Books can help children become more empathetic to those who may be different from them and answer questions they may have about those with disabilities. Children who themselves have disabilities may find themselves represented in this evolving book list.
Don't let tired stereotypes and holiday greed overshadow your family’s Thanksgiving. Explore this growing list of picture books with your children, and take time to deepen your holiday experience.
Learn from stories of music, one picture book or podcast episode at a time.
Explore history and get motivated to champion social justice. These fiction and nonfiction books will raise awareness about the history of the United States and the movements that are pushing us closer to equity. Scroll through our extensive list to find books on Civil Rights, Disability Rights, the LGBTQ Movement, Women's Rights, and the Native People's Movement.
This collection is full of practical tools for young environmental advocates. Featuring both fiction and nonfiction titles, your family is sure to find inspiration for environmental action.
One Earth: People of Color Protecting Our Planet by Anuradha Rao
All readers will be inspired by this extraordinary new collection of stories featuring black, indigenous, and people of color who live and work as environmental defenders.
Ages 12 and up.
The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth by the EarthWorks Group
Recycle at home, at school, and in your community. This book will tell you how.
Arlene the Rebel Queen by Carol Liu
Arlene and her friends face opposition when she attempts to minimize her school’s carbon footprint. How can she make them see that changes can be for the better?
Basher Science: Climate Change by Simon Basher
Using fun illustrations, this resource from Basher Science is brimming with answers to a wide range of issues related to climate change, from greenhouse gases to weather systems, renewable energy to human action (and inaction).
Dr. Art’s Guide to Planet Earth: For Earthlings Ages 12 to 120 by Art Sussman, Ph.D.
A systems approach to how the earth works that is compelling, well-organized and understandable. There are also recommendations for what young people can do to help save the planet.
Down To Earth Guide To Global Warming by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon
An introduction to global warming for kids, this book provides suggestions on how kids can help combat the problem.
Flush by Carl Hiaasen
The second book in Hiaasen’s series of environmental novels and the follow-up to Hoot, Flush is the story of two children who work together to expose the illegal dumping of raw sewage from a casino ship.
Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Sivertsen
Generation Green offers dozens of tips on how teens can do their part to help save the earth.
The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen’s Guide to Saving the Planet by Jenn Savedge
Get teenagers interested in living green(er) by promoting this book which is filled with ideas and stories to inspire them.
Green Careers: Choosing Work for a Sustainable Future by Jim Cassio and Alice Rush (New Society Publishers, 2009). Ever wondered about having a green job? This book will tell you about the skills, education, and expertise you’ll need, as well as what jobs are available to someone that is looking for an environmentally friendly career.
Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People Who Are Helping to Protect Our Planet by Harriet Rohmer
Bring the complicated challenges facing our planet down to the personal level with this collection of true stories of 12 people from across North America who have stepped up to make a difference.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The award-winning story of 13-year-old Brian Robeson’s struggle to survive after a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. A classic.
Hoot by Carl Hiassen
An ecological mystery for the middle school set in which Roy, a new kid at school, sets out to save some burrowing owls from developers.
How Monkeys Make Chocolate: Foods and Medicines from the Rainforest by Adrian Forsyth
Get lots of information about the plants, animals, and people of the rainforest and their intricate web of interdependence.
An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming by Al Gore
A version of the best-selling book for younger readers, An Inconvenient Truth explains how our planet is being threatened by rising carbon dioxide levels and what we can do about climate change.
It’s Getting Hot in Here by Bridget Heos
With an eye to past, present, and future generations, Heos explains climate change to teenagers and emphasizes the importance of taking immediate action.
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
A young Eskimo girl gets lost in the Alaska tundra after running away to find her San Francisco pen pal and is taken in by a pack of Arctic wolves. This Newberry Medal winner is a tale of survival and much more.
This exciting novel draws readers into a world where animals are slowly fading into extinction, 12-year-old Kester Jaynes feels as if he hardly exists either. He’s been locked away in a home for troubled children and is unable to speak a word. Then one night, a flock of talking pigeons and a bossy cockroach come to help him escape, and he discovers that he can speak — to them. And the animals need him. Only Kester, with the aid of a stubborn, curious girl named Polly, can help them survive. The animals saved Kester. But can he save them?
