Every April, we honor our planet on Earth Day with a selection of works celebrating the natural world. With titles ranging from stories of wilderness survival to nonfiction works about conservation and sustainability, this Collection features a broad spectrum of ideas regarding nature and our role within it.
Publication year 1975
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Humor, Science / Nature, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction, Politics / Government
Written by environmental advocate Edward Abbey in 1975, The Monkey Wrench Gang tells the story of a motley crew of environmental activists fighting industrialization in the American Southwest. Abbey's most famous work of fiction, this novel inspired a generation of eco-activists. Opening in the so-called "aftermath" (1) of the novel, Abbey immediately situates the reader in media res, at the site of a newly-built bridge between Arizona and Utah, over Glen Canyon. A "workman" (4)... Read The Monkey Wrench Gang Summary
Publication year 1996
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: Midlife, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Environment
Tags Self Help, Philosophy, Religion / Spirituality, Inspirational, Psychology, Business / Economics, Psychology, Philosophy
Publication year 2022
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Gratitude, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Future, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Climate, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Globalization, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt
Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Science / Nature, Animals
Publication year 2015
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Anthropology, Anthropology, Business / Economics, Philosophy, Philosophy, Food, Politics / Government
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Identity: Mental Health, Self Discovery, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Politics & Government, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Hope
Tags Animals, Science / Nature, Disability, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Agriculture, Education, Health / Medicine, Grief / Death, Depression / Suicide, Mental Illness, Social Justice, Modern Classic Fiction
Publication year 2011
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health / Medicine
In The Nature Principle, journalist and environmentalist Richard Louv calls for action against the nature-deficit disorder, a term he introduced in his bestselling novel Last Child in the Woods. Nature-deficit disorder is the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical detriment caused by a lack of connection with our natural environment. Written in five parts, Louv makes a compelling argument for decreasing the nature-deficit disorder in adults and presents recommendations for how to do so. Louv bases... Read The Nature Principle Summary
Publication year 1798
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Joy
Tags Lyric Poem, Blank verse, Romanticism / Romantic Period
Publication year 1961
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Identity: Mental Health, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Life/Time: Mortality & Death
Tags Play: Drama, Southern Gothic, History: U.S., American Literature, Southern Gothic, History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Classic Fiction
The Night of the Iguana, a play by Tennessee Williams, debuted on Broadway in 1961 and went on to run for a respectable 316 performances. It was also nominated for the Best Play Tony Award and marked Williams’s fourth New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award win for Best American Play. The play was first adapted from some elements of a short story by the same title, which Williams published in 1948 as part of a... Read The Night of the Iguana Summary
Publication year 2006
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Food, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants
Tags Food, Health / Medicine, Science / Nature
The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan is an exploration of what people eat and why. Pollan is an immersive journalist who has studied and written on a wide range of topics including gardening, food, architecture, and psychedelics. Pollan is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Each of Pollan’s books examines the intersection of humans and nature. Pollan’s 2001 book... Read The Omnivore's Dilemma Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Friendship, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Fear
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Religion / Spirituality
Publication year 1897
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate
Tags Classic Fiction, Auto/Biographical Fiction, Naturalism
The prolific American writer, poet, and journalist Stephen Crane is the author of “The Open Boat.” He published his short story in 1897 after surviving a shipwreck earlier in the year. To cover the brewing war between Cuba and its colonizer, Spain, Crane boarded the Commodore as 1896 turned into 1897. The ship sank, and Crane and others endured a day and a half on a tiny lifeboat. Before publishing his fictional account of the... Read The Open Boat Summary
Publication year 1965
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Historical Fiction, Southern Literature, American Literature, Southern Gothic, Classic Fiction
The Orchard Keeper is the 1965 debut novel of American author Cormac McCarthy. The story explores the relationship between a young boy and the man who killed the boy’s father; it explores themes of The Chaos of the Wilderness, Cyclical Violence, and The Encroachment of Modernity. The Orchard Keeper won a number of awards, while McCarthy’s later works would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Other works by this author include No Country for Old Men... Read The Orchard Keeper Summary
Publication year 1998
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Flora/plants, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Society: Community
Tags Journalism, Crime / Legal, Science / Nature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, History: World, Biography
The Orchid Thief is a nonfiction book by Susan Orlean, originally published in 1998. It is a narrative nonfiction account of the crimes and trial of John Laroche, accused of stealing endangered orchid species from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in Florida. The basic story of Laroche and his crimes originally ran as an article in The New Yorker, entitled “Orchid Fever” and published in 1995. The book expands the story and also details Orlean’s... Read The Orchid Thief Summary
Publication year 2002
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Natural World: Environment, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Economics, Society: Globalization, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Tags Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, History: World, History: European, Politics / Government
Publication year 2018
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Environment
Tags Science / Nature, Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction
The Overstory is a 2018 novel by Richard Powers. Weaving together numerous character narratives, it is the story of a collection of environmental activists and their struggles to make their protests heard by society. It won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction.Content Warning: The source text and this guide include depictions of violence, specifically police brutality, as well as discussions of ableism and suicide.Plot SummaryThe Hoel family are descended from Norwegian immigrants who moved from... Read The Overstory Summary
Publication year 1941
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Natural World: Environment
Tags Great Depression, Education, Education, Classic Fiction
“The Painted Door” is a short story by Sinclair Ross. It was first published in 1938 and later reprinted in The Lamp at Noon and Other Stories by Sinclair Ross in 1988. Ross is known for his fiction (both short stories and novels) depicting life on the Canadian prairies, particularly during the Great Depression. The author was born in 1908 on a homestead near Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, Canada, and lived in various locations across the Canadian... Read The Painted Door Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race, Natural World: Environment, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Nation
Tags Anthropology, Psychology, Health / Medicine, Education, Education, Anthropology, Social Science, Psychology, Social Justice
Publication year 1985
Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Natural World: Food, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Fate, Identity: Race, Identity: Language, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams
Tags Fairy Tale / Folklore, Allegory / Fable / Parable, History: U.S., African American Literature, Race / Racism
Publication year 2014
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Environment, Life/Time: The Future
Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change
The Peripheral is a 2014 science-fiction novel by William Gibson. Gibson has been writing science fiction works since the 1970s and is considered one of the founding fathers of the cyberpunk genre. His debut novel, Neuromancer, is one of the genre’s foundational texts and is the only novel to win the Nebula, Hugo, and Philip K. Dick awards. Since then, Gibson has written several bestselling science-fiction trilogies. The Peripheral is the first novel of The... Read The Peripheral Summary
Publication year 2010
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Natural World: Environment, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Class, Society: Colonialism
Tags Post Modernism, Poverty