Green Reading for Kids
at the Elmhurst Public Library

PICTURE BOOKS

Burningham, John.  Whadayamean.  1999
When God sees what a mess has been made of the world, God gets two children to convince everyone to help make it the lovely place it was meant to be.  For grades PreK-6.

Cheng, Christopher.  One Child.  1999
One by one, children do simple things, such as walking to school, planting a tree, and cleaning the yard, to help save the environment.  For grades PreK-3.

Child, Lauren.  What Planet Are You From, Clarice Bean?  2002
When Clarice has to do a school project on the environment, she and her family become eco-warriors in an attempt to save a tree on their street.  For grades PreK-5.

Child, Lauren.  We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers  2009
Lola learns about recycling and enters a recycling competition. Includes recycling tips as well as a tree poster for kids to keep track of their own recycling projects.

Greenblat, Rodney Alan.  Aunt Ippy’s Museum of Junk.  1991
A brother and sister visit their ecology-minded Aunt Ippy and her world-famous Museum of Junk.  For grades K-3.

Hallinan, P. K.  For the Love of Our Earth.  1992
A group of young children show their love for the earth and their "brothers" by cleaning up the environment and by not tolerating prejudice.  For grades K-3.

Halsey, Megan.  3 Pandas Planting.  1994
A counting book in which a child can learn to count while also learning about the environment.  For grades PreK-2.

Luenn, Nancy.  Mother Earth.  1992
Describes the gifts that the earth gives to us and the gifts that we can give back to her.  For grades PreK-3.

Lyons, Dana.  The Tree.  2002
An 800-year-old Douglas fir ponders the many things it has seen in the natural world as it hears the bulldozers coming, and then some people arrive to save it from destruction.  For grades PreK-3.

Ross, Anna.  Grover’s 10 Terrific Ways to Help our Wonderful World.  1992
Grover describes ten ways to help the world, from planting trees to recycling trash.  For grades K-3.

Van Allsburg, Chris.  Just a Dream.  1990
When he has a dream about a future Earth devastated by pollution, Walter begins to understand the importance of taking care of the environment.  For grades K-3.

Wallace, Nancy Elizabeth.  Recycle Every Day!  2003
When Minna has a school assignment to make a poster about recycling, her entire rabbit family spends the week practicing various kinds of recycling and suggesting ideas for her poster.  For grades K-3.

Wong, Janet S.  The Dumpster Diver.  2007
Once a month--every week in the summer--Steve the electrician dons special gear and, with the help of youngsters who live in his building, dives into a dumpster seeking useful objects that they can transform into imaginative new ones.  For grades K-3.

BEGINNING READERS

Brimner, Larry Dane.  Trash Trouble.  2003
On a field trip to the Nature Center, Three J leads his second-grade classmates on a mission to pick up as much trash as posssible after they find a bird caught in a discarded lunch bag.  For grades K-3.

Hooks, William H.  Mr. Garbage.  1997
Five-year-old Eli's enthusiasm for saving the planet gets out of hand as he continues to fill his room with more and more junk he intends to recycle.  For Grades 2-3.

FICTION

Cole, Sheila.  The Canyon.  2002
Eleven-year-old Zach leads the efforts of his San Diego community in trying to stop a company from developing the local canyon that he loves.  For grade 3-6.

DeFelice, Cynthia C.  Lostman’s River.  1994
In the early 1900s, thirteen-year-old Tyler encounters vicious hunters whose actions threaten to destroy the Everglades ecosystem.  For grades 5-8.

Harper, Charise Mericle.   Just Grace Goes Green.   2009
Grace can do a lot of things...but can she save the planet? Or at the very least, can she help her best friend Mimi get her favorite stuffed animal back? Lots of exciting things are happening to Grace and her friends. Most exciting of all, Mimi's older cousin Gwen is coming to stay with Mimi, and Miss Lois's class is going green!

Hautman, Pete.  Skullduggery.  2007
During a field trip in the local woods, Roni and Brian find the local archaeology professor, Andrew Dart, knocked unconscious in a cave, which leads them to investigate a land development scheme.  For grades 6-9.

