CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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Eco-Reading: Selected Books for Children and Teens about Our Earth and the Environment

©2024, 2008 Cooperative Children's Book Center

Compiled by Merri Lindgren, and Megan Schliesman and Tessa Michaelson

This bibliography highlights books for children and teens that enhance appreciation for nature and the earth, increase understanding of environmental challenges, and inspire action for change.

Most of the books have been chosen from various editions of CCBC Choices, the annual best-of-the-year list of the Cooperative Children's Book Center. The books have been divided into three categories:

In My World: Loving the Earth: Books that foster deeper appreciation for the natural world, including several that imagine a brighter environmental landscape for the future.

What Happened Here? Environmental Challenges and Change: Books that highlight past or current threats to the environment, including several science fiction and fantasy titles in which the future has paid a heavy price for transgressions of the past.

Taking Action: Planet Pioneers: Books that showcase activists and others who have worked for specific or sweeping environmental change.

In My World: Loving the Earth

Fiction

Agua, Aguita / Water, Little Water
Agua, Aguita / Water, Little Water
by Argueta, Jorge Tetl
Illustrated by Felipe Ugalde Alcantara. Translated by Gabriela Baeza Ventura. Arte Publico/Pinata, 2017. 32 pages. Ages 3-6

Beti and the Little Round House
Beti and the Little Round House
by Atinuke,
Illustrated by Emily Hughes. Candlewick, 2024. 119 pages. Ages 4-8

Where's Rodney?
Where's Rodney?
by Bogan, Carmen
Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. Yosemite Conservancy, 2017. 32 pages. Ages 4-8

Hummingbird
Hummingbird
by Davies, Nicola
Illustrated by Jane Ray. Candlewick, 2019. 29 pages. Ages 4-8

Berry Song
Berry Song
by Goade, Michaela
Illustrated by Michaela Goade. Little, Brown, 2022. 32 pages. Ages 3-7

The World and Everything In It
The World and Everything In It
by Henkes, Kevin
Illustrated by Kevin Henkes. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2023. 32 pages. Ages 2-5

Our Green City
Our Green City
by Kyi, Tanya Lloyd
Illustrated by Colleen Larmour. Kids Can, 2022. 32 pages. Ages 2-5

A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell
A Feather, a Pebble, a Shell
by Leshem-Pelly, Miri
Illustrated by Miri Leshem-Pelly. Kar-Ben/Lerner, 2024. 32 pages. Ages 5-8

Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku
Climbing the Volcano: A Journey in Haiku
by Manley, Curtis
Illustrated by Jennifer K. Mann. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2024. 48 pages. Ages 6-9

How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside
How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside
by Percival, Kari
Illustrated by Kari Percival. Penguin Random House/Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2022. 32 pages. Ages 1-4

Angela's Glacier
Angela's Glacier
by Scott, Jordan
Illustrated by Diana Sudyka. Holiday House/Neal Porter Books, 2024. 40 pages. Ages 6-10

You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks
You Are Home: An Ode to the National Parks
by Turk, Evan
Illustrated by Evan Turk. Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2019. 40 pages. Ages 4-9

Thank You, Bees
Thank You, Bees
by Yuly, Toni
Illustrated by Toni Yuly. Candlewick, 2017. 32 pages. Ages 2-5

Non-Fiction

Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard
Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard
by Cate, Annette LeBlanc
Illustrated by Annette LeBlanc Cate. Candlewick, 2013. 51 pages. Ages 7-10

My Mighty Journey: A Waterfall's Story
My Mighty Journey: A Waterfall's Story
by Coy, John
Illustrated by Gaylord Schanilec. Minnesota Historical Society, 2019. 40 pages. Ages 5-11

Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up
Rise to the Sky: How the World's Tallest Trees Grow Up
by Hirsch, Rebecca E.
Illustrated by Mia Posada. Lerner/Millbrook, 2023. 32 pages. Ages 5–10

