Science, Conservation, and Activities

Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home by Michelle Mulder

In the developed world, if you want a drink of water you just turn on a tap or open a bottle. But for millions of families worldwide, finding clean water is a daily challenge, and kids are often the ones responsible for carrying water to their homes. Every Last Drop looks at why the world’s water resources are at risk and how communities around the world are finding innovative ways to quench their thirst and water their crops. Maybe you’re not ready to drink fog, as they do in Chile, or use water made from treated sewage, but you can get a low-flush toilet, plant a tree, protect a wetland or just take shorter showers. Every last drop counts!

Down to Earth: How Kids Help Feed the World by Nikki Tate

Kids all over the world help collect seeds, weed gardens, milk goats and herd ducks. From a balcony garden with pots of lettuce to a farm with hundreds of cows, kids can pitch in to bring the best and freshest products to their families' tables―and to market. Loaded with accessible information about the many facets of farming, Down to Earth takes a close look at everything from what an egg carton tells you to why genetic diversity matters―even to kids.

The Big Earth Book by Mark Brake

Planet Earth. Four elements. One incredible story. Lonely Planet Kids' The Big Earth Book takes children on a rollercoaster ride through history, geography, science and more to show how four elements - earth, fire, air and water - created the world and everything that exists today in. Amazing facts, photography, and illustrations bring our planet and its past to life in an exciting, engaging way.

Written by Mark Brake, a science writer and broadcaster who's worked for NASA, the BBC, and the National Science Museum of Thailand. Created in consultation with Dr Mike Goldsmith, a research scientist and writer with a PhD in astrophysics from Keele University in the UK.

What is Climate Change by Gail Herman

The earth is definitely getting warmer. There's no argument about that, but who or what is the cause? And why has climate change become a political issue? Are humans at fault? Is this just a natural development? While the vast majority of scientists who study the environment agree that humans play a large part in climate change, there is a counterargument. Author Gail Herman presents both sides of the debate in this fact-based, fair-minded, and well-researched book that looks at the subject from many perspectives, including scientific, social, and political.

The Sea Book by Charlotte Milner

The Sea Book explores a wealth of incredible marine animals and their habitats, from up on the ice, down to colorful coral reefs, underwater forests, and right down to the deepest darkest depths where the weird and wonderful lurk.

Following on from The Bee Book, Charlotte Milner continues to highlight to children important ecological issues faced by our planet, this time with a focus on marine life and the damaging effects humans are having on our seas. Children will discover what they can do to help, and there are tips on how to live plastic-free. Children will even get to craft their own recycled shopping bag!

Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben

Did you know that trees have parents and grandparents who have wrinkles? Did you know that tree kids go to school for hundreds of years? Did you know about the forest internet? Did you know trees make us healthy and strong? Sometimes, even trees get sick, but we can help them get better.Can You Hear the Trees Talking? shares all the mysteries and magic of the forest with language and learning tools that kids will love and understand. Featuring simple activities kids can try on their own or with parents, along with quizzes, photographs, and more, this wonderful book encourages at-home learning and fun as kids discover the wonder of the natural world outside their windows.

Buried Sunlight by Molly Bang & Penny Chisholm

What are fossil fuels, and how did they come to exist? This engaging, stunning book explains how coal, oil, and gas are really "buried sunlight," trapped beneath the surface of our planet for millions and millions of years.

Now, in a very short time, we are digging them up and burning them, changing the carbon balance of our planet's air and water. What does this mean, and what should we do about it?

Using simple language and breathtaking paintings, Bang and Chisholm present a clear, concise explanation of the fossil-fuel energy cycle that began with the sun and now runs most of our transportation and energy use in our world.

The Mess That We Made by Michelle Lord

The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life, and it inspires kids to do their part to combat pollution. Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.") and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.

Recycled Science by Tammy Enz and Jodi Wheeler-Toppen

Why recycle cardboard tubes, plastic bottles and jugs, craft sticks, and snack bags when you can reuse them yourself? These fun and informative science experiments and projects will keep readers entertained as they learn about scientific principles.

Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman

Plastic: it's used to make everything from drink bottles and bags to toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn't belong - like in the Pacific Ocean? How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there?

A team of researchers went on a scientific expedition to find out. They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected. The plastic has drifted there from rivers, beaches, and ocean traffic all over the world. Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti.

