Books for kids and teens inspired by the 2024 Naturalist-in-Residence program. Alex Booker was chosed as this year's resident and his theme is Find Your Way Back to Nature.
Picture Books
This delightfully rhythmic story follows two children as they grow a garden from seeds.The children quickly learn that things rarely go as planned in the garden. Plants will droop without enough sun and wilt without enough water. Suddenly, "OH NO!" becomes the children's repeated refrain. Eventually, the pair come to see that nature itself provides everything a magnificent garden needs to flourish.
This engaging and educational picture book about protecting our waterways follows a classroom as they build a rain garden, empowering readers with the tools to reduce pollution, diminish flooding and create a habitat for wildlife.
A boy discovers he has much to learn while observing plants with his older sister -- a story about cultivating patience and letting knowledge grow.
Told through rhyming text, three generations of a gardening family work together to bring a backyard garden to full bloom, from planting to caretaking to harvesting. And at the end of the harvest season, they collect and store the seeds for next year's garden.
Granny has built a splendid vegetable garden from scratch on the rooftop of her Chengdu apartment building, and when harvest time comes she gives the extra produce to her neighbors and cooks a delicious feast for her family.
Children's Nonfiction
Thank a Farmer gently emphasizes the importance of agriculture in our day-to-day lives and reminds readers to give thanks to farmworkers around the world.
From Plant to Plate is the perfect book to inspire kids to get growing, get cooking, and get plant-powered eating. You'll be taught how seeds should be planted and learn how to find the best soil for your plants.
This nonfiction illustrated book for middle grade readers explores our right to a healthy environment and introduces the stories of people fighting for change.
In this full-color, definitive guide in the Outdoor School line, discover the rich possibilities of gardening.
Seeds in Soil takes learning outdoors, empowering young readers to plant their own gardens while digging deeper into related science and history lessons. Packed with hands-on activities, fun projects, and fresh recipes, this colorful gardening guide provides opportunities for kids to observe, explore, and ask questions while engaging their natural curiosity about nature
Children's Fiction
Ato and his friends Dzifa and Leslie have been selected to visit Nnoma, the bird sanctuary that Ato's father helped build before he died. When the trio arrives at Nnoma with other children from across West Africa, they are split into teams and given missions to help broaden their knowledge of nature. When the trio uncovers a sinister plot to exploit the sanctuary, Ato and his friends must work together to protect it--and his father's legacy.
Teen Fiction
Despite her father's disapproval, sixteen-year-old Eliza, displaced by Hurricane Harvey, throws herself into environmental activism at her new high school, where she meets Javi, who shares her experience of climate-related trauma and helps her cope with the emotional impact of ecological disasters. Available to download: eBook
Long, long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by hand but when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites' magical talents soon became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kindhearted sprite, starts to ask questions about the way things used to be, she'll begin to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening. Available to download: eBook
Piper has always been told that she needs to compensate for her Deafness in a world made for those who can hear. But when she meets Marley, a new world opens up--one where Deafness is something to celebrate, and where resilience means taking action, building a community, and believing in something better. Available to download: eBook
Teen Nonfiction
An exploration of the devastating effects of global warming--current and future. This is not only an assessment on how the future will look to
those living through it, but also a dire overview and an impassioned and hopeful call to action to change the trajectory while there is still time.
Drawing on years of experience as a psychoanalyst, Anouchka Grose shares cutting-edge insights on how to manage your eco-anxiety. Find out how to validate your emotions and build your resilience. Discover the comfort that can be found in your community. Understand and face your eco-anxiety with ten accessible steps. A 'tool kit' at the end of each step shows you ways to build on that knowledge and take action.
A gripping legal and environmental thriller that tells the story of twenty-one young people and their ongoing case against the U.S. government for denying their constitutional right to life and liberty. A rich, informative, and multifaceted read, The Twenty-One stars the young plaintiffs and their attorneys; illuminates the workings of the United States's judicial system and the relationship between government, citizens' rights, and the environment; and asks readers to think deeply about the future of our planet.