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.

One Size Fits None

by Stephanie Anderson

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Community, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Environment

Tags Food, Agriculture, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Arts / Culture

One Size Fits None: A Farm Girl’s Search for the Promise of Regenerative Agriculture is a 2019 book on how the American food production system must move beyond conventional and sustainable farming to embrace regenerative farming strategies tailored to individual environments. Anderson, who grew up on a conventional ranch outside of Bison, South Dakota, has firsthand knowledge of US conventional farming strategies. As a young journalist for the Tri-State Neighbor newspaper, she started off wanting... Read One Size Fits None Summary

One Two Three

by Laurie Frankel

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Identity: Disability, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government

Tags Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction, Romance

... Read One Two Three Summary

On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance

by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Identity: Race, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Race / Racism, Diversity

... Read On Listening to Your Teacher Take Attendance Summary

On the Banks of Plum Creek

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Publication year 1937

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Historical Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Children's Literature, American Literature, History: World, Classic Fiction

... Read On the Banks of Plum Creek Summary

On the Far Side of the Mountain

by Jean Craighead George

Publication year 1990

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment

Tags Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature, Science / Nature, Classic Fiction

... Read On the Far Side of the Mountain Summary

On the Origin of Species

by Charles Darwin

Publication year 1859

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Science / Nature, History: World, Religion / Spirituality

Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (published in 1859) is a seminal work in evolutionary biology of great historical and scientific importance. Darwinian thought, especially regarding evolution, is now commonly accepted as the most powerful theory in biology and the natural history of species—and the system of natural selection that this theory advanced has been applied (and misappropriated)... Read On the Origin of Species Summary

Orpheus and Eurydice

by Ovid, Virgil

Publication year 8

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Music, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

... Read Orpheus and Eurydice Summary

Orwell's Roses

by Rebecca Solnit

Publication year 2021

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Society: Politics & Government, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Arts / Culture, History: World, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Social Justice, Science / Nature, Biography

... Read Orwell's Roses Summary

Our History Is the Future

by Nick Estes

Publication year 2019

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Society: Community, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Nation, Society: War, Identity: Race, Society: Colonialism, Natural World: Environment

Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Social Justice, Race / Racism, History: World

... Read Our History Is the Future Summary

Paradise on Fire

by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Survival Fiction, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman

... Read Paradise on Fire Summary

Paterson

by William Carlos Williams

Publication year 1946

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place

Tags American Literature, Science / Nature, History: U.S., Narrative / Epic Poem, History: World, Classic Fiction

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Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

by Annie Dillard

Publication year 1974

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Creative Nonfiction, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard is a personal narrative describing her observations of a creek near her home in Virginia over the course of a year. Dillard, a suburban housewife, uses a first-person narrative voice to describe her walks, paying homage to a tradition of nature writing while posing large questions about the nature of God and wilderness. The author blends research into the natural world, philosophical inquiry, and poetic imagery while engaging... Read Pilgrim at Tinker Creek Summary

Playground

by Richard Powers

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Literature, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

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Power

by Linda Hogan

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Identity: Indigenous

Tags Magical Realism, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read Power Summary

Preface to Lyrical Ballads

by William Wordsworth

Publication year 1800

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Literature

Tags Arts / Culture, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Education, Education, British Literature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

“Preface to Lyrical Ballads” is an essay by the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth. In 1798 Wordsworth wrote, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the poetry collection Lyrical Ballads. Believing that the poems were so novel in theme and style that they required some explanation, Wordsworth wrote a prefatory essay to accompany the second edition of the poems in 1800; he then expanded the essay for the third edition of 1802.The “Preface” is often considered a manifesto... Read Preface to Lyrical Ballads Summary

Preludes

by T. S. Eliot

Publication year 1917

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Society: Class, Society: Community

Tags Free verse, Urban Development, Modernism, Classic Fiction

... Read Preludes Summary

Prodigal Summer

by Barbara Kingsolver

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction

Published in 2000, Prodigal Summer is Barbara Kingsolver’s fifth novel. Heavily influenced by Kingsolver’s childhood experiences and current home in Appalachia, as well as her studies of ecology and evolutionary biology, Prodigal Summer tells three intersecting stories that take place over one “prodigal summer” in rural Appalachia. Set in the fictional Zebulon County, Prodigal Summer is as much a story of the natural world, and its progression over one fertile and flowering summer, as it... Read Prodigal Summer Summary

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Technology, American Literature, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

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