Our beautiful home has dealt with more than its fair share of abuse and that’s why I love so many of the books on the list of best middle grade books on the environment. In these selections, you’ll find children (and sometimes animals) trying to do their part to love, cherish, and defend the earth, all the while facing their own changing inner worlds, families, and friends. If you’re looking for books that tackle topics like climate change, animal extinction, and damage to marine life, among other environmental issues, this is the list for you. just a heads up that several of these books are coming soon, but at least half more are available to buy right now 🙂
best middle grade books on the environment & environmental activism
Here are 23 of the best middle grade books on the environment and environmental activism:
You are reading: Earth day books for middle school
the lie of friendship
Cora Davis’s life is rubbish. literally. Her parents, teachers, study what happens to trash after it’s thrown out, and Cora knows exactly how she feels: to be thrown away. between her mom and dad splitting up and a fight with her best friend, fifth grade for cora has been a year of feeling like she was thrown in the dumpster. But Ella Cora has learned a thing or two from her parents’ litter-tracking studies: things don’t always go where they’re supposed to, and sometimes the things you thought you’d gotten rid of come back. And occasionally, one person’s trash is another’s treasure, which Cora and Sybella learn when they come across a diary detailing the troubles of the best friendship.
Told from two intertwined points of view, it presents a warm and tongue-in-cheek story of friendship, growing up, and being true to yourself. Written by Rebecca Donnelly, author of How to Stage a Catastrophe (an indie introduction and indie next honoree), The Lie of Friendship will speak to any reader who has struggled with what to hold on to and what to throw away.
hello from lake renn
Annalise Oliver’s family has owned and operated lakeside cabins in Renn Lake, Wisconsin for generations. this summer, she can help while her younger sister focuses on being an actress and her best friend babysits naughty twin boys. It’s the perfect opportunity for Annalize to work and spend more time by her beloved lake.
when she was three years old, annalise discovered that she could feel what renn lake was thinking and feeling. Now, at twelve, she still turns to Renn for comfort. But when a small patch of algae quickly turns into a harmful bloom, Annalize can no longer hear the Renn, and the lake closes. she and her friends must find a way to save the lake.
the adventure is now
sometimes it’s hard being milton p. Green says all the wrong things, his family is falling apart, and everyone at school is avoiding him because of the embarrassing bird-brain incident. But when Milton plays his video game Isle of Wild, he becomes a different person: Sea Hawk, the brave and brilliant naturalist explorer who overcomes danger at every turn. Evan is an environmental researcher. The island is teeming with spectacular species, and Milton realizes this is his chance to become the brave and brilliant naturalist he’s always wanted to be, and even meet some fellow explorers!
But it turns out that the lonely island’s future is in jeopardy, and the only thing that can save it is a field guide full of cryptic clues. If Milton and his unexpected new friends are to protect the island, they’ll have to trust each other, discover new truths, and embark on a wild and wonderful adventure of their own.
the bidding line
Wherever the sharks led them, Lucy Everhart’s marine biologist mother would surely follow. in fact, she was on a boat off the coast of massachusetts, collecting shark data when she died suddenly. Lucy was seven years old. Since then, Lucy and his father have stayed afloat, thanks in large part to a few close friends and neighbors. But June of her twelfth summer brings more than the end of school and a heat wave to sleepy Rockport. On a hot day, the tide brings in a great white shark, and then another tragedy, interrupting a friendship that everyone insists was “meaningful,” but no one can tell Lucy what it all meant. To survive the new wave of grief, Lucy must pick up the line that connects her depressed father, a stubborn fisherman, and a curious elderly widower, to her mother’s unfinished investigation into the return of the great white shark to Cape Town. code If Lucy can find a way to help this unlikely quartet follow the sharks her mother loved, she’ll finally be able to look beyond what she’s lost and what remains to be discovered.
