A Curriculum for the Climate
Books from Pre-K to HS for Understanding-- and Saving-- the Earth
With back-to-school just around the corner (or, in some cases, already started), this seemed like the perfect time to share some recommendations for reading material to engage children and teens in the natural environment.
To be clear, I’m not advocating creating an army of 4 year olds ready to fight greenhouse gases. 🤣 Environmental issues ranging from over-consumption to deforestation are adult problems, and I’m all for letting my little ones— and yours— enjoy the magic of childhood. But there are a myriad of wonderful books out there for helping your little ones better understand the natural world— and, as they get older, understanding the climate and consumption challenges they are seeing on the news or witnessing firsthand.
The world of environmental literature, including for children, has really exploded in the last several years— so these certainly aren’t the only good options out there. But in my experience they have a little more of a ‘sticky’ factor than some run-of-the-mill books… for younger readers, the kind of books they return to over and over; for older readers, the kind they don’t want to put down.
Pre-K/ Early Elementary:
For the youngest kiddos, it’s important to talk about environmental issues in ways that are tangible. A 3 year old can’t follow lyrical texts with metaphors, and it’s important not to offer overwhelming explanations of the climate crisis. The texts I recommend for this age are really just jumping off points for introducing a love of the natural world (best paired, of course, with lots of time outdoors actually exploring the world).
The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith | Bookshop | Amazon |
Giving children the language to understand the natural world is key to understanding, and ultimately protecting, it. This beautiful text features common words about the natural world— such as starlings and poppies— that had been removed from the Oxford Junior Dictionary.
Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery | Bookshop | Amazon |
I’m not a super emotional person, and yet this lovely story makes me tear up every time. Tony Hillery works with students from Harlem’s PS 175 to convert an abandoned lot overflowing with trash into a beautiful community garden full of fresh fruits and vegetables for Harlem’s families.
Wild Wild Wood by Anna Kemp | Penguin |
This adorable story features Mole and his other woodland friends saving their home from deforestation. Heads up that it’s only available as an e-book in North America at this point (but UK readers are in luck with an adorable picture book!)
Hello, World! Series | Penguin Random House |
This series about birds, the rainforest, the ocean, and other natural environments is great for a pre-k audience. The pictures hold even the littlest kids’ attention and the facts are straightforward enough my 3 year old has half the stories memorized.
God’s Earth Is Something to Fight For by Amy Houts | Bushel and Peck Books |
If your family is religious, this is a great text to help your child understand God’s call to protect the Earth, and how to help.
Upper Elementary:
Around age 7 or 8, most children will become more aware of environmental issues. Even if the news isn’t coming directly from you, it’s making its way in-- whether your family is unlucky enough to experience wildfires or flash flooding or your little one wonders what happens to plastic when it’s thrown away. It’s so important to give children hope— in fact, it sounds counter-intuitive, but teaching children the world is a scary or negative place actually hurts their ability to be resilient (I’d also recommend this quick episode on Kim John Payne’s Simplicity Parenting podcast). These books dive just a little bit deeper but offer lots of hope and, of course, vibrant illustrations.
Climate Change: The Choice is Ours by David Miles | Bushel and Peck Books |
This text is a vibrant, interactive explanation of the climate, greenhouse gases, and the impact of weather challenges like drought and rising sea levels. It’s a great introduction to climate change, especially for children looking for some hope and a sense of control over what they are experiencing.
Wild Cities by Ben Lerwill | Amazon |
This is a great compendium of surprising animals that live in cities, from foxes in London to penguins in Cape Town. It’s a great reminder that nature is all around us.
What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting the Planet by Jess French | Bookshop | Amazon |
This is a great fact-filled resource for elementary kiddos about the environmental impact of stuff in our life— from fashion and food waste to single-use plastic.
The Secret Life of… Series (Bees, Trees, Birds, Ocean… they are all great).
Every book in this series is packed with mythical tales and scientific facts that highlight the wonder of the natural world. You could certainly enjoy these books with younger readers if you break it into smaller chunks as well.
Elementary Books about Environmental Figures:
Books with lots of environmental figures are great for introducing a topic to your child or classroom. These stories are great because they really lean into the idea that there are good people doing good, kind, and important things in the world— or, in the words of Fred Rogers, it encourages the kids in your life to “look for the helpers.” If you lead a classroom or homeschool (or think your child has too much free time on their hands 😂), these are some resources to consider:
Rebel Girls Climate Warriors: 25 Tales of Women Who Protect the Earth | Bookshop | Amazon |
A short synopsis of 25 women, ranging from Angelina Arora (a teenager who invented bioplastics) to Autumn Peltier (an Indigenous clean water activist). The stories are understandable for even early elementary students and are great for read-alouds.
