We offer a large selection of books available for check-out at no cost -
grouped by audience target and topic in the
list below.
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Garbage and Litter |
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Pre-K - 6th grade |
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A Day in the Life of a Garbage
Collector |
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Author: Nate LeBoutillier
Age: 3-7 |
| |
Summary: Garbage collectors wake up
early in the morning to take away your garbage. You may never see
them, but they are very important community helpers. Spend time with
Rick as he goes about his day. A simple question-and-answer format and
beautifully photographs invite children to spend an entire day on the
job with a real community helper. |
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The Day the Trash Came Out to Play |
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Author: David M. Beadle
Age: 4-8 |
| |
Summary: “There is a town called
Sutton Nash, a wonderful place to stay. Except for one time, not long
ago, when the trash came out to play.” Through colorful illustrations
and rhyming verse, The Day the Trash Came Out to Play teaches young
audience important lessons - the solution to the universal problem of
littering begins in each of our own neighborhoods. Everyone, of all
ages, plays a vital role in making the Earth a better place. |
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Earth Day- Hooray!
Age: 7 and up |
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Author: Stuart J. Murphy and Renee
Andriani |
| |
Summary: Ryan, Luke, and Carly need
to collect and recycle 5,000 cans if the want to make enough money to
plant flowers in Gilroy Park. A lesson about recycling and the math
skill of place value makes this an Earth Day story that counts. |
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Garbage
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Robert Maass |
| |
Summary: Everyday we make garbage.
But what happens to our garbage once we dispose of it? This striking
photo essay follows garbage on its journey from trash can to landfill
and introduces the sanitation teams who help in the process. Complete
with tips for composting and recycling, Garbage shows readers an
alternative ways of giving trash a new and useful life. |
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Garbage Collectors
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Paulette Bourgeois and Kim
LaFave |
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Summary: Informative and
entertaining in every detail, this colorful picture book introduces
children to the important work of garbage collectors in their
neighborhood. |
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The Garbage Monster
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Joni Sensel and Chris
Bivins |
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Summary: When young Jo is slow to take out
the family garbage, the garbage hauls her out instead! To defeat the
garbage monster, Jo plucks it limb from limb and recycles all the
garbage that it is composed of. The Garbage Monster brings recycling
to life - and makes a dreaded household chore more fun! |
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The Great Trash Bash |
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Author: Loreen Leedy
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: The town of Beaston has
rolling hills, wiggly roads, shady trees, lovely houses, parks, and
restaurants. But something is wrong. There is too much trash in
Beaston. Mayor Hippo calls a town meeting and suggests all the animals
go on a trash bash. Everyone is excited to get rid of the trash
permanently. The Trash Bash shows young people how they can “bash
trash” in their own communities by following the steps taken in the
book. |
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Mr. Garbage
Age: 7-12 |
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Author: William H. Hooks |
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Summary: Eli, or Mr. Garbage,
recycles almost everything he touches. Soon he and his disgusted big
brother are into garbage up to their eyebrows. Can they dig their way
out of all that trash before their room becomes and ecological
nightmare? Help the garbage gang save the earth with this hilarious
and inspiring book |
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Space Garbage
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Isaac Asimov |
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Summary: Producing garbage had long
been one of the less appealing by-products of progress here on Earth.
And it’s bound to be equally troublesome with our continued advances
on the frontiers of outer space. Here are the straight facts about the
causes and fascinating effects of space pollution, one of the mixed
blessings of Earth’s growing space “culture.” Includes fascinating
full-color artwork and information. |
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Trash Attack
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Candace Savage and Steve
Beinicke |
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Summary: In Trash Attack! you
discover what the garbage crisis is and how to help solve it. Find out
how to be a Trash Attacker- through small activities and big ones;
individually, with family, and with friends. |
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The Wartville Wizard
Age: 5-10 |
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Author: Don Madden |
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Summary: Wartville is being buried
with trash. Soda bottles, juice cans, and newspapers clutter the city.
Then one tidy old man realizes he has the power to get rid of all the
trash forever. Madden’s ecology lesson is humorous, and his breezy,
colorful illustrations add to the comic predicament in Wartville. |
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Where Does Our Garbage Go?
Age: 5-8 |
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Author: Bowden/ Paris/ Chase/
Kalama |
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Summary: Turn a wheel or lift a
flap to find out how garbage is recycled. |
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Clean Planet: Stopping Litter and
Pollution Age: 8-12 |
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Author: Tristan Boyer Binns |
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Summary: Why Shouldn’t I litter?