a little jump
Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen’s classic Hoot, this hilarious adventure story set in the not-too-distant future celebrates the big differences we can make with small, brave acts. when ahab and his friends find a bullfrog in his town: a real, live bullfrog, possibly the last bullfrog in north america; They have several options: a. report it to the environmental police. Too bad everyone knows the agency is a joke. b. let it be it’s just a bunch of kids, what if they hurt it by moving it? c. find another real, live bullfrog on the black market. convince their parents to let them cycle to canada. introduce the two frogs. save all frogkind. ahab convinces the rest of the group that c is his only real option. because if they don’t save this frog, who will? The search for him, which will involve fake ice cream, real frog spawning, and some very close calls, teaches Ahab that hope is always the logical choice and that science is always better with friends. With humor and empathy, acclaimed author Madelyn Rosenberg constructs a whole – an all-too-imaginable future ravaged by climate change, where a child can still lean on her friends and dream of a better tomorrow.
blue everywhere
When Maddie’s twelve-year-old older brother disappears from the college campus, her carefully ordered world falls apart. nothing will fill the void of her dear older brother. meanwhile maddie’s older sister reacts by staying up late, and maddie’s parents are always distracted with the search for strumming. drowning in grief and confusion, the family’s musical house falls silent.
although maddie is the youngest, she knows how to play the strumming better than anyone. he used to confide in her, sharing her fears about the climate crisis and the future of her planet. So, Maddie starts looking for clues: Strum She was she sad? Were the arguments with her dad getting worse? Or could her disappearance have something to do with those endangered butterflies she loved. . .
Frightened and alone, Maddie picks up the pieces of her family’s broken lives. maybe her parents aren’t who she thought they were. maybe her nervous thoughts and compulsive counting mean she needs help. and maybe finding strum won’t solve everything, but she knows he’s out there and she has to try.
This powerful first novel in verse tackles the climate crisis, intergenerational discourse, and mental illness in an accessible and hopeful way. Featuring a beautiful narrative voice, Blue Everywhere is perfect for fans of Eventown and OcDaniel.
the last savage
In a world where animals no longer exist, twelve-year-old Kester Jaynes sometimes feels like he doesn’t exist either. locked up in a home for troubled children, he is told that something is wrong with him. So when he comes across a flock of talking pigeons and a bossy cockroach, Kester thinks he’s finally lost his mind. but the animals have something to say. and they need it. Kester pigeons fly to a wild place where the last creatures on earth have survived. A wise deer needs Kester’s help, and together they must embark on a great journey, accompanied along the way by an overzealous wolf cub, a military-trained cockroach, a mouse with a ritual for everything, and a headstrong girl named Polly. the animals saved kester jaynes. But can Kester save the animals?
stingers (sharks incorporated book 2)
Marine biologist Doc Ford invites Maribel, Luke and Sabina to a remote island in the Bahamas where the lionfish, a beautiful and poisonous inhabitant of the South Pacific that has invaded Florida and the Caribbean, not only upsets the balance of the nature by damaging coral reefs: its sting has put several people in hospital.
See Also: Iris Johansen – Book Series In Order
what doc and captain hannah smith don’t mention is that the island is riddled with limestone caves, once home to a gang of pirates, and stories of spanish gold have lured treasure hunters out of the country. the law to the area.
When the trio find precious artifacts, they agree to keep the secret until they have thoroughly explored the place. Soon, the outlaws seek out the trio, hoping they will lead them to riches.
the ice house
Spring is here, and yet a relentless winter freeze has left Louisa snowbound in her apartment building for months with parents dealing with extreme stress, a little brother battling claustrophobia, and, uncomfortably, his neighbor and former close friend, luke . The new realities of this weather disaster have not only affected Louisa’s family, but when Luke’s father has an ice-related accident and it is unclear if he will recover, the lives of both families are turned upside down. /p>
Desperate to find an escape from the pain plaguing their homes, Louisa and Luke build a massive snow fort in their backyard. but their creation opens an otherworldly window into what might be to come, and sets them on a mission: to restore the universe to its rightful order, so that the ice melts and life returns to “normal.”
