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.

The Celestine Prophecy

by James Redfield

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality, Future, Environment, Self Discovery

Tags Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Inspirational, Fantasy, Philosophy, Self-Improvement, Action & Adventure

The Celestine Prophecy: An Adventure is a 1993 novel by James Redfield. A bestseller, the novel is a compilation of New Age philosophical and spiritual concepts, which Redfield labels as insights, that are loosely connected by a plot that follows the narrator’s search for them in the Peruvian jungle. An ancient manuscript is rumored to have been discovered, and the insights in the Manuscript claim that the end of the 20th century will witness a... Read The Celestine Prophecy Summary

The Comfort of Crows

by Margaret Renkl

Publication year 2023

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Grief, Memory, Aging, Death, Future, The Past, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Food, Nature Versus Nurture, Objects & Materials, Place, Family, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Globalization, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Animals, Science & Nature

... Read The Comfort of Crows Summary

The Control of Nature

by John McPhee

Publication year 1989

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Nature Versus Nurture, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, World History

The Control of Nature by John McPhee was published in 1989 and includes three essays/articles reported from different geographic locales that reflect one common theme: man attempting to control nature. McPhee got his start in journalism writing for Time magazine. He has written for The New Yorker for several decades and has published 30 books, including Annals of the Former World, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. He has also taught writing at Princeton... Read The Control of Nature Summary

The Coral Island

by R.M. Ballantyne

Publication year 1857

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Nostalgia, Regret, Indigenous Identity, Language, Masculinity, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, The Past, Animals, Climate, Environment, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Colonialism, Education, War, Literature, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction

... Read The Coral Island Summary

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

by Dan Egan

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes The Past, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Climate Change, World History

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is a nonfiction book of science journalism delving into key past and present issues surrounding the ecology, politics, and commerce of the Great Lakes. The book was published in 2017 and was the recipient of the J. Anthony Lukas Award as well as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Author Dan Egan is a reporter who covers the Great Lakes for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He is... Read The Death and Life of the Great Lakes Summary

The Discarded Image

by C. S. Lewis

Publication year 1964

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Appearance & Reality, Environment, Objects & Materials, Space, Colonialism, Art, Literature, Religion & Spirituality

Tags World History, Medieval, Philosophy, Arts & Culture, Literary Criticism, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality

Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Discarded Image is a 1964 nonfiction book that explores the literary landscape of Europe during the Medieval Era. Lewis, who is best known for his children’s book series The Chronicles of Narnia, was also a literature professor at Oxford and Cambridge, as well as one of the most widely celebrated Christian apologists of his time. Published shortly after his death, The Discarded Image explores how medieval writers and... Read The Discarded Image Summary

The Doors of Perception, and Heaven and Hell

by Aldous Huxley

Publication year 1954

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Art, Religion & Spirituality, Fear, Joy, Memory, Indigenous Identity, Language, Mental Health, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, Beauty, Good & Evil, Literature, Music, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Philosophy, Psychology, Religion & Spirituality, Science & Nature, Health

... Read The Doors of Perception, and Heaven and Hell Summary

The Drowned World

by J. G. Ballard

Publication year 1962

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Climate, Death, Future, The Past, Environment, Place, Social Class, Politics & Government, Art, Beauty, Order & Chaos

Tags Science Fiction, Climate Change, British Literature

The Drowned World is a 1962 post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by British author J.G. Ballard. Set in a future London that has been completely submerged in the ocean due to climate change-induced flooding, it follows a group of scientists who embark on a mission to study its unique, rapidly evolving flora and fauna. The novel is an extension of a shorter story published in Science Fiction Adventures. The novel is one of the first works... Read The Drowned World Summary

The Echo Maker

by Richard Powers

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory, Environment, Self Discovery

Tags Psychological Fiction, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychology, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, Psychology

The Echo Maker (2006) is a psychological mystery thriller by American author Richard Powers. The novel follows protagonist Mark Schluter in the wake of an accidental brain injury that led him to believe that his sister, Karin, is an imposter. The resulting conflict leads to questions of meaning, perception, and identity. The author of 13 books as of 2023, Powers has won numerous awards, including a Pushcart Prize in 2003, a National Book Award for... Read The Echo Maker Summary

The Education of Little Tree

by Forrest Carter

Publication year 1976

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grandparents, Environment, Education

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, American Literature, Classic Fiction

Published in 1976, The Education of Little Tree is a memoir-styled work of fiction written by Forrest Carter, the pseudonym for Asa Earl Carter. The novel received some critical acclaim in the 1980s and was perceived to be the actual memoir of a child growing up in the wilds of Tennessee with his Cherokee grandparents. This premise resonated with the desire of the time to become more attuned to nature. However, the book has since... Read The Education of Little Tree Summary

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Femininity, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Plants, Grandparents, Social Class, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Science & Nature, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, World History

Published in 2009, Jacqueline Kelly’s The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a middle grade novel that follows the life of a young Calpurnia as she explores her love for science in the highly patriarchal society that dominated Texas in the late 19th century. The novel received praise from both readers and critics for its thematic emphasis on discovery and personal growth, earning it the Newbery Honor Award in 2010. This guide refers to the 2011... Read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Summary