Earth Day

Every April, we honor our planet on Earth Day with a selection of works celebrating the natural world. With titles ranging from stories of wilderness survival to nonfiction works about conservation and sustainability, this Collection features a broad spectrum of ideas regarding nature and our role within it.

Julie Of The Wolves

by Jean Craighead George

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Fathers, Safety & Danger

Tags Action & Adventure, Animals, Science & Nature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classic Fiction

Jean Craighead George’s children’s novel Julie of the Wolves (1972), set in 20th-century Alaska, tells the story of a 13-year-old Inupiaq girl named Miyax who is lost in the wilderness after escaping a violent husband and a life that does not suit her. Miyax struggles to survive in a harsh environment as she attempts to make her way to San Francisco. A pack of wolves helps her, and she learns to deepen her appreciation of... Read Julie Of The Wolves Summary

June Baby

by Shannon Garvey

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, Death, Future, Environment, Place, Mothers, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Art, Literature

Tags Literary Fiction, Romance, Coming of Age, Grief & Death

Shannon Garvey’s debut novel, June Baby (2026), is a contemporary coming-of-age story that was selected as a “Read with Jenna” book club pick. The narrative follows Ruth Phillips, a young woman who has spent a decade in a state of emotional and professional stasis following her mother’s death. When her mentor and surrogate mother, the photographer Diana Beckett, also dies suddenly, Ruth returns to the community of Block Island, forcing her to confront a past... Read June Baby Summary

Keeper'n Me

by Richard Wagamese

Publication year 1994

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Indigenous Identity, Environment, Colonialism

Tags Coming of Age, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Philosophy, Philosophy

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Kew Gardens

by Virginia Woolf

Publication year 1919

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Place, Environment, Beauty

Tags Modernism, Education, Education, British Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

“Kew Gardens” is a short story by British author Virginia Woolf, published privately in 1919 before appearing in Monday or Tuesday, Woolf’s 1921 collection of short stories. The story explores themes such as Moments of Being, The Connection Between Humanity and Nature, and Interpersonal Conflict.Other works by this author include The Duchess and the Jeweller, A Haunted House, Between The Acts, and Orlando.This guide refers to the version of “Kew Gardens” available in Project Gutenberg’s... Read Kew Gardens Summary

Klawde

by Johnny Marciano

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Childhood & Youth, Environment, Friendship, Self Discovery, Power & Greed

Tags Science Fiction, Humor, Animals, Fantasy, Children`s Literature

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Land

by Maggie O'Farrell

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Indigenous Identity, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Colonialism, Immigration, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Irish Literature

... Read Land Summary

Land of Milk and Honey

by C Pam Zhang

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Gender Identity, Language, Race, Sexual Identity, Future, Animals, Climate, Environment, Food, Place, Social Class, Power & Greed, Science & Technology

Tags Science Fiction, Food, Love & Sexuality, Modern Classic Fiction, LGBTQ+

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Leaves of Grass

by Walt Whitman

Publication year 1855

Genre Poetry Collection, Fiction

Themes Hope, Joy, Love, Death, Future, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Place, Space, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, Beauty, Equality, Literature, New Age, Religion & Spirituality

Tags American Literature, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Free Verse, Love & Sexuality, Grief & Death, Science & Nature

The first edition of Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman, was published in 1855. A slim volume of 95 pages, it contained 12 untitled poems and a 10-page preface, also untitled. The poem that came to be known as “Song of Myself” took up more than half of the book. Although Whitman designed, financed, and published Leaves of Grass himself, there is no author’s name on the title page. However, the frontispiece features a picture of Whitman: He... Read Leaves of Grass Summary

Let Me Hear a Rhyme

by Tiffany D. Jackson

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Music, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Joy, Hope, Guilt, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Equality, Justice, Safety & Danger, Loyalty & Betrayal, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Power & Greed, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Daughters & Sons, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Mothers, Race, Language, Community

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Music

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Lifeboat 12

by Susan Hood

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Environment

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

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Litany

by Billy Collins

Publication year 2002

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Love, Literature, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Environment, Marriage

Tags Free Verse, Lyric Poem, Comedy & Satire, American Literature, Love & Sexuality

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Little Men

by Louisa May Alcott

Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Education, Friendship, Coming of Age, Forgiveness, Joy, Love, Femininity, Masculinity, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Environment, Place, Mothers, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Loyalty & Betrayal, Religion & Spirituality, Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature

... Read Little Men Summary