Deftly blending heartfelt prose and a touch of magic, Monica Sherwood’s poignant debut novel is a relatable story of struggling families emerging from a different kind of quarantine.
the last bear
In this instant literary classic about friendship, forging your own path, and doing what’s right, first-time author Hannah Gold inspires fans of Pax and a wolf named Wander to make a difference in any way they can. there are no polar bears left. on bear island At least, that’s what April’s dad tells her when his scientific research takes them to a faraway arctic outpost. But one night, April catches a glimpse of something distinctly bear-shaped trotting on the horizon. a polar bear who shouldn’t be there, who is hungry, alone and far away from home. Fusing environmental awareness with a heartwarming story of kindness, The Last Bear will include full-page black-and-white illustrations, as well as an author’s note with facts about the real bear island and the plight of polar bears.
ult
everyone loves mother paula’s pancakes. everyone, that is, except for the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the construction site of the new restaurant. Can the new guy and his wild friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the fate of owls built on pancake batter?
the manatee’s best friend
becca wong walker may be so shy that most people at school think she doesn’t speak at all, but why should she care? she has more important things to worry about. missy, the manatee who visits the dock in becca’s backyard, and becca’s only friend, hasn’t been seen in a while. When Missy finally returns, he has a new baby with her! Becca wants to be excited, but more than ever, inconsiderate boaters are speeding across the river, putting Missy’s life and her baby in danger.
One day, Becca also sees a dolphin in the river! Bonding with the dolphins and manatees, Becca finally begins to make friends at school. But when Becca makes a video that goes viral, it looks like it’s going to be harder than ever to save the manatees…and trying to do so could tear Becca’s newfound friendships apart.
a wild whale
In the New York Times’ independent companion, A Wolf Called Wander, a young orca must lead her brother on a tumultuous journey to rejoin his pod. This gorgeously illustrated animal adventure novel explores family ties, survival, global warming, and a changing seascape. includes information about killer whales and their habitats. For Vega and her family, salmon is life. and vega is learning to be a salmon digger, preparing for the day when she will be the matriarch of her family. But then she and Ella’s brother Deneb Ella are separated from Ella’s pack when a devastating earthquake and tsunami render the seascape unrecognizable. Vega must use all of her abilities to bring her brother back to her family. The young orcas face shark attack, starvation, ocean depths and polluted waters on their journey. Will Vega become the leader she is destined to be? a wild whale weaves a moving story of survival with flawless investigation into a delicate ecosystem and threats to marine life.
strange birds: a field guide to ruffling feathers
When three very different girls find a mysterious invitation to a luxurious mansion, the promise of adventure and mischief is too intriguing to pass up. Ofelia Castillo (a budding journalist), Aster Douglas (a book enthusiast), and Cat Garcia (a rule-abiding birder) meet the kid behind the invitation, Lane Disanti, and it’s not love at first sight. but they soon come together on a shared mission to get the floras, their local explorers, to abandon an outdated tradition. In their quest for justice, independence, and an unforgettable summer, the girls form their own troop and find something they didn’t know they needed: sisterhood.
fuzzy mud
be careful. your next step may be your last. Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is interrupted when thug Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the Forbidden Forest. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows him. they are soon lost. and then they find problems. bigger problem than anyone could have imagined. In the days and weeks that followed, the authorities and the us. get involved, and what they discover could affect the future of the world.
