Librarians across Maricopa County Library District have recommended their favorite nature-themed stories for your family to explore! Many of these titles are available in print, eBook or Audiobooks format from your library. Looking for more? Check out all your library has to offer at mcldaz.org
0-3 YEARS OLD
0-3 YEARS OLDFur, Feather, Fin: All of us are Kin
By Diane Lang, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
The world is filled with amazing animals! Explore what makes them different and the same in this beautifully illustrated picture book.
Why you’ll love it: “Gentle rhymes incorporate new, rich vocabulary for little scientists to experiment with. Caregivers can find many ways to interact with the illustrations. Plus, a study guide in the back of the book offers additional resources to continue conversations with young learners as they inquire about the world they live in.”
– Marisa from Northwest Regional Library
Wake Up!
By Helen Frost
Wake up with nature! Close up photographs of new life awakening are accompanied by a rhythmic poem introducing you and your child to new and familiar creatures.
Why you’ll love it: “Books with photographs help baby associate objects in their world with those they see in the book. The guide in the back provides additional information about each animal featured, encouraging inquiry and ensuring this book will grow with your child.”
– Jennifer from Library Services
4-6 YEARS OLD
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
By Kenard Pak
Join a young girl as she takes a walk through forest and town, greeting all the signs of the coming season all the while saying goodbye to summer and welcoming autumn.
Why you’ll love it: “With absolutely beautiful illustrations, this is an informative book about how plants and animals change and respond to the seasons changing from summer to autumn.”
– Alex from Southeast Regional Library
The Very Impatient Caterpillar
By Ross Burach
When a caterpillar sees his friends climbing a tree, he questions their unusual behavior and is baffled by their answer when they tell him it’s time to “metamorphosize.”
Why you’ll love it: “This is a laugh out loud, engaging story that introduces science and the nature of caterpillars. It will leave kids wanting to learn more about this caterpillar’s changing world!”
– Jamie from Asante Library
1st- 3rd GRADE
The Ocean In Your Bathtub
By Seth Fishman, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
Whether you live by an ocean or not, you are touched by it—the food you eat, the water you drink, even the air you breathe are affected by our oceans. Likewise, everything you do affects our oceans.
Why you’ll love it: “This brightly illustrated book begins by stating that the oceans are everywhere before “diving” into a sea of information about how life on our planet is connected to water. A very good ecology book that moves the reader to be a thoughtful steward of this very precious resource.”
– Linda from Guadalupe Library
Harlem Grown
By Tony Hillery
This award-winning book is an inspiring true story in which a community transforms a forgotten space into a thriving community garden.
Why you’ll love it: “With beautiful illustrations, kids will see the connections between the environment, sustainability, and working with their community to make real changes.”
– Jamie from Asante Library
4th- 6th GRADE
The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator, Peter Brown, comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
Why you’ll love it: “It’s a delightful adventure story with beautiful illustrations about the interactions between nature and technology. It’s a story about wonder, adaptation, family, friendship, change, acceptance and love.”
– Alex from Southeast Regional Library
Bees: A Honeyed History
By Piotr Socha
This beautiful oversized book uses hand-drawn pictures to celebrate the honeybee. From bee anatomy and the physical structure of honeycombs, to cultural references beginning in ancient times, the book touches on many different aspects of honeybees.
Why you’ll love it: “The engaging illustrations invite the reader to explore the facts packed on page after page. It discusses beekeeping and the equipment needed, as well as the crucial role that bees play in food production all over the world. A must-read for any bee-lover!”
– Linda from Guadalupe Library
Teens
The Girl from the Sea
By Molly Knox Ostertag
After falling into the water and nearly drowning, 15-year-old Morgan finds herself rescued by a mysterious girl from the sea named Keltie. Friendships are strained as new relationships blossom, but one question remains: Did Keltie leave the ocean to be with Morgan, or is there something else that drove her to the surface?
Why you’ll love it: “This graphic novel navigates the awkwardness of growing up, keeping secrets, and finding a way to do the right thing even when it seems hard.”
– Marisa from Northwest Regional Library
Dry
By Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing dystopian story of survival. From the award-winning father-son duo, Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, discover what happens to people when they have to hunt for the nature that they depend on.
Why you’ll love it: “This science fiction novel makes you ask the realistic question, ‘what happens when the water runs out,’ especially when we live in Arizona!”
– Lindsey from Library Administration