Fantastically Great Women who Saved the Planet by Kate Pankurst | Amazon |
Unlike Rebel Girls Climate Warriors, this book has more quick blurbs of information— so probably better for your kiddo to thumb through on their own.
And some stories that go into more depth about individual environment heroes:
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul | Bookshop | Amazon |
When Isatou Ceesay witnessed the damage discarded plastic bags were doing to her community, she came up with a plan to recycle them. This story pairs well with Rainbow Weaver (Linda Elovitz Marshall, | Amazon |), a fictional story about a girl learning to weave plastic bags to resemble the beautiful creations of her Mayan ancestors.
The Boy Who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng by Sophia Gholz | Bookshop | Amazon |
As a boy, Jadav Payeng began planting trees after witnessing deforestation and erosion along India’s Brahmaputra River, a project that resulted in a 1,300 acre forest. Many books about environmental figures are surprisingly more female focused, so it’s nice for boys to see some representation as well.
The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest | Bookshop | Amazon |
A beautiful, lyrical biography of Margaret Lowman, who investigated tree canopies across the rainforest and paved the way for protections from deforestation.
I am Jane Goodall (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer
The comic book style of the Ordinary People series is a great change of pace for kids, and this story clearly follows Jane from her childhood love of animals to her later work as a conservationist.
Middle School
Middle school is where children’s sense of fairness— and injustice— becomes really acute. It’s a time when kids are so observant of the world around them, but don’t often feel like they are given autonomy or a ‘seat at the table.’ In my experience as a former middle school teacher, the best thing you can do for students this age is to take their concerns and ideas seriously and empower their solutions (because chances are, pre-teens have some!).
Stuff: Curious Everyday STUFF That Helps Our Planet by Maddie Moate
From elephant poo paper to the 10,000 mile shoes, this lighthearted book delves into the life-cycle of our stuff and creative solutions for making more environmentally friendly goods.
All the Feelings Under the Sun: How to Deal with Climate Change by Leslie Davenport
If your teen (or pre-teen) is feeling serious climate angst, this book has journal prompts, breathing exercises, and other resources for socio-emotional learning alongside climate information.
The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone | Bookshop | Amazon |
This middle grade novel has a lot to unpack— it’s funny, full of pre-teen angst, and tackles complicated issues of waste, climate change, and even systemic racism. It’s a great jumping off point for talking about our role in over-consumption of resources and local ways to make a difference.
Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee | Bookshop | Amazon |
This novel is just a little less angsty than The First Rule of Climate Club, but it’s got a great middle school voice nonetheless, as Haven Jacobs addresses pollution from the local factory (where her dad works!) that’s destroying a river eco-system. This is a great read for channeling a pre-teen’s anxiety into optimism and local community action.
High School
If Great Thunberg’s Fridays for the Future taught us anything, it’s that teenagers feel climate despair— and, let’s be real, pretty much everything else— most acutely. These suggestions dive deeper into the nitty gritty of the problems— and potential solutions.
“You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.” — Greta Thunberg
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming edited by Paul Hawken | Bookshop | Amazon |
The most common critique of environmental books is too much focus on the crisis, and not enough on the solutions. Drawdown is the book of solutions, ranging from the straightforward (ridesharing) to the unexpected (educating girls) and the super innovative (net zero buildings and marine permaculture). Teenagers are in a wonderful position to dive deep into these solutions— using the ideas in Drawdown to inform everything from advanced science projects to future career choices.
Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir by Brianna Craft | Bookshop | Amazon |
This beautiful memoir has all the feels as it reflects Brianna’s experience on the negotiating team for the Least Developed Countries Group at the United Nations. It’s a coming of age story and a reflection of what it means to advocate for a country that is least responsible for— but most impacted by— the climate crisis.
The Nature of Nature: Why We Need the Wild by Enric Sala | Bookshop | Amazon |
Sala offers a super readable argument for the preservation of nature and its importance to our world from an economic, health, and environmental perspective. It’s a bit advanced for the average 14 year old, but a 16 or 17 year old would be in a great position to understand and reflect on the call to save nature, and ourselves.
The Day the World Stops Shopping: How Ending Consumerism Saves the Environment and Ourselves by J.B. Mackinnon | Bookshop | Amazon |
This book is also better suited for an almost-adult audience— or broken into chunks that are most relevant for whatever particular thing you are discussing— but it does a great job delving into slow-growth economics and the big impacts of buying just a little less with a smidge of humor and plenty of relatable stories.
Have any books you loved to add to the list? Please share in the comments!
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What wonderful recommendations and suggestions! Thank you for sharing 🙏