Picture and Board Books
A is for Axolotl: An Unusual Animal ABC by Catherine Macorol
Ada and the Galaxies by Alan Lightman
The Adventures of John Muir by Kate Coombs
Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald
Beehive by Jorey Hurley
The Biggest Puddle in the World by Mark Lee
Birdsong by Julie Flett
Busy-Eyed Day by Anne Marie Pace Bug Hotel: A Lift-the -Flap Book of Discovery by Libby Walden
Canoe Days by Gary Paulsen
Cozy by Jan Brett
Curious About Insects by Cathryn Sill
Dear Earth...From Your Friends in Room 5 by Erin Dealey
Discovering Nature's Alphabet by Krystina Castella
Egg by Kevin Henkes
The Fish Who Found the Sea by Watts
Forest (Adventures with Finn and Skip) by Brendan Kearney
Garden Time (Hello, World) by Jill McDonald
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring by Kenard Pak
Hank's Big Day: The Story of a Bug by Evan Kuhlman
Hummingbird by Nicola Davies
I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen
Let's Find Momo: A Hide-and-Seek Board Book by Andrew Knapp
Listen, Listen by Phillis Gershator
Little Fox in the Snow by Jonathan London
Little Witch Hazel: A Year in the Forest by Phoebe Wahl
Maple by Lori Nichols
Me--Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Mossy by Jan Brett
Mouse's First Fall (Mouse's Firsts) by Lauren Thompson
A New Green Day by Antoinette Portis
On the Way to the Beach by Henry Cole
One Earth by Eileen Spinelli
One North Star: A Counting Book by Phyllis Root
Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol
Our Great Big Backyard by Laura Bush
Over and Under the Rainforest by Kate Messner Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner
Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme by Marianne Berkes
Pipsie, Nature Detective: The Disappearing Caterpiller (Pipsie, Nature Detective) by Rick DeDonato
The Pond by Nicola Davies
Rocket Says Clean Up! by Nathan Bryon
Seaside Stroll by Charles Trevino
Secret Place by Eve Bunting
A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel
Summer Song by Kevin Henkes
Sun Flower Lion by Kevin Henkes
Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman
This is the Tree We Planted by McMullan
Tiny Bird: A Hummingbird's Amazing Journey by Robert Burleigh
Tree Full of Wonder by Anna Smithers
The Universe and You by Suzanne Slade
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
Way Far Away on a Wild Safari by Jan Peck
A Way With Wild Things by Larissa Theule
What's that Noise? by Naomi Howarth
White is For Blueberry by George Shannon
Wild is the Wind by Grahame Baker-Smith
Zonia's Rain Forest by Juana Martinez-Neal
Grades 1-2
Adorable Baby Animals by Courtney Acampora
The Berenstain Bears' Nature Rescue by Stan Berenstain
Coral Reefs in Danger by Samantha Brooke
Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George
Horse and Buggy Plant a Seed! by Ethan Long
I Wish I Was a Bison (Ranger Rick) by Jennifer Bove
In the Pond by Aubre Andrus
Nature Lover (Jada Jones #6) by Kelly Starling Lyons
Seasons: A Book of Poems by Charlotte Zolotow
Storms by Miriam Goin
Would You, Could You Plant a Tree?: With Dr. Seuss's Lorax by Todd Tarpley
Grades 3-4
The Adventure is Now by Jess Redman
A fun-filled, action-packed middle grade novel about a boy who learns about protecting the environment, finding real friends, and living in the now while spending the summer on a remote island.
Sometimes it's hard to be Milton P. Greene. He says all the wrong things, his family is falling apart, and everyone at school avoids him because of the very embarrassing Bird Brain Incident. But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild, he becomes someone else―Sea Hawk, the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who conquers danger at every turn.
Then Milton’s parents ship him off to the remote Lone Island for the summer, where his uncle Evan is an environmentalist researcher. The island is chock-full of spectaculous species, and Milton realizes this is his chance to become the brave and brilliant naturalist he’s always wanted to be―and even meet some fellow explorers!
But as it turns out, the future of the Lone Island is in some pretty serious peril, and the only thing that can save it is a field guide full of cryptic clues. If Milton and his unexpected new friends are going to protect the island, they’ll have to trust each other, discover new truths, and embark on a wild and wondrous adventure all their own.
Bats: Learning to Fly (Science Comics) by Falynn Koch
A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers
Camp Time in California (Magic Treehouse #35) by Mary Pope Osborne
Forever Birchwood: A Novel by Danielle Daniel
The middle-grade debut of star picture-book author and illustrator Danielle Daniel.
Adventurous, trail-blazing Wolf lives in a northern mining town and spends her days exploring the mountains and wilderness with her three best friends Penny, Ann and Brandi. The girls’ secret refuge is their tree-house hideaway, Birchwood, Wolf’s favourite place on earth. When her beloved grandmother tells her that she is the great-granddaughter of a tree talker, Wolf knows that she is destined to protect the birch trees and wildlife that surround her.
But Wolf’s mother doesn’t understand this connection at all. Not only is she reluctant to engage with their family’s Indigenous roots, she seems suspiciously on the wrong side of the environmental protection efforts in their hometown. To make matters worse, she’s just started dating an annoying new boyfriend named Roger, whose motives—and construction company—seem equally suspect.
As summer arrives, so do bigger problems. Wolf and her friends discover orange plastic bands wrapped around the trees near their cherished hangout spot, and their once stable friendship seems on the verge of unravelling. Birchwood has given them so much—can they even stay together long enough to save this special place?
With gorgeous yet understated language, Danielle Daniel beautifully captures an urgent and aching time in a young person’s life. To read this astonishing middle-grade debut is to have your heart broken and then tenderly mended.