How can we stop pollution before it starts? This book asks the
questions that young people want answered. Each chapter contains a
different question, so readers can develop their knowledge. |
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The Garbage Truck
Age: baby-5 |
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Author: Ruth Koeppel |
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Summary: Garbage trucks do
lots of tough work! They crush garbage with a noise like thunder, and
carry tons of trash to the dump. If it wasn't for garbage trucks
collecting rubbish, the world would be dirty and stinky! In this new
Tonka board book, with its adorable full-color art, kids will learn
why garbage trucks might be the toughest of all! |
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Gumfounded
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Sherry B. Garr |
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Summary: How can a little wad
of gum get Tia into such a big mess? Now she’s not only late to
school, but sticking to every piece of litter along the way! Follow
Tia’s hilarious frolic through gobs of garbage as she helps her school
unearth an important message for everyone to chew on. |
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I Drive a Garbage Truck
Age: 4-7 |
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Author: Sarah Bridges |
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Summary: Follow the garbage
truck as it picks up the trash. These working wheels help to keep our
neighborhood clean. |
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I Stink!
Age: 4-7 |
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Author: Kate McMullan |
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Summary: With ten wide tires, one
really big appetite, and an even bigger smell, this truck’s got it
all. His job? Eating your garbage and loving every stinky second of
it! And you thought nighttime was just for sleeping. |
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Landfill
Age: 4-7 |
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Author: Angela Leeper |
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Summary: This book gives a field
trip of a landfill. It begins by asking the reader, “Where does your
garbage go?” and explains what happens when the landfill is full. |
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Dougal the Garbage Dump Bear
Age: 3-8 |
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Author: Matt Dray |
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Summary: Dougal was a shy little
bear with a heart of gold. He never got to play with the other toys in
the house because they were all new and clean and perfect and he was
not. He often wished he could be new like them. Then, one rainy
afternoon, Dougal is left outside and ends up in the garbage bin. He
finds a new life and learns that sometimes bad luck can be your best
friend. |
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TRASH
Age: 3-6 |
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Author: Justine Fontes |
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Summary: A Garbage Truck
travels through town, scrunching and crunching bag after bag of
garbage -- and even an old couch! Follow the Garbage Truck on its
adventure. Then make up adventures for your own Garbage Truck.
Includes Driving Lessons: tips for parents on using this story to make
recycling fun and educational. |
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Middle/Jr. High |
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Space Garbage
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Isaac Asimov |
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Summary: Producing garbage had long
been one of the less appealing by-products of progress here on Earth.
And it’s bound to be equally troublesome with our continued advances
on the frontiers of outer space. Here are the straight facts about the
causes and fascinating effects of space pollution, one of the mixed
blessings of Earth’s growing space “culture.” Includes fascinating
full-color artwork and information. |
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Trash Attack
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Candace Savage and Steve
Beinicke |
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Summary: In Trash Attack! you
discover what the garbage crisis is and how to help solve it. Find out
how to be a Trash Attacker- through small activities and big ones;
individually, with family, and with friends. |
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High School/Adult |
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Garbage Land – On the Secret Trail of
Trash Age: Adult |
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Author: Elizabeth Royte |
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Summary: In a country that consumes and
then casts off more and more, what actually happens to the things we
throw away? Acclaimed science writer Elizabeth Royte leads us on the
wild adventure following our trash. Along the way, we meet an odor
chemist, who explains why trash smells so bad; garbage fairies and
recycling gurus; neighbors of massive waste dumps; CEO's making
fortunes by encouraging waste or recycling; scientists trying to
revive our most polluted places, paper people, aluminum people,
plastic people, and much more. With a wink and a nod and a tightly
clasped nose, Royte takes us on a bizarre cultural tour through slime,
stench, and heat -- through the back end of our ever-more supersized
lifestyles. By showing what happens to the things we've "disposed of,"
Royte reminds us that our decisions about consumption and waste have a
very real impact -- and unless we undertake radical change, the
garbage we create will always be with us: in the air we breathe, the
water we drink, and the food we consume. |
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Gone Tomorrow – The Hidden Life of
Garbage Age:
Adult |
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Author: Heather Rogers |
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Summary: Eat a take-out meal, buy a
pair of shoes, read a newspaper, and you're soon faced with a
bewildering amount of garbage. The United States is the planet's
number-one producer of trash, with each American throwing out 4.5
pounds daily. How did we end up with so much rubbish, and where does
it all go? Journalist Heather Rogers answers these questions with a
"lively authorial voice" (New York Press), drawing connections between
modern industrial production, consumer culture, and our throwaway
lifestyle while offering a potent argument for change. |