Hisaasen, Carl.  Flush.  2005
Noah and his younger sister gather evidence that the owner of a floating casino is emptying his bilge tanks into the protected waters around their Florida Keys home.  For grades 5-8.

Hiaasen, Carl.  Hoot.  2005
Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site.  For grades 5-8.

Katz, Welwyn Wilton.  Time Ghost.  1995
In 2044, from an ecologically destroyed Canada, Sara and her friend Dani accompany Sara's grandmother to the still unspoiled North Pole.  For grades 5-8.

Klass, David.  California Blue.  1994
Seventeen-year-old John Rodgers discovers a new sub-species of butterfly which may necessitate closing the mill where his dying father works.  For grades 8-12.

Koss, Amy Goldman.  Kailey.  2003
Ten-year-old Kailey launches an art protest to keep a developer from spoiling the cove and its tide pools that are special to her and her family and friends.  For grades 3-6.

McDonald, Megan.  Judy Moody Saves the World!  2004
When Judy Moody gets serious about protecting the environment, her little brother Stink thinks she is overdoing it, but she inspires her third grade class to undertake an award-winning, environment-saving project.  For grades 2-5.

Mills, Claudia.  Dinah for President.  1992
Dinah Seabrooke, now in her first year of middle school, struggles to become a big fish in what seems like an ocean--and in the process discovers the value of recycling and of friendship with the elderly.  For grades 3-6.

NON-FICTION

Trueit, Trudi, Strain.  Earth Day.  2007
Introduces the history, purpose, and celebration of Earth Day.  For grades K-3. J 333.7 Tru

Barraclough, Sue.  Respecting our World.  2008
Photographs and simple text describe how saving energy and water, recycling, cleaning up the land can make a difference in the Earth's environment.  For grades K-3. J 333.72 Bar

Connolly, Sean.  Safeguarding the Environment.  2006
An overview of the issues related to protecting the environment, including information on global warming, conserving wildlife, the industrial revolution, and nuclear power.  For grades 7-12. J 333.72 Con

Conserving the Environment.  2006
Is there an environmental crisis? Is global warming really a problem? And how can government and society conserve the environment?  For grades 7-12. J 333.72 Con

Petersen, Christine.  Land Preservation.  2004
Discusses how human use of land and increasing population have threatened natural landscapes and describes the establishment of national parks as a means of preserving these resources.  For grades 3-6. J 333.78216 Pet

Llewellyn, Claire.  Save Energy.  2003
Describes the global warming process and provides energy saving tips for the home and the road that may help prevent global warming.  For grades K-3. J 333.79 Lle

The Environment.  2006
Contains articles from the online magazine "Science News for Kids" that provide information on happenings and discoveries related to the environment, covering conservation, climate change, wildlife protection, and pollution.  For grades 6-8. J 363.7 Env

Taylor, Barbara.  How to Save the Planet.  2001
Discusses such environmental concerns as depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, air and water pollution, recycling, wildlife conservation, and more.  For grades 3-6. J 363.7 Tay

Pringle, Laurence P.  The Environmental Movement.  2000
Chronicles the history, key players, and future challenges of the environmental movement.  For grades 5-8. J 363.7052 Pri

Roca, Núria.  The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.  2007
Introduces young readers to the three principles of reducing pollution, explaining the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling different types of waste.  For grades K-3. J 363.72 Roc

Barraclough, Sue.  Recycling Materials.  2008
Explains how recycled paper, glass, metal, and plastic are processed and made into new items, and discusses how to sort materials for recycling.   For grades K-3. J 363.728 Bar

Barraclough, Sue.  Reusing Things.  2008
Teaches children the importance of reusing things, reducing the amount of garbage they produce, recycling materials, and respecting the world around them.  For grades K-3. J 363.728 Bar

Inskipp, Carol.  Reducing and Recycling Waste.  2005
Takes a close look at what is trash and what is not, how we handle rubbish, and what we can do to reduce waste in the landfills.  For grades 3-6. J 363.728 Ins

Morgan, Sally.  Waste Disposal.  2007
Examines the different kinds of waste, from household trash to industrial waste, describing where it goes and how it affects the environment.  For grades 3-6. J 363.728 Mor

