Books for Independent Reading
VERY EASY
- Dinosaurs to the Rescue! A Guide to Protecting Our Planet
- by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
(Science)
Little 1992 (32p)
Up-to-date dinosaurs offer practical suggestions for preserving the environment.
- My First Green Book
- by Angela Wilkes
(Science)
Knopf 1991 (48p)
A Large-format book with experiments, projects, and tips for environmentalists.
- Recycle! A Handbook for Kids
- by Gail Gibbons
(Science)
Little 1992 (32p)
Tips for recycling paper, glass, aluminum cans, plastic, and polystyrene.
- Grandfather's Dream
- by Holly Keller
(Multicultural)
Greenwillow 1994 (32p)
Grandfather hopes that restoring the wetland will bring the cranes back to his
Vietnamese village.
- It's My Earth Too: How I Can Help the Earth Stay Alive
- by Kathleen Krull
(Science)
Doubleday 1992 (32p)
Suggestions on how children can use Earth's resources wisely.
- Antarctica
- by Helen Cowcher
(Science)
Farrar 1990 (32p); also paper
A compelling tale of people's effect on the balance of nature. Available in
Spanish asAntártida.
- Tigress
- by Helen Cowcher
(Science)
Farrar 1991 (32p)
A ranger tries to save a tigress and her cubs. Available in Spanish asLa tigresa.
EASY
- Amazon Boy
- by Ted Lewin
(Multicultural)
Macmillan 1993 (32p)
A visit to the harbor in Belém gives a boy new appreciation of the rain forest.
- Listening to Crickets: A Story About Rachel Carson
- by Candice F. Ransom
(Social Studies)
Carolrhoda 1993 (56p); also paper
A biography of one of the pioneers of ecology.
- Crocodile Smile: 10 Songs of the Earth as the Animals See It
- by Sarah Weeks and Lois Ehlert
(Music)
Harper 1994 (42p)
Ten songs of the earth, each from an endangered animals point of view. With cassette.
- Prince William
- by Gloria Rand
(Science)
Holt 1992 (32p)
A girl rescues an oil-covered seal pup on an Alaskan beach.
- At Home in the Rain Forest
- by Diane Willow
(Science)
Charlesbridge 1991 (32p)
Stresses the interrelatedness of all life forms. Available in Spanish asDentrol de la selva tropical.
- Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species
- by Alexandra Wright
(Science)
Charlesbridge 1991 (32p)
The author, an eleven-year-old girl, provides a glimpse of endangered species.
Available in Spanish as¿Les echaremos de menos? Especies en peligro de extinción.
- Recyclables Fun: Creative Craft Ideas
- by Diane Cherkerzian
(Science)
Boyds Mills 1995 (48p)
Kids learn new uses for milk cartons, paper bags, and other disposables.
- Sato and the Elephants
- by Juanita Havill
(Multicultural)
Lothrop 1993 (32p)
A carver of ivory decides to become a stone carver instead.
- Someday a Tree
- by Eve Bunting
(Science)
Clarion 1993 (32p)
A girl plants an acorn after someone dumps chemicals on her favorite oak.
- Farewell to Shady Glade
- by Bill Peet
Houghton 1991 (48p); also paper
Animals in a treehouse watch as their home is destroyed by a bull-dozer.
- Dear World: How Children Around the World Feel About Our Environment
- by Lannis Temple
(Multicultural)
Random 1993 (152p)
Letters and art concerning the environment from children of thirty-six countries.
- Earth Words: A Dictionary of the Environment
- by Seymour Simon
(Science)
Harper 1995 (48p)
An illustrated dictionary of environmental terms such asacid rain,wetlands, andbiodegradable.
- Letting Swift River Go
- by Jane Yolen
(Science)
Little 1992 (32p)
The countryside where Sally Jane once lived is flooded to create a reservoir.
AVERAGE
- El gran capoquero: un cuento de la selva amazónica(The Great
Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest)
- by Lynne Cherry
Text in Spanish.
- Alligators: A Success Story
- by Patricia Lauber
(Science)
Holt 1993 (64p)
Information on the once-threatened alligator, thriving now because of protective
laws.
- Jaguarundi
- by Virginia Hamilton
(Science)
Scholastic 1995 (32p)
Destruction of the rain forest forces a wildcat to find a new home.
- The Great Squirrel Uprising
- by Don Elish
Orchard 1992 (113p)
Sally helps the animals of Central Park protest the acts of human litterbugs.
- Compost Critters
- by Bianca Lavies
(Science)
Dutton 1993 (32p)
Larger-than-life color photos reveal the activities of the creatures living in a compost pile.
- The Endangered Florida Panther
- by Margaret Goff Clark
Dutton 1993 (48p)
Focuses on what is being done to save this animal.
- Earth Keepers
- by Joan Anderson
(Social Studies)
Harcourt 1993 (96p)
Photo essay on biologist Lynn Rogers, a community garden in New York, and activities aboard the sloop Clearwater.
- Our Vanishing Farm Animals: Saving America's Rare Breeds
- by Catherine Paladino
(Science)
Little 1991 (32p)
Appealing photos of disappearing breeds with explanations of why they should be saved.
- Riverkeeper
- by George Ancona
(Social Studies)
Macmillan 1990 (48p)
Profile of John Cronin and his work to protect the Hudson River.
- Sanctuary: The Story of Three Arch Rocks
- by Mary Ann Fraser
(Social Studies)
Holt 1994 (32p)
Photos taken in 1903 helped persuade Teddy Roosevelt to establish this national wildlife refuge.
- One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
- by Jean Craighead George
(Science)
Crowell 1990 (56p)
The last-minute discovery of an unnamed butterfly prevents developers from cutting down a Venezuelan rain forest.
CHALLENGING
- And Then There Was One: The Mysteries of Extinction
- by Margery Facklam
(Science)
Little 1990 (56p); also paper
A look at what causes animals to become endangered or extinct.
- Gaylord Nelson: A Day for Earth
- by Jeffrey Shulman and Teresa Rogers
(Social Studies)
Holt 1992 (68p)
A biography of the Wisconsin senator credited with creating Earth Day in 1970.
- Marjory Stoneman Douglas: Voice of the Everglades
- by Jennifer Bryant
(Social Studies)
Holt 1992 (72p)
A biography that chronicles Douglas's struggle to save the Florida Everglades.
- Rescue Mission: Planet Earth: A Children's Edition of Agenda 121
- (Multicultural)
Kingfisher 1994 (96p)
A collection of stories, poems, essays, and interviews on environmental issues written by youth from around the world.
- Our Endangered Planet: Antarctica
- by Suzanne Winckler and Mary Rogers
(Science)
Lerner 1992 (64p)
Straightforward account of environmental problems. Available in Spanish asNuestro planeta en peligro: La Antártida.
- Our Endangered Planet: Tropical Rain Forests
- by Carnelia Mutel and Mary M. Rogers
(Science)
Lerner 1991 (64p)
Describes problems and suggests solutions. Available in Spanish asNuestro planeta en peligro: Las slevas tropicales.
Books for Teachers to Read Aloud
- The Talking Earth
- by Jean Craighead George
(Multicultural)
Harper 1983 (160p) Harper 1987 paper
A Seminole girl gains a new appreciation for the earth and her heritage.
Available in Spanish asLa tierra que habla.
- The Big Book for Our Planet
- edited Ann Durrell, et al.
(Science)
Dutton 1993 (136p)
A Variety of well-known authors contributed to this collection of poetry, stories, and nonfiction about the earth.
- The Earth is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems About Our Planet
- by Barbara Brenner
Scholastic 1993 (96p)
Poems by various well-known poets.