in size to further illustrate the diminishing water hole and the lack of water for the animals on each continent. Be sure to look for the other animals, some of them endangered, on the borders of every page and hiding in every landscape. Part counting book, part hidden picture book, part geography book….this is a book teaching many things while emphasizing the dependency of the Earth and all creatures on water.

47 – Where the Forest Meets the Sea – Jeannie Baker

Age range: 4-8

The author, Jeannie Baker uses relief collages constructed with a variety of materials such as clay, paper, paint, and bits of nature to illustrate this book. Thus the trees are made from real twigs, big leaves from small leaves, and coarse sand from fine sand. A young boy travels with his father to an island off the coast of Australia where a rainforest has been “for over a hundred million years”. As they explore this rainforest in North Queensland, Australia, the boy imagines how it might have looked long ago. What dinosaurs and other strange creatures once roamed there? What kinds of plants once grew there? And what games did the Aboriginal children play among the trees? As the day ends, the boy wonders what other changes will civilization bring to this primeval forest and others like it.

This book won the Friends of the Earth Award in Great Britain.

48 - Window – Jeannie Baker

Age range 4-8

In this wordless picture book we see out of the window in Sam’s room as Sam grows up. The window scenes come to life in the author’s complex collages made with a variety of natural materials. What begins as a lush green environment inhabited by animals, birds and a fish pond when Sam is a baby in his mother’s arms, changes little by little over the years. As more houses are built, roads are made, and factories are constructed, people soon outnumber the wildlife that once inhabited the wooded area. By the time Sam is grown, the once green and quiet landscape is a crowded city with pollution, noise, litter, billboards, and graffiti. The author helps us understand how we each personally effect our environment and the need to protect wilderness lands from development and overpopulation.

49 – With Love to Earth’s Endangered People – Virginia L. Kroll

Age range 9-12

We are all aware of the many endangered species of the animal kingdom but did you know there are many people and cultures also in danger of extinction? The author Virginia Kroll introduces us to 7 different cultures from remote places all over the world with both pictures and maps: Quecha in Peru, Ainu in Japan, Bushmen and Mbuti in Africa, Toda in India, Inuit in Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Alaska, and Aborigine in Australia. Learning more about these peoples and their close ties to nature and traditions from the past is one of the best ways to develop a respect and appreciation for the differences of all peoples and to recognize our need to protect all life on Earth.

50 – You Are the Earth: Know the Planet So You Can Make It Better – David T. Suzuki, Kathy Vanderlinden

Age range 9-12

Did you know the human body is nearly 70% water? Did you know thousands of microscopic bugs live on your forehead? This and other interesting facts about the human body are explained with colorful photographs, illustrations, and cartoons. Additional information about the Earth and its natural resources provides many examples of the human connection to the planet. Learn how we are all connected to each other and to all living things on the Earth, past or present. For all of us to be happy and healthy, we need to figure out ways to preserve our planet because, after all, We are the Earth.

51– The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon – Jacqueline Davies

Age range 9-12

As a young man a curious and dedicated John James Audubon was always fascinated by nature, particularly birds. Preferring to study and learn outdoors rather than from books, Audubon combined his artistic talents with his keen observation skills to make life-sized drawings of the birds in his environment. Read and learn how he discovered if the birds he observed in the spring returned after winter. A rich variety of artwork in this book (photos, collages, watercolors, maps, and recreated sketchbook pages) enhances the biography of this ornithologist many consider to be “the greatest painter of birds of all time”.

52 - The Day the Trash Came Out to Play – David M. Beadle

Age range 4-8

Bright colorful illustrations and rhyming words make this book a fun learning experience. When a boy throws his candy wrapper in the air to watch it spin and fly in the wind he doesn't think he is littering. But one by one the other pieces of trash in town want to “play” too. So out of their trash bins and garbage bins they all come! Before long the whole town is polluted with trash and litter everywhere. With the young boy's help, the community works together to get the playful trash back where it belongs. This is a simple but important lesson about the global impact each of us can have when we take pride in our own neighborhoods and communities.

53 - Earth Day – Hooray! – Stuart J. Murphy

Age range 4-8

Here is a book that combines a recycling tale with some math practice. The Maple Street School “Save-the-Planet Club” is cleaning up their neighborhood park for Earth Day. The children decide to collect and recycle 5000 aluminum cans and use the money to buy flowers for the park. The collected cans are bagged in groups of 10, 100, and 1000. Help the club total their collection and practice the math concept of place value. Learn more about recycling with interesting facts scattered throughout the book, such as this one: “In 1999 recycling and composting kept about 64,000,000,000 (64 billion) tons of trash from ending up in landfills or being burned!”