I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018 (I Survived #20) by Lauren Tarshis
Little Bird by Cynthia Voigt
Miracles on Maple Hill by Sorenson
Of a Feather by Dayna Lorentz
In the vein of Barbara O’Connor’s Wish, a moving, poignant story told in alternating perspectives about a down-on-her-luck girl who rescues a baby owl, and how the two set each other free.
Great horned owl Rufus is eight months old and still can’t hunt. When his mother is hit by a car, he discovers just how dangerous the forest can be.
Reenie has given up on adults and learned how to care for herself—a good thing, since she’s sent to live with an aunt she’s never met. Yet this aunt has a wonderful secret: she’s a falconer who agrees to help Reenie catch an injured passage hawk in the wild and rehabilitate it.
When Reenie traps bedraggled Rufus, his eyes lock onto her heart, and they form a powerful friendship. But can Rufus learn to trust in the outside world and fly free? And can Reenie open her heart enough to truly soar?
Saving Sorya by Trang Nguyen
An Eisner-nominated middle grade graphic novel adventure based on a true story, in which a young conservationist overcomes the odds to save and return a sun bear to its natural habitat.
When endlessly curious and tenacious Chang discovers a bear bile farm near her home in Vietnam, she decides to do everything she can to save wild animals—by becoming a conservationist! After teaching herself survival skills, documenting each rainforest plant and animal she sees in her field notebook, and disproving the critics who think she isn’t old enough or strong enough, Chang is finally accepted as a rescue center volunteer. But her toughest challenge yet comes when she’s tasked with returning Sorya—the sun bear she raised from infancy—back into the wild. Because despite beinga different species, Sorya is Chang’s bestfriend. And letting a friend go is nevereasy . . . even when it’s the right thing to do.
With breathtaking art and STEM facts galore, Chang’s daring story is for any young reader, animal lover, and intrepid explorer!
The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales by SJ King
The Secret Garden by frances Hodgson Burnett
Spineless by Samantha Pryor
This exciting middle-grade adventure is Hoot for the Gilded Age—with scientific discoveries, secret plots, and surprisingly enormous fauna.
When his asthma lands him at a health resort in the wilds of Gilded Age South Florida, twelve-year-old Algie Emsworth is over the moon. The scientific treasure trove of unexplored swamps may launch his dream career as a naturalist. But even Algie is startled when he happens upon a brand-new species and her brood in the karst springs surrounding the resort. Algie quickly realizes he must keep his discovery a secret: a famous collector of exotic animals is also staying at the hotel, and the new species is threatened by his very presence. An apparent curse has also descended upon the hotel, bringing with it a deadly red tide. But when the pool starts filling with ink and guests start getting mysterious, sucker-shaped wounds, Algie must pluck up his courage to find the truth about the goings-on at the Grand Hotel—and save the new species from destruction.
Twister Trouble (Magic Schoolbus) by Ann Schreiber
Wild River: A Novel by Philbrick
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
This gripping novel about survival and family is based on the real story of one wolf’s incredible journey to find a safe place to call home. Illustrated throughout, this irresistible tale by award-winning author Rosanne Parry is for fans of Sara Pennypacker’s Pax and Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan.
Swift, a young wolf cub, lives with his pack in the mountains learning to hunt, competing with his brothers and sisters for hierarchy, and watching over a new litter of cubs. Then a rival pack attacks, and Swift and his family scatter.
Alone and scared, Swift must flee and find a new home. His journey takes him a remarkable one thousand miles across the Pacific Northwest. The trip is full of peril, and Swift encounters forest fires, hunters, highways, and hunger before he finds his new home.
Inspired by the extraordinary true story of a wolf named OR-7 (or Journey), this irresistible tale of survival invites readers to experience and imagine what it would be like to be one of the most misunderstood animals on earth. This gripping and appealing novel about family, courage, loyalty, and the natural world is for fans of Fred Gipson’s Old Yeller and Katherine Applegate’s Endling.
Includes black-and-white illustrations throughout and a map as well as information about the real wolf who inspired the novel.
Grades 5-6
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Calpurnia Tat #1) by Kelly
In this witty historical fiction middle grade novel set at the turn of the century, an 11-year-old girl explores the natural world, learns about science and animals, and grows up. A Newbery Honor Book.
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is eleven years old in 1899 when she wonders why the yellow grasshoppers in her Texas backyard are so much bigger than the green ones. With a little help from her notoriously cantankerous grandfather, an avid naturalist, she figures out that the green grasshoppers are easier to see against the yellow grass, so they are eaten before they can get any larger. As Callie explores the natural world around her, she develops a close relationship with her grandfather, navigates the dangers of living with six brothers, and comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.
Author Jacqueline Kelly deftly brings Callie and her family to life, capturing a year of growing up with unique sensitivity and a wry wit.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly was a 2010 Newbery Honor Book and the winner of the 2010 Bank Street - Josette Frank Award. This title has Common Core connections. This is perfect for young readers who like historical fiction, STEM topics, animal stories, and feminist middle grade novels.
Biographies
Alexander Von Humboldt: Explorer, Naturalist & Enfvronmental Pioneer by Danica Novgorodoff
Beatrix Potter, Scientist (She Made History) by Lindsay H. Metcalf
The Boy Who Grew A Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Sophia Gholz
Flower Watching with Alice Eastwood (Naturalist's Apprentice Biographies) by Michael Elsohn Ross
Henry David Thoreau: American Naturalist (First Book) by Peter Anderson
Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez
John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall by Julie Danneberg
Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale by Steven Kellogg
Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli
Nature's friend: The Gwen Frostic Story by Lindsey McDivitt
Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story by Suzanne Slade