Climate Justice Books for Readers of All Ages
Climate Is Just the Start By Mikaela Loach
A guide to tackling the climate crisis from a prominent activist working on the front lines! Mikaela Loach's approach is one of HOPE and big-hearted optimism, inspiring kids and making them feel truly empowered to change the world.
Kids hear about the climate crisis pretty much every day. From their parents, from their teachers, on social media, and in the news, there is no escaping it. Against a broader backdrop of social inequity and unfairness, it's easy for young people to feel a sense of "doom and gloom" about everything and to feel powerless.
In CLIMATE IS JUST THE START, UK-based climate activist Mikaela Loach offers her urgent and inspiring message for kids who want to STOP the climate crisis and START building a better world for everyone. Mikaela explains the climate crisis and its broader social implications through personal stories about her activism journey. She writes about friends from around the world who are experiencing the worst of it today and about what they are doing to fight back. She delivers a message or not only hope, but of excitement for the opportunity to create not only a sustainable future for Earth, but better lives for people in the process.
Mikaela is truly on the front lines of the climate movement: leading street protests, confronting fossil fuel executives, taking the UK government to court, and speaking up to those in power. Not only will kids love engage with her style, they will be inspired by her example.
The World Is Ours to Cherish: A Letter to a Child By Mary Annaïse Heglar; illustrated by Vivian Mineker
This hopeful picture book--written in the style of a letter--gives kids an honest take on climate change and urges them to band together to help the planet.
The world is a big, beautiful place full of natural wonders--everything from bees to rainfall can seem magical.
The world is also changing. Climate change has already had a devastating effect on the planet.
But it's not too late! If we work together and show a little more care, both for the environment and each other, we can keep this world beautiful.
This moving debut from climate writer Mary Annaïse Heglar is perfect for budding environmentalists and anyone in need of a little hope for the future of our planet.
History Smashers: Earth Day and the Environment By Kate Messner
Myths! Lies! Recycling scams? Discover the real story behind the first Earth Day celebration and some of the biggest US climate catastrophes--and their solutions! Don't miss the award-winning History Smashers series as they get to the truth on the biggest environmental fibs!
In April 1970, twenty million people grabbed their rakes, gloves, and recycling bins to celebrate the first Earth Day. Since that environmental kickoff, nature has never been in better shape. RIGHT?
WRONG! The real deal is a bit muddier than that. It’s true that the first Earth Day encouraged people around the globe to clean up their act when it came to the environment. But activists have been working for centuries to save the planet! Native people across the world developed sustainable farming practices, women in eighteenth-century India stood up to protect trees, and amateur scientist Eunice Foote discovered the science behind global warming all the way back in the 1850s!
Join the History Smashers team to bust history's biggest misconceptions and figure out what in the world really went down before (and after!) the first Earth Day—and how you can join the fight to protect the environment.
Ready to bust new myths? Check out more titles in the History Smashers series: The Mayflower • Plagues & Pandemics • The Titanic • The Underground Railroad • The Salem Witch Trials
Girls Who Green the World By Diana Kapp; illustrated by Ana Jarén
Part biography, part guidebook to the contemporary environmental movement, this book is the perfect gift for future and current activists and changemakers! Girls Who Green the World features the inspiring stories of 34 revolutionaries fighting for our future!
An inspired collection of profiles, featuring environmental changemakers, social entrepreneurs, visionaries and activists.
Journalist Diana Kapp has crisscrossed this country writing for and about empowered girls, girls who expect to be leaders, founders and inventors. This book takes it a step further. It says to girls: while you’re striving to be CEOs and world leaders, consider solving the biggest challenge of our lifetime, too—because you can do both at the same time, and here are 34 women doing just that.
You Are a Wildlife Warrior!: Saving Animals & the Planet By Bindi Irwin, with Smriti Prasadam-Halls; illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
World-renowned conservationist Bindi Irwin has a message for animal-loving kids: You can help protect the planet and all who call it home! Featuring exclusive Irwin family photos and animal fun facts.
Calling all Wildlife Warriors! Step inside the Australia Zoo and see what nature has to offer. There are lemurs and rhinos, kangaroos, and—of course—crocodiles.
On your tour, learn about these amazing animals and their habitats. Observe how they live and grow and all the ways we can protect them. Get inspired to take part in nurturing your own environment and all that inhabit it. Most important, discover the Wildlife Warrior within!
From the daughter of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, comes an illustrated picture book encouraging readers to walk on the wild side and uncover their inner conservationists.
Turtles of the Midnight Moon By María José Fitzgerald
When poachers threaten the island they love, two girls team up to save the turtles—and each other. An eco-mystery with an unforgettable friendship story at its heart from a fresh new voice in middle grade.
Twelve-year-old Barana lives in a coastal village in Honduras, where she spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach.
Abby is feeling adrift in sixth grade, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs after her best friend moved away from New Jersey.
When Abby’s papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the opportunity to see his homeland—with Barana as her tour guide. But Barana has other plans: someone has been poaching turtle eggs, and she’s determined to catch them! Before long, Abby and Barana are both consumed by the mystery, chasing down suspects, gathering clues, and staking out the beach in the dead of night. . . . Will they find a way to stop the poachers before it’s too late?
A heart-pounding mystery with a hint of magic, María José Fitzgerald’s debut novel explores the power of friendship, community, and compassion to unite all living creatures.
Heatwave By Lauren Redniss
A picture book from an award-winning artist that uses vibrant reds and blues to stunningly evoke the intensity of a heatwave and the refreshing relief that comes with an unexpected downpour of a cooling rain.
A NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A KIRKUS REVIEWS, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, AND HORN BOOK BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
Sweltering. Sweating. It’s 100 degrees… even in the shade.
Games are canceled, temperatures reach record highs. The sun is hot.
Finally, a wind picks up. One rain drop. Then another. A downpour. The sun sets and the moon rises, Relief at last.
Heatwave is a book that vividly evokes a universal feeling--when the air is so hot and heavy you can barely move, when the sun is so bright your eyes play tricks on you. Renowned artist, writer and MacArthur genuis grant recipient, Lauren Redniss’s choice to use just two vibrant and contrasting colors in her artwork and spare text makes for a bold and interesting exploration of extreme weather. Even the book itself is saturated in red as if the book itself is burning up.
Tate's Wild Rescue By Jenny Turnbull; illustrated by Izzy Burton
A sweet, funny picture book about an animal-loving girl who invites wild animals to live in her house and be her best friend—with mixed results! A tale told through letters that is perfect for all animal enthusiasts!
Tate loves animals, but she worries about the ones who live in the wild—aren’t they cold? Hungry? Lonely?
She is determined to help and comes up with the perfect plan: she’ll offer one a better life and they will be best friends! To her surprise, none of the wild animals she invites to live with her are impressed with her offerings—Orca is not interested in the kiddie pool, and Tiger would rather hunt than settle for cookies. Maybe Tate will have to look a bit closer to home to find her pawsitively perfect match.
Told through letters, Tate’s heartfelt hope to rescue a wild animal combined with the blunt hilarity of their responses makes this charming story perfect for anyone wild about animals! Fans of Can I Be Your Dog by Troy Cummings will enjoy this “tail”! The back of the book also offers ideas for children on how they can help both wild and companion animals!
The Secret Language of Birds By Lynne Kelly
USA TODAY BESTSELLER • A poignant and heartwarming coming-of-age novel that captures the moment of learning to spread your wings in a way you'll never forget—from the award-winning author of Song for a Whale.
“Perfect for readers who enjoy stories about curious kids and nature’s wonders.”—TIME for Kids
Nina is used to feeling like the odd one out, both at school and in her large family. But while trying to fit in at summer camp, she discovers something even more peculiar: two majestic birds have built a nest in the marsh behind an abandoned infirmary. They appear to be whooping cranes, but that’s impossible—Nina is an amateur bird-watcher, and all her resources tell her that those rare birds haven’t nested in Texas for over a hundred years.
When Nina reports the sighting to wildlife officials, more questions arise. Experts track all the endangered birds, but they can’t identify the female bird that Nina found. Who is she, and where did she come from?
With the help of some fellow campers, Nina sets out to discover who the mystery bird really is. As she gets closer to the truth, will she find a flock of her own?
Turtles of the Midnight Moon By María José Fitzgerald
When poachers threaten the island they love, two girls team up to save the turtles—and each other. An eco-mystery with an unforgettable friendship story at its heart from a fresh new voice in middle grade.
Twelve-year-old Barana lives in a coastal village in Honduras, where she spends every spare minute visiting the sea turtles that nest on the beach.
Abby is feeling adrift in sixth grade, trying to figure out who she is and where she belongs after her best friend moved away from New Jersey.
When Abby’s papi plans a work trip to Honduras, she is finally given the opportunity to see his homeland—with Barana as her tour guide. But Barana has other plans: someone has been poaching turtle eggs, and she’s determined to catch them! Before long, Abby and Barana are both consumed by the mystery, chasing down suspects, gathering clues, and staking out the beach in the dead of night. . . . Will they find a way to stop the poachers before it’s too late?
A heart-pounding mystery with a hint of magic, María José Fitzgerald’s debut novel explores the power of friendship, community, and compassion to unite all living creatures.
Snowglobe By Soyoung Park; translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking Korean phenomenon that Entertainment Weekly called “The Hunger Games meets Squid Game”—now in English for the first time!
A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR
“An immersive and utterly addictive dark dystopian thriller . . . with the eerie, desperate, and exhilarating vibes of Snowpiercer and The Hunger Games.” —Susan Lee, author of Seoulmates
In a world of constant winter, only the citizens of the climate-controlled city of Snowglobe can escape the bitter cold—but this perfect society is hiding dark and dangerous secrets within its frozen heart.
Enclosed under a vast dome, Snowglobe is the last place on Earth that’s warm. Outside Snowglobe is a frozen wasteland, and every day, citizens face the icy world to get to their jobs at the power plant, where they produce the energy Snowglobe needs. Their only solace comes in the form of twenty-four-hour television programming streamed directly from the domed city.
The residents of Snowglobe have everything: fame, fortune, and above all, safety from the desolation outside their walls. In exchange, their lives are broadcast to the less fortunate outside, who watch eagerly, hoping for the chance to one day become actors themselves.
Chobahm lives for the time she spends watching the shows produced inside Snowglobe. Her favorite? Goh Around, starring Goh Haeri, Snowglobe’s biggest star—and, it turns out, the key to getting Chobahm her dream life.
Because Haeri is dead, and Chobahm has been chosen to take her place. Only, life inside Snowglobe is nothing like what you see on television. Reality is a lie, and truth seems to be forever out of reach.
Translated for the first time into English from the original Korean, Snowglobe is a groundbreaking exploration of personal identity, and the future of the world as we know it. It is the winner of the Changbi X Kakaopage Young Adult Novel Award.