The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom
The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom
by Judge, Lita
Illustrated by Lita Judge. Roaring Brook, 2021. 47 pages. Ages 7-10

Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table
by Martin, Jacqueline Briggs
Illustrated by Shabazz Larkin. Readers to Eaters, 2013. 32 pages. Ages 5-14

Water Is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle
Water Is Water: A Book about the Water Cycle
by Paul, Miranda
Illustrated by Jason Chin. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2015. Ages 4-8

Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors
Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature’s Survivors
by Sidman, Joyce
Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Houghton Mifflin /Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 9-13

Hidden City: Poems of Urban Wildlife
Hidden City: Poems of Urban Wildlife
by Tuttle, Sarah Grace
Illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford. Eerdmans, 2018. 44 pages. Ages 3-8

What Happened Here? Environmental Challenges and Change

Fiction

Ship Breaker
Ship Breaker
by Bacigalupi, Paolo
Little, Brown, 2010. 326 pages. Age 13 and older

Flying Up the Mountain
Flying Up the Mountain
by Baitie, Elizabeth-Irene
Norton, 2023. 233 pages. Ages 8-11

Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
by Chin, Jason
Illustrated by Jason Chin. Neal Porter Books/Roaring Brook, 2017. 42 pages. Ages 6-10

Save Our Forest! (Cross My Heart, #2)
Save Our Forest! (Cross My Heart, #2)
by Dasnes, Nora
Illustrated by Nora Dasnes. Translated by Bryn Laerdal Lise. Astra/Hippo Park, 2024. 219 pages. Ages 8-12

A Snake Falls to Earth
A Snake Falls to Earth
by Little Badger, Darcie
Arthur A. Levine Books/Levine Querido, 2021. 372 pages. Age 12 and older

Down Came the Rain
Down Came the Rain
by Mathieu, Jennifer
Roaring Brook, 2023. 269 pages. Age 13 and older

Bayou Magic
Bayou Magic
by Rhodes, Jewell Parker
Little, Brown, 2015. 239 pages. Ages 8-11

The Art Thieves
The Art Thieves
by Rogers, Andrea L.
Levine Querido, 2024. 384 pages. Age 13 and older

Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
by Sayre, April Pulley
Illustrated by Annie Patterson. Charlesbridge, 2010. 32 pages. Ages 4-9

Healer of the Water Monster
Healer of the Water Monster
by Young, Brian
HarperCollins/Heartdrum, 2021. 362 pages. Ages 8-12

Non-Fiction

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans
Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans
by Brown, Don
Illustrated by Don Brown. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. 96 pages. Age 11 and older

Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue
Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue
by Burleigh, Robert
Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Charlesbridge, 2015. 32 pages. Ages 5-9

Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony
Emperor of the Ice: How a Changing Climate Affects a Penguin Colony
by Davies, Nicola
Illustrated by Catherine Rayner. Candlewick, 2023. 24 pages. Ages 4–8

Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
by Donnelly, Rebecca
Illustrated by John Hendrix. Henry Holt/Macmillan, 2023. 138 pages. Ages 9–14

Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines
Eyes Wide Open: Going Behind the Environmental Headlines
by Fleischman, Paul
Candlewick, 2014. 203 pages. Age 13 and older

Where Have All the Birds Gone? Nature in Crisis
Where Have All the Birds Gone? Nature in Crisis
by Hirsch, Rebecca E.
Lerner/Twenty-First Century, 2022. 119 pages. Age 11 and older

Change Is in the Air: Carbon, Climate, Earth, and Us
Change Is in the Air: Carbon, Climate, Earth, and Us
by Levy, Debbie
Illustrated by Alex Boersma. Bloomsbury, 2024. 36 pages. Ages 5-10

A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
A River's Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
by Newman, Patricia
Illustrated by Natasha Donovan. Lerner/Millbrook, 2022. 50 pages. Ages 8-12