For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch - and what alarming discoveries they made.

Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet by Nikki Tate

Most of us see trees every day, and too often we take them for granted. Trees provide us with everything from food, fuel and shelter to oxygen and filtered water. Deep Roots celebrates the central role trees play in our lives, no matter where we live. Each chapter in Deep Roots focuses on a basic element―water, air, fire and earth―and explores the many ways in which we need trees to keep our planet healthy and livable. From making rain to producing fruit to feeding fish, trees play an integral role in maintaining vibrant ecosystems all over the world. Facts about trees and hands-on activities throughout help readers discover ways to get to know our giant neighbors better.

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French

This environmental book will teach young ecologists about how our actions affect planet Earth. Discover shocking facts about the waste we produce and where it goes. Did you know that every single plastic toothbrush ever made still exists? Or that there's a floating mass of garbage twice the size of Texas drifting around the Pacific Ocean?

It's not all bad news though. As well as explaining where we're going wrong, What a Waste shows what we're doing right! Discover plans already in motion to save our seas, how countries are implementing schemes that are having a positive impact, and how your waste can be turned into something useful. Every small change helps our planet!

Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future by Joshua Sneideman and Erin Twamley

How do we heat our homes, light our rooms, and power our cars? With energy! In 2014, the United States relied on fossil fuels for about 67 percent of its power. But as the fossil fuel supply dwindles and climate change becomes an increasingly urgent issue, individuals, businesses, and governments are expanding their sources of renewable energy, including solar, wind, biofuel, hydro, and geothermal.

What's Climate Change? by Robert M. Hamilton

Climate change is an issue that affects all living things on Earth, but the specifics of the issue are often spoken and written about using complex scientific language, making it difficult for young people to fully grasp why it is such a critical problem. When presented in an accessible way, however, readers are able to gain a deeper understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, as well as why they should care about this issue. Striking, full-color photographs, detailed fact boxes, and informative graphic organizers help readers as they explore this hot topic.

Junk Re-Thunk: Amazing Creations You Can Build From Junk by Brian Yanish

Welcome to Scrap City, home of an inventive tribe of creatures called ScrapKins. Using materials that people throw away (empty soda bottles and cans, milk cartons, cereal boxes, and bottlecaps) these creatures make new things that are useful―the ultimate recyclers.

With character profiles of the ScrapKins and instructions to make all kinds of puppets, instruments, and toys out of everyday items, this activity book (also featuring mazes, word scrambles, and comics) fosters creativity and encourages eco-friendliness.

How To Make A Better World by Keilly Swift

There's a lot that can be changed by just one person, if you know what to do. Start by making yourself into the awesome person you want to be by learning all about self-care and kindness. Using those skills, work your way up to creating activist campaigns to tackle climate change or social injustice.

This fun and inspiring guide to making the world a better place and becoming a good citizen is packed with ideas and tips for kids who want to know how to make a difference. Through ideas as small as creating a neighborhood lending library to important ideas such as public speaking and how to talk about politics, How to Make a Better World is a practical guide to activism for awesome kids.

Water by Melissa Stuart

Water is all around us; we drink it every day. In this level 3 reader, kids will learn about the water cycle, discovering how rain and snow flow into our lakes, rivers, and oceans, and later evaporate into the sky again. Vivid photography and accessible text make this book an ideal introduction to the science of water.

Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate by Melissa Koch

Trees are essential. They provide water, shelter, and food for millions of plant and animal species, including humans. They deliver proven health benefits, and they capture and store carbon, which combats climate change. Yet trees are in trouble. Forests are struggling to adapt to climate change, and deforestation is a major threat.

Recently, researchers and citizen scientists made the surprising revelation that trees communicate with each other through an underground system of soil fungi and other methods. Complex social networks help trees survive and thrive by transferring resources to each other, sending defense signals, communicating with their kin, and more. Meet the tree scientists and learn more of their fascinating discoveries.

A Nest Is Noisy by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long

Fans will rejoice at the first sight of A Nest Is Noisy," promises School Library Journal, and they're right. From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, A Rock Is Lively, and A Beetle Is Shy comes this gorgeous and informative look at the fascinating world of nests, from those of tiny bee hummingbirds to those of orangutans high in the rainforest canopy. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched book introduces children to a captivating array of nest facts and will spark the imaginations of children.