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Household Hazardous Waste |
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Pre-K - 6th grade |
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Healthy Earth Healthy Bodies |
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Author: Jill Wheeler
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: This book informs readers
about dangerous metals, chemical contaminants, and how energy can
kill. It also describes what the reader can do to keep the Earth and
humans safe, clean, and healthy. |
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Poisoning (My Health Series) |
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Author: Silverstein/ Nunn
Age: 8-11 |
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Summary: This book informs and
describes several environmental poisons and describes the first aid
used to treat exposure. |
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Begin At Home: Household Hazardous
Waste Curriculum |
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Author: Washington State
Dept. of Ecology & Thurston County |
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Summary: A collection of
activities and discussion topics which helps students identify
hazardous waste; learn the effects of hazardous waste on children,
animals, and the environment; and learn safer alternatives and poison
prevention methods. |
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Middle/Junior High |
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High School/Adult |
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Clean House Clean Planet |
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Author: Karen Logan
Age: Adult |
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Summary: The secret of using
simple, ordinary ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, soap, lemon
juice, and salt to make safe, inexpensive cleaners is revealed. Learn
how to save your health, your money, and your planet. |
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Clean it! Fix it! Eat it! |
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Author: Joey Green
Age: Adult |
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Summary: This book describes easy
ways to solve everyday problems with brand-name products you already
have around the house. It includes some safer alternative to toxic
products or other chemicals. |
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Home Pest Control |
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Author: Dan Stein
Age: Adult |
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Summary: The secret to controlling
pests without insecticides is out-smarting them. This honest,
friendly, humorous, concise, practical, and environmentally sensitive
book will tell you how. It will help you help you solve most common
household pest problems with an absolute minimum amount of
insecticides and entertain you about anecdotes about the secret lives
of these sometimes all too ubiquitous co-inhabitants of the planet. |
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How To Get Your Lawn and Garden Off
Drugs |
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Author: Carole Rubin
Age: Adult |
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Summary: This easy-to-follow guide
shows you how to make lawns and gardens thrive without synthetic
chemicals and to make your yard a safe, healthy environment.
Pesticides can make it harder to grow a healthy garden. This book
includes all the information you need- including how to properly
aerate your lawns, use composts, and give your plants the right amount
of attention. This book is for people who want to tread lightly on the
earth. |
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Grow Smart, Grow Safe
Age: Adult |
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Author: Philip Dickey, Washington
Toxics Coalition |
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Summary: Lawn and garden chemicals
include some of the most hazardous products in the home. Products that
you use to kill insects, weeds, and plant diseases may also be toxic
to children, pets, birds, fish, and beneficial insects. Recent studies
have found 23 insects and weed killers in streams tested in the Puget
Sound region, and the active ingredients most common in consumer
pesticides were detected at all sites. In addition, pesticides used on
home landscapes may be carried inside the home one shoes and lodge in
house dust, where they may be ingested by young children. This guide
will help you find the lawn and garden products that are the least
environmentally hazardous to you, your family, and the environment. |
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Home Safe Home
Age: Adult
Author: Debra Lynn Dadd |
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Summary: Home Safe Home is the
ultimate reference, written by the leading authority on eliminating
toxics in the home. It offers more than 400 tips, including
do-it-yourself formulas for inexpensive, safe products to replace
harmful substances we are exposed to in our own homes. If you suffer
from unexplained headaches, fatigue, or depression, or you worry about
the link between increased use of toxics and the raising rate of
cancer, the many suggestions in this book can make your life virtually
toxic-free! |
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle |
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Pre-K - 6th grade |
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Chicken Little Calling
Age: 7 and up |
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Author: Deborah Rodney |
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Summary: A play about recycling for
young pollution fighters. |
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Crafts From Recyclables – Great Ideas
From Throwaways |
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Author: Colleen Blaricom
Age: 9-12 |
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Summary: Make a jewelry box from an
egg carton, an aquarium from a plastic soda bottle, an entire village
from paper bags, and much more - all from ordinary household items
normally thrown away. Colorful illustrations and easy to follow
directions make reuse fun. |
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Earth Friends at the Grocery Store |
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Author: Francine Galko
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: See how important it is to
make a shopping list. Learn how to buy things that make less garbage.