Bowden, Rob.  Waste, Recycling, and Reuse: Our Impact on the Planet.  2002
Describes the issue of waste, including waste types, disposal, and costs; methods, payoffs and problems of reduction, reuse, and recycling; and attitudes about waste management and the environment.  For grades 5-8. J 363.7282 Bow

Donald, Rhonda Lucas.  Recycling.  2001
Photographs and simple text teach children about the importance of recycling and explain how recycling can save the planet.  For grades 3-6. J 363.7282 Don

Green, Jen.  Recycling.  2006
Describes the importance of recycling certain products such as paper, plastic, glass, and metal, how trash is made into new products, and how everyone can protect the environment by recycling.  For grades 5-8. J 363.7282 Gre

Llewellyn, Claire. Fight Air Pollution.  2003
Describes various ways air is polluted and energy is wasted, and shows how to lessen air pollution on the way to school and prevent energy waste at home.  For grades K-3. J 363.7282 Lle

Llewellyn, Claire.  Let’s Recycle.  2003
Describes what recycling is and why it is important, looks at the many items that can be recycled, and discusses some of the uses for recyled materials.  For grades K-3. J 363.7282 Lle

Mackenzie, Anne L.  Let’s Recycle!  2007
Simple text and photographs describe recycling, why it is important, and ways that children can recycle.  For grades K-3. J 363.7282 Mac

Pohl, Kathleen.  What Happens at a Recycling Center? 2007
Looks at what happens to aluminum cans after they are taken to a recycling center.  For grades K-3. J 363.7282 Poh

Morgan, Sally.  Old Appliances.  2008
Describes how thrown-out appliances, electronics, and batteries can affect the environment and discusses reuse and recycling of computers, refrigerators, related packaging, and other items.  For grades 3-6. J 363.7288 Mor

Morgan, Sally.  Old Clothes.  2008
Explains how textile production affects the environment, why it is a good idea to reuse clothing, how clothes are recycled, and what sorts of clothes are needed for donations after a disaster.  For grades 3-6. J 363.7288 Mor

Walker, Kate.  Household Waste.  2005
Provides a brief explanation on how household waste is recycled and the benefit to the environment.  For grades 5-8. J 363.7288 Wal

Woods, Samuel G.  Recycled Paper: From Start to Finish.  2000
Demonstrates how waste paper is recycled into useful household products at the Marcal paper mill.  For grades 3-6. J 363.7288 Woo

Bang, Molly.  Nobody Particular:  One Woman’s Fight to Save the Bays.  2000
Describes a female shrimper's attempt to stop a large chemical company from polluting a bay in East Texas.  For grades 5-12. J 363.7384 Ban

Gore, Albert.  An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming.  2007
An adaptation of the book in which former Vice President Al Gore examines the climate crisis that is threatening the future of the planet, describes what the world's governments are doing to correct the problem, and explains why the problem should be taken more seriously.  For grades 5-12. J 363.73874 Gor

Dalgleish, Sharon.  Cleaning the Air.  2003
Explores the composition of Earth's atmosphere and what we call "air," its importance to life on Earth, the damage that has been done to the air and the ozone layer, and what we can do to clean it before it's too late.  For grades 5-8. J 363.7392 Dal

Murphy, Stuart J.  Earth Day-Hooray!  2004
A drive to recycle cans on Earth Day teaches the children of the Maple Street School Save-the-Planet Club about place value.  For grades K-3. J 513 Mur

Rockwell, Anne F.  Why Are the Ice Caps Melting?: The Dangers of Global Warming.  2006
Tells about the greenhouse effect, recycling, and what you can do to help fight global warming.   For grades 2-4. J 636.73874 Roc

Morgan, Sally.  Waste Disposal.  2000
Examines the different kinds of waste, from household trash to industrial waste, describing where it goes and how it affects the environment.  For grades 3-6. J 628.44 Mor

Ostopowich, Melanie.  Waste: Refuse, Misuse, and Reuse.  2004
Introduces the problem of garbage and the ways in whcih it may be disposed of or recycled.  For grades 3-6. J 628.445 Ost