music for tigers
Traveled halfway around the world to spend the summer with her mother’s eccentric Australian relatives, high school student and passionate violinist Louisa is prepared to be resentful. But life at the family’s remote campsite in the Tasmanian rainforest is intriguing, to say the least. There are pig-footed bandicoots, scary spiders, weird noises and smells at night, and a quirky boy named Colin who cooks the most amazing meals. No less strange is her Uncle Ruff, with his unusual pet and veiled hints about something called Convict Rock. Eventually, Louisa discovers the truth: Convict Rock is a sanctuary established by her great-grandmother Eleanor, a sanctuary for the Tasmanian tigers, the huge tiger. from Australia. marsupials that were hunted to extinction nearly a hundred years ago. Or so the world believes. Hidden in the rainforest at Convict Rock, a tiger remains. But now the sanctuary is threatened by a mining operation, and the last Tasmanian tiger must be lured deeper into the forest. The problem is that, since her great-grandmother, no member of the family has been able to win the trust of the shy tigers. As the summer progresses, Louisa forges unexpected connections with Colin, with the forest and, through Eleanor’s diary, with herself. great-grandmother. she begins to suspect that the key to saving the tiger is her own music. But will her plan work? Or will the enigmatic Tasmanian tiger disappear once again, this time for good? lost, baby.
stella diaz #2: stella diaz never gives up
Stella gets a big surprise when her mom plans a trip to visit her family in Mexico! Stella loves sea animals and is excited to see the ocean for the first time. . . her until she arrives and she finds out that the sea and its life forms are in danger due to pollution.
Stella wants to save the ocean, but she knows she can’t do it alone. It will take a lot of work and the help of old and new friends to make a difference, but Stella Diaz never gives up!
sammy keyes and the wild things
This is not the summer camping trip of Sammy’s dreams. instead of shady glades and meandering streams, you get scrubby bushes, scorching sun, and rattlesnakes. his fellow campers are desperate for a rare glimpse of an endangered condor. For Sammy, the journey feels like the painful one in search of the unspeakably ugly.
See Also: Tess Gerritsen – Book Series In Order
but when she and two other girls find an injured condor, sammy is finally intrigued. while searching for a clue, they bump into two classmates and quickly get lost. which leaves three girls and two boys in a canyon with a carp, a sick condor, and six billion biting flies. oh, and an armed and dangerous poacher.
squirm
some facts about billy dickens: *once he saw a motorcyclist swerve across the road to run over a snake. *later, that motorcycle somehow ended up at the bottom of a canal. * billy is not the type to let things slide. some facts about billy’s family: * they have lived in six different towns in florida because billy’s mom insists on getting a house near a bald eagle nest. * billy’s father left when he was four years old and is a total mystery. * billy just found his dad’s address in montana.
This summer, Billy will fly across the country, climb a mountain, float down a river, dodge a grizzly bear, shoot down a spy drone, save a neighbor’s cat, save an endangered panther, and then He will try to save his own father. .
lea leads the way
lea clark is ready for an animal discovery adventure! she has never been to a rainforest before, and her mind is full of exciting thoughts about the animals she will see and the pictures she will take deep in the jungle. During a walk with her brother through the Amazon jungle, they discover a baby sloth that is seriously injured. Lea quickly decides that she must do everything she can to help the little sloth survive. but as she learns more, she wonders. is that correct?
a dolphin named star
The seaside sanctuary is supposed to be a safe place for marine animals, but suddenly the dolphins get sick and no one can explain why. Since Elsa Roth spends all of her time at the sanctuary, a bonus of her parents’ work there, she knows all the animals well. Ella Elsa is especially worried about Star, a young dolphin she bonded with after seeing him in her wild pen. As the crisis escalates, it’s up to Elsa to solve the mystery before it’s too late for Star and the rest of the dolphins.
elanora and the mystery of the marshes
After a series of terrifying events, Elanora is transported to a strange neighborhood where the only way to move is by water and the only food to eat is swamp grass. Her new guardians do their best to help her adjust, but the food is strange and unappetizing, and she feels isolated and alone. the colony of muskrats that live in the swamp refuse to accept the young chipmunk and ignore her every time they gather for a meal at night. In her old home, Elanora spent most days exploring, but her guardians insist that she sleep like the rest of the colony. After learning of a huge gray creature swimming in the deepest part of the swamp, Elanora sets out one day to find it. When the sea cow tells her about the swamp’s problems, Elanora begins her investigation into the mysterious decline in the water level and the plight of the swimming creatures. Despite relentless attempts at intimidation from some younger members of the colony, Elanora, along with an old man, piece together clues that lead to a terrifying conclusion. elanora and the mystery of the marsh sheds light on two important issues: the impact of bullying and the consequences of the destruction of ecosystems. is a story that explores the importance of diversity and celebrates one young man’s struggle to be heard.