Discover why you should buy things that last a long time. This
illustrated and informative book teaches children some of the ways
they can help save the environment. |
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Earth Friends at Home |
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Author: Francine Galko
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: Discover why you should
try to make less garbage. See how you can use less energy at home.
Learn why you should turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Learn how to reuse paper. |
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Earth Friends at Play |
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Author: Francine Galko
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: Discover why you should
ride your bike to visit your friends. Learn how you can make your own
wrapping paper for gifts. See how to pack an earth-friendly picnic.
This illustrated and informative book teaches children some of the
ways they can help save the environment. |
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Earth Friends at School |
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Author: Francine Galko
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: Discover why you should
ride your bike or take the bus to school. Learn why it is important to
reuse school supplies. See how to pack an earth-friendly lunch. This
illustrated and informative book teaches children some of the ways
they can help save the environment. |
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Fun with Recycling
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Marion Elliot |
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Summary: Lots of things to make and
do, using the packaging and everyday items we usually throw away. Make
your own musical instruments, puppets, masks, decorations, games, and
toys following clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs. Lots
of recycling ideas, hints, tips, and advice |
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Garbage and Recycling |
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Author: Rosie Harlow
Age: 6-12 |
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Summary: Discover what happens to
household garbage, why some materials never rot, and how glass and
paper are recycled. Learn how to sort trash for recycling, build your
own compost heap, make recycled paper, create a bottle orchestra, make
a water filter, and much more! |
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Johnny and The Old Oak Tree
Age: 5-10 |
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Author: Rachael Peterpaul Paulson |
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Summary: Johnny embarks on a
journey of discovery and learns that even a small boy can help care
for the world. Paulson’s sensible approach to protecting the
environment, as well as the exciting projects and recipes, empowers
children and gives them the tools to make a difference in their world. |
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Made in China |
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Author: Deborah Nash
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: What was made in China
2,000 years ago and is still used today? Fly with Paper Butterfly to
Beijing’s Forbidden City, on to the Great Wall of China and further
still to the 2,000-year-old chocolate soldiers of X’ian, to help her
solve the riddle and get a ride home on the dragon’s back. |
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The Mushroom Center Disaster |
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Author: N.M. Bodecker
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: To you, perhaps, the
remains of a picnic dropped somewhere in the woods doesn’t mean much,
but a mess is a mess. To the people in Mushroom Center, the mess is a
disaster. The important issues of littering and recycling, as well as
cooperative community building are illuminated in this book. |
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A Pig Tale
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Olivia Newton-John and
Brian Hurst |
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Summary: Iggy saves everything-
from old mattresses to balls of string- and his son, Ziggy, is
embarrassed by what his schoolmates say about all the junk his father
has left in their yard. What Iggy creates out of all the bits and
pieces is beyond what anyone would expect. |
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Recycle!
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Gail Gibbons |
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Summary: Ever wonder what happens
to all that plastic, paper, glass, aluminum, and polystyrene after the
recycling trucks pick it up? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the
process of recycling, complete with fascinating facts about garbage
and helpful tips on ways that you can help clean up the environment! |
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Recycle It! Once is Not Enough! |
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Author: Stuart A. Kallen
Age: 4-8 |
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Summary: This book explains the
problem of too much garbage and how recycling is an easy solution. It
gives facts about glass, aluminum, paper, plastic and batteries, and
explains how each item is manufactured then recycled. |
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Recycle That!