Parker, Steve.  Plastics.  2001
Discusses oil as a source for plastics, the importance of recycling, and possible uses for plastics in the future.  For grades 3-6. J 668.4 Par

Whyman, Kathryn.  Plastics and the Environment.  2005
Looks at how plastics are made, and the importance of recycling and reusing plastics.  For grades 5-8. J 668.4 Why

Chapman, Gilian.  Making Art with Packaging.  2008
Presents techniques for making several kinds of art with different sorts of packaging, including puppets, toys, foil figures, and woven baskets and boxes, and includes photos of examples.  For grades 3-6. J 745.5 Cha

Lamérand, Violaine.  Crafts from Junk.  2003
Provides patterns and detailed instructions for thirteen crafts made from junk.  For grades K-3. J 745.5 Lam

Llimos Plomer, Anna.  Creating by Recycling.  2000
Provides instructions for a variety of craft projects using such recycled items as foam trays, empty soda cans, cardboard tubes, plastic bottles, and pieces of cloth.  For grades 3-6. J 745.5 Lli

Martin, Laura C.  Recycled Crafts Box: Sock Puppets, Cardboard Castles, Bottle Bugs & 37 More Earth-Friendly Projects & Activities You Can Create.  2003
Discusses recycling and provides information and instructions for making art projects from a variety of recycled materials.  For grades 3-6. J 745.5 Mar

Monaghan, Kimberly.  Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities.  2007
Learn with fun-filled craft activities about reusing, reducing, and recycling.  For grades 3-6. J 745.5 Mon

Recyclables.  2004
Provides step-by-step instructions for turning plastic egg cartons, cardboard tubes, frozen food containers, and other disposable materials into craft projects, including easy variations.  For grades K-3. J 745.5 Rec

Smith, Heather.  Earth Friendly Crafts for Kids.  2002
Provides instructions for using recycled materials to create fifty different crafts and offers tips for an earth-friendly lifestyle.  For grades 3-6. J 745.5 Smi

Kludner, Barbara.  Other Goose: Recycled Rhymes for our Fragile Times.  2007
A collection of classic fairy tales with a modern day twist.  For grades 3-6. J 811.6 Klu

REFERENCE

Environmental Books for Children.  1994
Provides a listing of books with activities to promote environmental awareness to readers from K to 12th grade. J Ref 011.62 Env

MOVIES

Two Old Potatoes and Me.  2005
A girl and her father grow numerous potaotes from two rotten, sprouted potaotes. Host Levar Burton talks about composting and also looks at other ways items are recycled.  For grades K-3. J DVD Two

Where the Garbage Goes.  2005
Jump into the driver's seat of all the haulers, grinders, dozers, loaders, and compactors. Discover equipment used at state-of-the-art waste-handling facilities, where children learn important facts about recycling.  For grades K-3 J DVD 363.72 Whe

Environmental Health.  2005
Students learn that not all trash is created equal as we visit a recycling plant. Different kinds of pollution -- air, water, and noise -- are explored, and the various causes behind them are revealed.  For grades K-4. J DVD 363.728 Env

StoryWatchers Club.  Our Planet: Adventures in Storytelling.  2006
The StoryWatchers Club series is a wonderful tool that enables parents and teachers to expose kids to global cultures, the sciences, and humorous tales through fun-filled imaginative performances.  For grades K-7. J DVD 372.642 Sto

Aunt Ippy’s Museum of Junk; Uncle Wizzmo’s New Used Car.  1993
Part 1. Jodi and Jimi love to visit Aunt Ippy's Museum of Junk, where she recycles, rebuilds, and reuses all manner of weird and wonderful things. Part 2. Every year Uncle Wizzmo buys a new used car and Jodi and Jimi go with him. J Video She

The Rotten Truth.  1990
Learn the "rotten truth" about garbage. Come along with Stepanie as she visits a landfill, leads a tour through the Museum of Modern Garbage and much more. J Video 363.728 Rot

Invention: Recycling.  1999
Since recycling became a hit, people have been creating new ways to reuse materials.  For grades 6-8. J Video 628.4458 Inv

Created by Brian Andrusyk,   July, 2008.

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