Children and the Environment: Four Books to Share

Growing up in the United States in the 21^st Century, children are surrounded by a consumer-driven culture. This Earth Day, celebrated on April 22^nd, served as a reminder that we should be passing on more than just our throw-away habits. To help leave a legacy of caring for the environment to the next generation, start at your local library. Here are four great books about some environmental heroes that will inspire children of all ages.

Rachel Carson and the Environmental Movement

This book, written by Elaine Landau, is a detailed look at Rachel Carson's life. Carson grew up on a farm in Pennsylvania and fell in love with nature as a child. Entering college in 1925, Carson soon changed her major from English to science after a biology class captured her interest. After college, she became a marine biologist and a writer at a time when there were few women in the field. She was highly respected and soon became known for her careful research. In the late 1950s, Carson became concerned about the use of man-made pesticides. She discovered that these chemicals were also harming and killing other plants and animals. The most common of these pesticides was a chemical called DDT. Carson wrote the book Silent Spring which brought public awareness to the problem and spearheaded the modern environmental movement.

Kids Who Make a Difference by Gary Chandler and Kevin Graham

This book captures the stories of children and teens as they take steps to protect not only their local environments, but often the world. These modern heroes noticed environmental problems and tackled them head on, often taking on large companies. Andrew Holleman's story is one of many highlighted in the book. Holleman discovered that wetlands in his Massachusetts neighborhood were going to be destroyed to build condominiums. He circulated a petition in his community to get the project stopped. He also found an alternative site for the builder that was more suitable for the project. This brave twelve year old created a win-win situation for all involved.

American Environmental Heroes by Phyllis M. Stanley

This collection of biographies details the lives of ten different environmental heroes. Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, and George Washington Carver are the most recognized of the bunch. Children will learn more about Carver than they ever learned in school. Not only was he the man who discovered innumerable uses for peanuts, he was also a botanist who revolutionized farming in the south. A champion of crop rotating and planting legumes to rebuild the soil that was depleted from cotton farming, Carver earned a space in the environmental hall of fame.

Theodore Roosevelt

This biography, written by Anne Welsbacher, is a children's non-fiction book that makes the life of this former president as interesting today as it was when he was alive. A hard worker and avid outdoorsman, Roosevelt is credited with starting the national parks system. He understood the value of keeping lands forever wild to preserve the habitats of countless plant and animal species.

Teaching children about the environment is something that is usually done once a year, on Earth Day. Keeping them interested all year long is easier with the help of these books about some truly great American heroes.

Sources:

Rachel Carson and The Environmental Movement; Elaine Landau; Children's Press 2004

Kids Who Make a Difference; Gary Chandler and Kevin Graham; Twenty-First Century Books 1996

American Environmental Heroes; Phyllis M. Stanley; Enslow Publishers 1996

Theodore Roosevelt; Anne Welsbacher; ABDO Publishing Company 1999