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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Publication year 2005
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Natural World: Environment
Tags Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts / Culture
Publication year 1916
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Lyric Poem, Relationships, American Literature
Publication year 1813
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, Christian literature, Poetry: Dramatic Poem, Mythology, Fantasy, Philosophy, Politics / Government, Military / War, History: World, Science / Nature, Religion / Spirituality, Grief / Death, Romanticism / Romantic Period, British Literature, Health / Medicine, Philosophy, Food, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1992
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Space & The Universe, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Nostalgia, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Immigration, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy
Red Mars, a 1992 science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson, is the first book in the Mars trilogy about settling and terraforming the planet Mars. Red Mars follows the first 100 people who land on Mars and begin the complex process of terraforming the planet. In 1993, Red Mars won the Nebula Award and the British Science Fiction Association Award. This guide uses the 2009 HarperVoyager edition.Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions... Read Red Mars Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Identity: Gender, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Women's Studies (Nonfiction), British Literature, History: World, Historical Fiction
Remarkable Creatures (2009), a novel by Tracy Chevalier, is historical fiction that explores the unlikely friendship between Mary Anning, a working-class woman with a passion for fossil hunting, and Elizabeth Philpot, an unmarried middle-class woman. The novel is set against the backdrop of the rigid societal conventions of 19th-century England. When Mary uncovers a prehistoric fossil on the cliffs of Lyme Regis, her discovery ignites enthusiasm in the scientific community and threatens her village’s deeply... Read Remarkable Creatures Summary