54 - Endangered Planet – Tony Juniper

Age range 9-12

The world is over 4 billion years old yet it is only within the last 300 years that the actions of the human population have put the Earth in jeopardy. Today humans influence every natural habitat on the planet. The three chapters in this book combine to present a complete picture of our planet: past, present and future. In the first chapter learn about the Earth and what we all need to live. The second chapter explains the many threats to the planet, most caused by human influence such as population growth, pollution, and the greenhouse effect. The last chapter offers hope for the future with possible solutions like renewable energy, wildlife and habitat protection, conservation, and recycling.

55 - Fine Feathered Friends: Poems for Young People – Jane Yolen

Age range 9-12

Appreciate the grace and beauty of each bird through poetry and photography. Author Jane Yolen's poems, both rhyming and not, are a mix of beautiful, whimsical, and inspiring verses. Her son, nature photographer Jason Stemple, contributed the large, double-page, full-color close-ups of birds in their natural habitats. A paragraph on each page presents more interesting facts and information about each bird.

56 - Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes – Pamela S. Turner

Age range 9-12

Who helps a wild gorilla sick with the flu?

Someone like Dr. Felicia Nutter, a field veterinarian who practices animal medicine in the middle of a jungle! This doctor who works with Rwanda 's Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project tracks and treats ailing gorillas in the wild. To raise funds to protect these endangered creatures, tourist groups can visit the jungles to view gorillas in their natural habitat. But close contact between humans and gorillas has introduced gorillas to human germs. This author followed the Veterinary Project as they observe the daily lives of the gorilla, provide emergency health care and study the effects of their exposure to humans.

57 – Henry Works – D. B. Johnson

Age Range 4-8

This is the fourth book in the series of “Henry Books”. Each book includes a map of Concord , Massachusetts , a brief biographical sketch and quotes from Henry David Thoreau, author and naturalist on which the main character, Henry the Bear, is modeled. In this book Henry is “walking to work” and this is his reply to everyone who asks what he is doing. Along the way Henry waters wildflowers, marks a path, builds a walkway across a brook, and cares for the environment. We find out Henry's “work” is writing about nature and that is what he does when he reaches his home. He writes about his walk. Henry's appreciation of nature is shown in his respect for everything in his environment and is a wonderful first glimpse into the life of Henry David Thoreau.

Look for the fifth book in this series, “Trouble with Henry: A Tale of Walden Pond” by Angela Westengard to be released in August 2005.

58 – I See a Kookaburra: Discovering Animal Habitats around the World –

Robin Page, Steve Jenkins

Age range 9-12

You will also see an oystercatcher, a snapping turtle, and many other amazing creatures in this book. But you will have to use your eyes and search the habitat of each living thing. The animals and birds are camouflaged in their environments illustrated with cut paper collage pictures. Search for several creatures in each habitat and turn the page to see if you found them all. Learn more about each animal or bird in the back of the book where you will find a picture, description, and details about their habitats. Have even more fun as you try to find a tiny ant hidden in every habitat.

59 – Judy Moody Saves the World! –

Megan McDonald

Age range 7-10

This is the third book in the “Judy Moody” series.

Inspired by studying the environment and the destruction of the rainforests, third grader Judy Moody enters the “Crazy Strip Band-Aid Design Contest' with her wonderful ‘Heal the World' bandage idea. When Judy's little brother wins instead, she turns her attention to learning more about endangered animals and encouraging her family to recycle more. Judy's well-meaning plans bring her trouble when she takes all her classmates wooden pencils because she thinks they were made with trees from the rainforests. But Judy's efforts spark a bottle drive in her community and she and her classmates raise enough money to buy 100 seedling trees for the rainforest in Costa Rica .

60 – Miss Lady Bird's Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America – Kathi Appelt

Age range 9-12

This book begins with a look at the childhood of Lady Bird Johnson and the important part nature played in her life even as a young girl. Later as the wife and the First Lady of the 36 th President of the United States , Lyndon Baines Johnson, Lady Bird brought her appreciation and respect for nature to the White House. She filled Washington D.C. with more cherry trees and hundreds of daffodils. Lady Bird reminded a whole nation of the importance of conserving natural resources by promoting the Highway Beautification Act. Thanks to her efforts native wildflowers now line America 's interstate highways. Enjoy the beautiful floral landscape illustrations and try to find each state's wildflowers with the help of a wildflower identification key.

61– One Small Place in a Tree – Barbara Brenner

Age range 4-8

A black bear scratches a tree. That small scratch in one forest tree becomes home for a variety of woodland animals over many years. When timber beetles settle into the scratch they attract many different hungry birds. As birds like the woodpecker peck on the tree, a small hollow is created. It becomes the perfect home for squirrels, mice, and tree frogs. And when at last the tree falls, snakes, salamanders, and other forest creatures make the fallen tree their habitat. Observe the many interrelationships of woodland creatures in bright double-page illustrations and brief poetic descriptions.

