For the Youngest Readers (Toddlers to Kindergarten) 

I LOVE BUGS!
Written and illustrated by Emma Dodd (Holiday House)
Learning about the insect world begins when we are very young. Learning to like or dislike bugs often depends on the older people in a child’s environment. Make a difference and have fun with bugs. 

MY GARDEN
Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow)
This delightful book is about gardens and imagination. A young girl helping her mother in the garden finds the work difficult. She begins to wonder what her garden will be like and her imagination takes us to a garden filled with surprises. For older readers, the classic The Secret Garden would be a good extension. 

INSECT DETECTIVE
Written by Steve Voake, illustrated by Charlotte Voake (Candlewick Books)
What better way to learn about the great outdoors than through observation and listening to the insects in our neighborhoods? The beautiful presentation of illustrations and descriptions in this book will give readers some great details to watch and listen for in the wild.

For Readers (Kindergarten to 2nd Grade) 

THE HUMBLEBEE HUNTER
Written by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Jen Corace (Hyperion)
Charles Darwin had ten children. He shared his curiosity about the outdoors with them. This charming story takes readers on an exploration of bees with the Darwins. 

YUCKY WORMS
Written by Vivian French, illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg (Candlewick Books)
It is gardening season and creating nutrient-rich soil for your plants is the underlying theme in this book. Grandmother shows her grandchild that slimy slithery worms are not yucky, but are really our friends. 

GLOBAL WARMING
Written and photographed by Seymour Simon (Smithsonian)
Seymour’s amazing photos show some startling results from warmer temperatures in the atmosphere. The book raises some good questions for all to ponder.

For Readers (3rd to 6th Grade)                                                                    

GIRLS GONE GREEN
Written by Lynn Hirshfield (Puffin)
This book weaves stories of celebrities with those of not-so-famous adolescent girls, all making a difference in their communities with far-reaching positive effects on our world. Amazing inspirational stories show girls with determination and passion for socially conscious action for our environment, animal protection, lifestyles, healthy choices, and people’s overall well-being.

BAG IN THE WIND
Written by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Barry Root (Candlewick)
This captivating story follows the life of a plastic bag, from blowing in the wind to multiple uses as a holder of goods being transported to various places. A subtle and then more explicit message in the afterward shares the impact of the 100 million plastic shopping bags used by Americans each year. 

BEN AND THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION
Written by Pat Sherman, illustrated by Floyd Cooper (Eerdmans)
This fictionalized story of courage and determination set during and after the American Civil War is based on the real Benjamin C. Holmes. His father introduced him to the alphabet and told him to never let whites know he was literate, so Benjamin secretly taught himself to read.  One of his most powerful moments was reading the Emancipation Proclamation to his cellmates from a newspaper in the slave prison.

Book reviews provided by BSU professor Stan Steiner, the Bookman.  For more book suggestions and reviews, visit his web page at education.boisestate.edu/stansteiner.