me and the queen bee
Meg has always found solace in the shadow of her best friend Beatrix. beatriz, sure of herself, is the one who makes the decisions, and the girls have been a couple since kindergarten. But high school has brought some changes to Beatrix, especially when Meg tries to break out of her role as her helper.
A special science elective is Meg’s first move, but when she’s paired with quirky new girl Hazel, Beatrix steps in to claim Meg. Meg is shocked at how mean Beatrix can be and how difficult it is to stand up to her friend. But as Meg meets Hazel while she’s working on her beehive project in the backyard, she begins to wonder: Is being friends with Beatrice worth turning down the chance to find her own voice? p>
never sink
Along the arctic circle lies a small island called neversink, home to a colony of strange-looking seabirds called auks, including a lockley j. puffin. With their waterfront views and bountiful supply of fish, the Auks have little to worry about, except for Lockley’s two best friends, Egbert and Ruby, a know-it-all walrus and a sharp-tongued hummingbird.
But all this is about to change. Rozbell, the newly crowned King of the Owl Parliament, has long had his scheming eyes on the little northern colony. now neversink’s independence hangs in the balance. An owl insurgency will inevitably destroy life as auks know it, unless Lockley can do something about it.
escape
rabbit starch, the most feared biology professor in history, has disappeared. disappeared after a school field trip to black vine swamp. and, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved. but when the principal tries to tell the students that mrs. starch has been called in for a “family emergency”, nick and marta just don’t believe it. no, they think the class delinquent, smoke, had something to do with her disappearance. and he does! but not in the way they think. There is much more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any player in this twisted tale can see. everything is about to explode, and when it does, the bad guys better go.
wild lake rescue
everyone knows that twelve-year-old madison “madi” lewis is not allowed to bring home any more animals. After saving hairless mice, two birds, a rabbit, and a stray cat that ended up destroying the front porch, Madi’s parents decide that if they find one more stray animal in the house, she won’t be allowed to meet Jane Goodall anytime soon. gala event.
But when Madi and her two best friends, Aaron and Jack, rescue cubs from beavers whose mother was murdered, they find themselves at the center of a local conspiracy that is endangering beavers and their habitats. As Madi and her friends race to discover the threat looming over the beavers, Madi must test her skills as an Animal Whisperer, both to raise the orphaned beavers and to stay out of trouble long enough.
how to speak dolphin
lily loves her half brother, adam, but his autism has taken over her life. lily can’t make friends or go out after school; caring for adam has forced her to become both a mother and a sister. all lily wants is for her stepfather, don, to acknowledge that adam has a real problem and find some kind of program that can help him. she then she maybe she can have a life of her own. Adam has always loved dolphins, so when Don, an oncologist, learns that a young dolphin has cancer, he offers to help. He brings along Lily and Adam, and Adam and the dolphin, Nori, instantly bond. Don is sure that this is the answer to his problems. Although Lily sees how much Adam loves Nori, she also knows deep down that the dolphin should not spend the rest of his life in captivity, away from his own family. Adam she can she find real help elsewhere? And can lily help nori get her freedom back without betraying her family? this is a deeply moving story about love, freedom and letting go.
there they are: 27 of the best middle grade books on the environment or environmental activism! I’d love to hear your recommendations and hear which of these books you’ve enjoyed! If you’d like to print a list from this list, simply enter your email address in the box below. if you’re subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll get the printable along with your newsletter this Friday anyway.
See Also: Mario Puzo – Book Series In Order
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