Cast Away: Poems for Our Time
Cast Away: Poems for Our Time
by Nye, Naomi Shihab
Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2020. 159 pages. Age 9 and older

Moth: An Evolution Story
Moth: An Evolution Story
by Thomas, Isabel
Illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Bloomsbury, 2019. 48 pages. Ages 6-9

Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree
Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree
by Walker, Sally M.
Henry Holt, 2018. 136 pages. Age 11 and older

Taking Action: Planet Pioneers

Fiction

Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson
Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson
by Burg, Ann E.
Illustrated by Sophie Blackall. Scholastic/Scholastic Press, 2024. 278 pages. Age 11 and older

Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story
Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story
by Forrester, Anna
Illustrated by Susan Detwiler. Arbordale, 2017. 32 pages. Ages 4-9

Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood
Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood
by Hillery, Tony
Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, 2020. 32 pages. Ages 6-9

Stand Up! Speak Up! A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution
Stand Up! Speak Up! A Story Inspired by the Climate Change Revolution
by Joyner, Andrew
Illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Random House/Schwartz & Wade, 2020. 32 pages. Ages 5-10

We Are Water Protectors
We Are Water Protectors
by Lindstrom, Carole
Illustrated by Michaela Goade. Roaring Brook, 2020. 40 pages. Ages 6-10

The Little Green Hen
The Little Green Hen
by Murray, Alison
Illustrated by Alison Murray. Candlewick, 2019. 32 pages. Ages 3-7

Running
Running
by Sylvester, Natalia
Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020. 328 pages. Age 12 and older

Nibi's Water Song
Nibi's Water Song
by Tenasco, Sunshine
Illustrated by Chief Lady Bird. Lee & Low, 2021. 32 pages. Ages 4-8

Crab Cake
Crab Cake
by Tsurumi, Andrea
Illustrated by Andrea Tsurumi. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019. Ages 3-7

Non-Fiction

Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard
Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard
by Burns, Loree Griffin
Illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz. Henry Holt, 2012. 80 pages. Ages 6-10

Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction
Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction
by Castaldo, Nancy F.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018. 168 pages. Ages 10-14

Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior
Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior
by Lindstrom, Carole
Illustrated by Bridget George. Roaring Brook, 2023. 40 pages. Ages 5-9

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia
by Paul, Miranda
Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Millbrook, 2015. 32 pages. Ages 7-10

Saving Earth: Climate Change and the Fight for Our Future
Saving Earth: Climate Change and the Fight for Our Future
by Rhuday-Perkovich, Olugbemisola
Illustrated by Tim Foley. Farrar Straus Giroux/Macmillan, 2022. 200 pages. Age 12 and older

Can I Recycle This? A Kid's Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics
Can I Recycle This? A Kid's Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics
by Romer, Jennie
Illustrated by Christie Young. Penguin Random House/Viking, 2023. 40 pages. Ages 7-10

The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art
The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art
by Rosenstock, Barb
Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola. Candlewick, 2018. 32 pages. Ages 6-10

The 21: The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government over Climate Change
The 21: The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government over Climate Change
by Rusch, Elizabeth
Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2023. 386 pages. Age 13 and older

Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong's Work for Sustainable Farming
Moth and Wasp, Soil and Ocean: Remembering Chinese Scientist Pu Zhelong's Work for Sustainable Farming
by Schmalzer, Sigrid
Illustrated by Melanie Linden Chan. Tilbury House, 2018. 40 pages. Ages 6-10

The City Sings Green & Other Poems About Welcoming Wildlife
The City Sings Green & Other Poems About Welcoming Wildlife
by Silverman, Erica
Illustrated by Ginnie Hsu. Clarion/HarperCollins, 2024. 40 pages. Ages 7-10

Great Carrier Reef
Great Carrier Reef
by Stremer, Jessica
Illustrated by Gordy Wright. Holiday House, 2023. 40 pages. Ages 7-10

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.

Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.