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.

Grandma Gatewood's Walk

by Ben Montgomery

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Grandparents, Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Hope, Loneliness, Memory, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Aging, Death, The Past, Environment, Plants, Daughters & Sons, Marriage, Mothers, Self Discovery, Community, Nation, Fame, Safety & Danger

Tags Travel Literature, Action & Adventure, Biography, Inspirational, US History, Trauma & Abuse

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk (2014) is a work of nonfiction biography by Pulitzer Prize–finalist journalist Ben Montgomery. The book chronicles the journey of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, who at 67 became the first woman to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail in 1955. Carrying little more than a denim sack and wearing tennis shoes, Gatewood’s public feat masked her private motivation: escaping a life defined by decades of domestic abuse. A New York Times bestseller, Grandma Gatewood’s Walk... Read Grandma Gatewood's Walk Summary

Gray Mountain

by John Grisham

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Hate & Anger, Hope, Revenge, Death, Environment, Self Discovery, Social Class, Economics, Justice

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Crime & Law

The legal thriller Gray Mountain (2014) is a #1 New York Times bestseller from John Grisham, an author known for his critiques of the American legal system. A former criminal defense attorney and Mississippi state legislator, Grisham draws on his legal background to craft narratives that often explore systemic corruption and social injustice. In Gray Mountain, the 2008 financial crisis serves as the catalyst for the story: After the collapse of Lehman Brothers, high-powered Wall... Read Gray Mountain Summary

Greenwild

by Pari Thomson

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Revenge, Race, Childhood & Youth, Animals, Environment, Plants, Family, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Children`s Literature

... Read Greenwild Summary

Greenwood

by Michael Christie

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Plants, Nature Versus Nurture, Family, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Science & Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

... Read Greenwood Summary

Gun Island

by Amitav Ghosh

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Climate, Hope, Race

Tags Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Indian Literature, Climate Change, Science Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature

... Read Gun Island Summary

Guts

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 2001

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Literature, Perseverance, Coming of Age, Animals, Environment, Food

Tags Action & Adventure

Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books by Gary Paulsen is a 2001 nonfiction work covering the events that inspired the author to write Hatchet, a 1986 survival bildungsroman and Newbery Medal winner listed among the top 100 children’s books of all time by School Library Journal (“School Library Journal Top 100 Children’s Novels, 2012 Poll.” Library Thing). The award-winning novel follows Brian Robeson as he survives alone in the remote Canadian... Read Guts Summary

Half Brother

by Kenneth Oppel

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Language, Coming of Age, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Nature Versus Nurture, Fathers, Siblings, Teamwork, Justice, Safety & Danger, Science & Technology

Tags Historical Fiction, Animals, Children`s Literature, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

Half Brother (2010) is a young adult novel by Kenneth Oppel. In the novel, Oppel combines and fictionalizes several experiments in which chimpanzees learned sign language to communicate. The story follows the Tomlin family as they adopt a baby chimpanzee to see if it can learn and use language. Through this experiment and its effect on the characters, the text explores the themes of family, belonging, animal rights, communication, individuality, and growing up. The novel... Read Half Brother Summary

Half-Earth

by Edward O. Wilson

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Environment

Tags Science & Nature, Climate Change

Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life (2016) is Pulitzer Prize-winning author, biologist, and environmental advocate Edward O. Wilson’s in-depth look at the planetary threat of mass extinction, known as the Sixth Extinction, taking place at humanity’s own hands. The current rate of extinction is nearly 1,000 times higher than during the pre-human era, and traditional conservation movements will not work fast enough to save the natural world. However, Wilson argues that there is still time... Read Half-Earth Summary

Hatchet

by Gary Paulsen

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Environment, Religion & Spirituality, Coming of Age

Tags Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Classic Fiction

Hatchet, a Newbery Award-winning novel published in 1987 by author Gary Paulsen, is an esteemed story about a young boy’s struggle to survive after his airplane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. This work of young adult fiction appeals to readers of all ages for its descriptive prose and exciting plot. This guide refers to the 1999 First Aladdin Paperbacks edition.Plot SummaryThirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is in the middle of his parent’s divorce and struggling to contain... Read Hatchet Summary

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Climate, Environment, Place, Friendship, Community, Immigration, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, World War I

Kirby Larson’s Hattie Big Sky is a 2006 young adult historical fiction novel that won the Newbery Honor Award. Larson is a young adult author who specializes in writing historical fiction centering on strong female protagonists. Set during World War I, the novel follows Hattie Brooks as she travels to Montana to work on the farm that her uncle leaves to her after he dies. The novel explores themes of community, overcoming adversity, and issues... Read Hattie Big Sky Summary

Heidi

by Johanna Spyri

Publication year 1881

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Joy, Love, Childhood & Youth, Friendship, Family, Grandparents, Literature, Religion & Spirituality, Appearance & Reality, Environment, Plants, Food, Animals

Tags Classic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, Romanticism

Swiss author Johanna Spyri originally published the middle-grade fiction novel Heidi in German in two volumes in 1880. The novel quickly became a beloved classic children’s book that has since been adapted into 25 film and television versions, including a 1968 made-for-TV movie and a very popular anime series in 1974. It has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Spyri was born in Hirzel, a Zurich village that shares a border with the German... Read Heidi Summary

Here

by Richard McGuire

Publication year 2014

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Fiction

Themes Art, Place, Memory, Environment, Grief, Joy, Loneliness, Love, Indigenous Identity, Aging, Childhood & Youth, Death, Future, The Past, Climate, Objects & Materials, Space, Family, Mothers, Beauty

Tags Historical Fiction, Dramatic Literature, World History, Arts & Culture

Here by Richard McGuire is a graphic novel published on December 4, 2014, by Pantheon Books. The graphic novel focuses on the same corner of a room over billions of years. It depicts the area long before the house is built and long after it falls. By using different visual styles, overlapping panels, and non-chronological narration, McGuire creates a narrative that comments on the nature of time and life. Here is considered a transformative work... Read Here Summary

Here Is New York

by E. B. White

Publication year 1948

Genre Essay / Speech, Nonfiction

Themes Community, The Past, Place, Environment

Tags Travel Literature, US History, Urban Development, Creative Nonfiction, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read Here Is New York Summary