62– One Small Place in the Sea –

Barbara Brenner

Age range 4-8

The same short poetic text and double-page pictures give you a look at a very different environment: a coastal tide pool. It is a tide pool “no bigger than a bathtub” yet this ecosystem is the habitat for a huge variety of sea creatures. The ever changing tide fills the tide pool with plankton, food for mussels and barnacles. They are soon joined by starfish, snails, and sea anemone. A hermit crab washes into the tide pool and takes the shell discarded by the anemone for its new home. As the ever moving sea mingles with the tide pool water, the creatures and their interrelationships with one another can change daily.

Both of these books present a detailed and unique look at two small ecosystems and an understanding that all life on Earth is worthy of our protection and respect.

63–The Prairie Builders: Reconstructing America 's Lost Grasslands – Sneed B. Collard

Age range 9-12

America 's Midwest was once covered with an enormous tallgrass prairie. It was home to hundreds of species of plants, birds, insects, butterflies, and animals such as coyote, elk, bear and bison. This was barely a century ago. But by the beginning of the twentieth century this amazing biome was gone. In its place were farms, small towns, and eventually big cities. Learn how the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, an 8000 acre project in Iowa , is working to bring back part of the tallgrass prairie. Through their efforts to reintroduce the native prairie plants these scientists and volunteers hope to bring back the amazing variety of prairie life such as elk, bison, and the beautiful Regal Fritillary butterfly.

64– Recycled Crafts Box – Laura C. Martin

Age range 9-12

Get ready to find lots of fun things to make by recycling items you might usually throw away. Step by step illustrated directions and color photos of the finished items guide you in making 40 projects such as sock puppets, bottle bugs, plastic cup dolls, and sneaker planters. Take a closer look at each recycled material used for the projects and learn how it is made and other ways it can be recycled. See how many artists use recycled materials in their art and how you can make a difference. A book list and suggested recycling websites is included.

65– Nature's Art Box – Laura C. Martin

Age range 9-12

If you enjoy art projects you might also have fun with this book by the same author. Find over 65 fun craft projects made with materials found in nature. You might find many of the natural materials in your own backyard. Step by step illustrated directions and color photos of the finished items guide you in creating clay pots, vine wreaths, nature prints, and cornhusk dolls. A special section shows you how to identify plants, nuts, and other natural materials. Learn how nature can inspire you as an artist while you continue to preserve, protect and enjoy the outdoors.

66– The Sea, The Storm and The Mangrove Tangle – Lynne Cherry

Age range 9-12

Learn about the life cycle of the Mangrove tree from a seedling, to one tree, and finally to a tangle of mangroves. It is a process that can take over 100 years! Mangrove trees are the only trees that can grow in salt water. They grow on islands, lagoons, and coastal regions where their massive roots can reach the ocean floor. The tree branches are home to a vast array of wildlife and the underwater root tangle is also home to a variety of sea life from the smallest crab to the full grown dolphin. This book includes a map locating mangroves around the world and a list of websites where you can learn how you can help protect and save these amazing, but endangered ecosystems.

67– Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems – Joyce Sidman

Age range 9-12

A pond seems like such a quiet, tranquil and relaxing place, doesn't it? After reading the poems in this book you will realize ponds are very active and alive with a variety of creatures and life forms. The poems follow the seasons of the year and present a glimpse of hidden wetlands or ponds and the life inhabiting them such as dragonflies, wood ducks, painted turtles, cattails, and water insects with names like the Water Boatman and the Backswimmer. Beautiful hand-colored woodcuts illustrate Joyce Sidman's mix of poetry ranging from rhymes, free verse, haikus, and even sea shanties.

68– A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet – Claudia McGehee

Age range – all ages

Read about the flowers, birds, insects and animals from A to Z through the changing seasons on America 's Midwest Prairies. Scratchboard drawings tinted with watercolors illustrate this once flourishing Prairie environment and its abundance of life. The addition of hikers and birdwatchers in some illustrations remind us of the importance of respecting, studying, and protecting ecosystems in our own environment.

69– The World That We Want –

Kim Michelle Toft

Age range 4-8

Author Kim Toft writes: “The world that we all want and need is one that protects, feeds, and shelters everything that lives in it.”

A variety of different environments are presented in this book as well as a look at the animals that inhabit them. Though each habitat is distinct with unique features, they are all interconnected. The threat of destruction of one habitat puts the species living there at risk and affects all habitats on Earth. Read about the threats to each habitat and learn how all life must be kept in balance if we wish to have and keep “the world that we want”.

70– One Fish Less – Kim Michelle Toft

Age range – 4-8

Don't miss this another environmental book by Australian author Kim Michelle Toft This counting book was published with the support of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Unlike many books about counting this book begins with number 11 and counts backwards to zero as you learn how human carelessness has led to the disappearance of 12 species of fish native to Australia 's Great Barrier Reef . The addition of a paragraph about each threat to the reef fish takes this beyond a basic counting book with interesting environmental information for older readers. The colorful silk painting illustrations create a beautiful and enticing view of life underwater.