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It's never too early to make a difference when it comes to taking care of our natural world. Check out these books that talk about environmentalism for kids ages 8-12.
Green Promises

Girls Who Loved the Earth

Meet three remarkable women who followed their dreams and paved a path for women in science in this gorgeously written biographical novel in verse from acclaimed author Jeannine Atkins.

Keeper of the Rend

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Last Magician series comes a heart-wrenching middle grade debut steeped in magical realism about a bird-loving boy who moves to the countryside where he encounters dangerous creatures invading through a rip in the sky.

Shipwrecked

Jake, Macon, and Lovie fight to survive at sea in this third high-stakes adventure in the middle grade, New York Times bestselling The Islanders series by Mary Alice Monroe!

Olive Blackwood Takes Action!

An anxious aspiring filmmaker bands together with an unlikely friend group to protect their beloved state animal in this heartwarming contemporary middle grade novel perfect for fans of Jamie Sumner and Erin Entrada Kelly.

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet

From critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a “thought-provoking…wonderful” (School Library Journal) middle grade novel about a young girl who channels her anxiety about the climate crisis into rallying her community to save a local river.

Search for Treasure

The sequel to New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe’s The Islanders, an “exciting, tender, and absolutely wonderful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature.

Arrow

From the author of The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast comes a “richly imagined fable” (Susan Fletcher, author of Journey of the Pale Bear, a Golden Kite Honor Book) about a boy who’s grown up as the only human in an enchanted rainforest and what happens when people from the outside world discover his home.

The Islanders

From New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes a beautiful story of friendship, loss, and the healing power of nature in her first book for middle grade readers.

Saltwater Secrets

From the acclaimed author of Just Add Magic—now a hit streaming original series—comes a sweet novel about two sisters on summer vacation that explores the intricate bonds of a blended family.

Greta's Story

The Schoolgirl Who Went on Strike to Save the Planet

Translated by Moreno Giovannoni

The inspiring true story of a Greta Thunberg, a young eco-activist whose persistence sparked a global movement.

Forest World

From Young People’s Poet Laureate and award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a lively middle grade novel in verse that tells the story of a Cuban-American boy who visits his family’s village in Cuba for the first time—and meets a sister he didn’t know he had.

Moon Bear
Illustrated by Alessandro Gottardo

Both torn from their homes in Laos, a boy and a moon bear cub form a deep bond in this “moving and memorable” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) tale of impossible odds and resilient hope, based on true and tragic conditions in Eastern Asia.