True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do To Save The Planet by Kim McKay
Published by National Geographic, this guide to conservation and environmental change lists several easy things kids can do at home, school, and in the community to help save the planet.
Waste Disposal (Earth SOS) by Sally Morgan
Find out where waste (nuclear, dirty water, garbage, toxic) goes and how it affects the environment. Also learn about recycling metals, glass and paper, and discover what kids can do to help deal with waste.
Wild Wings by Gill Lewis
Young readers will love this gripping story about a boy from Scotland and a girl from West Africa who join together to save a migrating Osprey share wonderful adventures along the way.
Engage your children in problem solving: What good things are we already doing in our day to help the earth? What simple changes can our family make to take even better care of our planet?
Ask questions that prompt conversations about environmental ethics: "Why should we walk instead of drive to the park?"
Acknowledge tough choices ("It's hard to know how far to turn down the thermostat in the winter."), and make a point to discuss your environmental values.
Explain that simple decisions can have an impact, like coloring on both sides of the page, turning off the water when you brush your teeth, or turning out lights when you leave a room.
Disclaimer: Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.
Stepping into a fictional world can have profound effects on our ability to understand and articulate our own emotions, fears, and hopes. The titles below will help your family approach the issue of death and grief with greater understanding.
You may also want to explore our collection of Picture Books about Death & Grief. This growing list is full of compassionate books that speak to people of every age.
Visit the Child Development Institute's thoughtful article "How to Talk to Kids About Death." Along with a brief assessment of the developmental stages of understanding death, the guidelines in this article are helpful for anyone approaching the topic from a theoretical perspective.
If you are reaching out to a child who has experienced the loss of a loved one, look for insight at the Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children and Families, especially in this article: "How to Help a Grieving Child."
As always, while reading any of the books below, make time to ask:
How do you think the character is feeling (in various parts of the book)?
How do you think you would feel if you were in that situation?
What did you think of this book?
What questions do you have?
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
This Newbery Medal-winning classic is filled with imagination as well as the untimely loss of a best friend. This exceptional story has guided readers through this painful experience of loss, grief, and acceptance for generations.
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Here's another long-standing classic. Charlotte teaches Wilber, and us, so much about friendship, hope, persistence, and ultimately, life and death.
The Five Lives of My Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin
This deceptively light-heated book features Oona, her brother Fred, and their ailing cat Zook. Oona and Fred are grieving for their father, who passed away a year before the action opens in the story. Laugh and cry with them on their journey to come to terms with the tumultuous cycles of life and death.
Hachiko Waits by Leslea Newman
The sweet, sad, yet hopeful story of a loyal dog and the many lessons in loyalty, friendship, hope, patience, and responsibility that he teaches the people around him.
Maybe a Fox by Kathi Appelt and Aliso McGhee
This fantastical, epic story will captivate your whole family. The story is told in alternate voices, one of Jules who is coming to terms with the loss of her sister, the other the shadow fox in the shadow land who is fast, just like Jules' sister.
Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
Rylant's book is a must-read gem, beautifully and painfully exploring the pain of missing someone. You'll join Summer and her Uncle Ob shortly after Aunt May has died. When Ob becomes obsessed with the idea that May's spirit is coming back to him, Summer and her oddball classmate Cletus go on a spiritual mission that changes all of them.
Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Conor tries to cope with his mother's approaching death in this deeply emotional story. Deeply imaginative, readers will enjoy the stories within stories in compelling, page-turner of a book.
The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Join eleven-year-old Suzy in the uncomfortable awkwardness of middle school as she tries to understand why her estranged best-friend died last summer. The ethereal world of jellyfish will captivate readers of every age.
We realize the topics of death and grief are deeply entwined with personal spiritual beliefs, so feel free to share whatever speaks to you and your family. There are likely many others just like you who will be grateful for an additional resource.
Disclaimer: Doing Good Together™ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
The recommendations we offer are based solely on our mission to empower parents to raise children who care and contribute.
