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.

Walden

by Henry David Thoreau

Publication year 1854

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Environment

Tags Transcendentalism, American Literature, Science & Nature, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction, Biography

Walden opens with Thoreau’s explanation of his two-year independent living project on Walden Pond, which spanned from 1845 to 1847. He illuminates his desire to live a solitary, simple life outside of civilization. Over the course of these two years, Thoreau describes his experiences including his immersion in nature, the process of growing his own food, and the pleasure he derives from contemplating the beauty of the woods. He also reflects on the most basic elements... Read Walden Summary

Walden On Wheels

by Ken Ilgunas

Publication year 2013

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Plants, Objects & Materials, Place, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Economics, Education, Nation, Politics & Government, Beauty, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Science & Nature, Business & Economics, Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Biography

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What If? 2

by Randall Munroe

Publication year 2022

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Animals, Appearance & Reality, Climate, Environment, Plants, Food, Objects & Materials, Place, Space, Education, Order & Chaos, Science & Technology

Tags Science & Nature, Humor, World History

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Where the Lilies Bloom

by Bill Cleaver, Vera Cleaver

Publication year 1969

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Coming of Age, Environment, Plants

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Poverty, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World History, Classic Fiction

Where the Lilies Bloom (1969) is a middle-grade historical fiction novel written by married authors Vera Cleaver and Bill Cleaver. The couple collaborated on stories and novels for middle-grade and young adult readers throughout their life, believing that writing for adolescent age groups was a meaningful endeavor. They often wrote about realistic settings and themes, exploring the intricacies of human nature. Where the Lilies Bloom is their most famous work. It is a coming-of-age novel... Read Where the Lilies Bloom Summary

Why Liberalism Failed

by Patrick J. Deneen

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Community, Equality, Science & Technology, Order & Chaos, Environment

Tags Politics & Government, Philosophy, World History, Education, Education, Social Science, Business & Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Arts & Culture

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Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker

Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Science & Technology, Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Health, Psychology, Psychology, Self-Improvement

British-American neuroscientist Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams (2017) provides an in-depth exploration of the science of sleep health. Walker argues that sleep loss is an epidemic and one of the most serious public health issues of the 21st century. Drawing from a wealth of data and scientific studies, including his own innovative scientific breakthroughs during his time as a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, Walker illustrates the... Read Why We Sleep Summary

Wild Bird

by Wendelin Van Draanen

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Self Discovery, Community, Environment

Tags Realistic Fiction, Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Addiction & Substance Abuse, Children`s Literature, Modern Classic Fiction

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