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Fay Robinson |
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Summary: This informative and
interesting book teaches children about the recycling process through
pictures and ways in which they can contribute to make the world a
better place. |
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Recyclopedia
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Robin Simons |
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Summary: This book describes how
objects ordinarily tossed out in homes and stores become the
innovative raw materials for endless games, crafts, and thought
provoking science equipment kids can make and use. |
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Reducing and Recycling Waste |
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Author: Carol Inskipp
Age: 6-12 |
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Summary: Not all garbage is
useless. Every single day, people add tons of reusable or recyclable
materials to the environment. It’s time to clean up our environmental
act. Once we understand how to reduce, reuse, and recycle what we now
consider trash, we can waste less. By taking a closer look at how we
handle rubbish, you will realize that even a small action by a single
person can help. |
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Sir Johnny’s Recycling Adventure
Age: 5-10 |
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Author: Rachael Peterpaul Paulson |
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Summary: A poignant, rich story that
clearly portrays for children the need for recycling today. In this
delightful tale, Paulson brings to life the steps of recycling. |
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The Throwaway Generation Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Jill Wheeler |
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Summary: This book discusses the
ways in which we produce more garbage and don’t recycle many items
that should be as well as how we can reduce creating excess waste. |
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Awesome Things to Make with Recycled
Stuff Age: 9-13 |
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Authors: Joe Rhatigan & Heather
Smith |
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Summary: From easy toys and
great gifts to wonderful room decorations, these 50 projects give
children a terrific way to recycle and feel creative, too |
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Clean Planet: Stopping Litter and
Pollution
Age: 8-12 |
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Author: Tristan Boyer Binns |
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Summary: Why Shouldn’t I litter?
How can we stop pollution before it starts? This book asks the
questions that young people want answered. Each chapter contains a
different question, so readers can develop their knowledge. |
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Something Old, Something New
Age: 8-12 |
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Author: Anita Ganeri |
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Summary: Where does our waste go?
Why do we need to recycle? How can we recycle kitchen waste? This book
asks the questions that young people want answered. Each chapter
contains a different question, so readers can develop their knowledge. |
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That’s Not All I want For Christmas
Age: 4-7 |
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Author: Sue Buchanan & Lynn Hodges |
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Summary: Ashton is excited to
prepare her Christmas wish list – but good intentions for the poor go
out the window as her personal want list grow longer and longer. When
Christmas Day arrives, Ashton is delighted to receive everything she
asked for, but she still has an important surprise coming. Her friend
Debbie brings her a heart-changing message! |
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Recycle Every Day!
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Nancy Elizabeth Wallace |
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Summary: Recycle Every Day! will
show children how to become socially aware of their surroundings and
help them make our world a better place. Follow along with Minna as
she sets her mind to creating a poster for the Community Recycling
Calendar. With all the possible ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle,
what idea will Minna Choose for her poster? |
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Why Should I Recycle?
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Jen Green |
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Summary: Part of a child’s
development is asking questions and learning about the environment.
With amusing pictures and simple text, this book shows the importance
of recycling things we used to throw away, such as bottles, paper, and
plastic. |
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Let’s Recycle
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Anne L. Mackenzie |
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Summary: Through clear and colorful
illustrations and simple text, this book teaches children how to
recycle and about the benefits of recycling. |
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Middle/Jr. High |
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Easy Papermaking |
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Author: Arnold Grummer
Age: 12 and up |
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Summary: Simple techniques to
recycle any paper into hundreds of sheet variations. |
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Fun with Recycling
Age: 9-12 |
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Author: Marion Elliot |
|
Summary: Lots of things to make and
do, using the packaging and everyday items we usually throw away. Make
your own musical instruments, puppets, masks, decorations, games, and
toys following clear, step-by-step instructions and photographs. Lots
of recycling ideas, hints, tips, and advice |
|
|
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Garbage and Recycling |
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Author: Rosie Harlow
Age: 6-12 |
|
Summary: Discover what happens to
household garbage, why some materials never rot, and how glass and
paper are recycled. Learn how to sort trash for recycling, build your
own compost heap, make recycled paper, create a bottle orchestra, make
a water filter, and much more! |
|
|
|
Recyclopedia
Age: 9-12 |
|
Author: Robin Simons |
|
Summary: This book describes how
objects ordinarily tossed out in homes and stores become the
innovative raw materials for endless games, crafts, and thought
provoking science equipment kids can make and use. |
|
|
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Reducing and Recycling Waste |
|
Author: Carol Inskipp
Age: 6-12 |
|
Summary: Not all garbage is
useless. Every single day, people add tons of reusable or recyclable
materials to the environment. It’s time to clean up our environmental
act. Once we understand how to reduce, reuse, and recycle what we now
consider trash, we can waste less. By taking a closer look at how we
handle rubbish, you will realize that even a small action by a single
person can help. |
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High School |
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Affluenza
Age: High School and up |
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Author: De Graaf, Wann, Naylor |
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Summary: affluenza, n. a painful,
contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety,
and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.
Now revised and expanded, this bestselling classic shows how problems
ranging from loneliness, longer working hours, and family conflict to
rising debt, environmental pollution, and rampant commercialism are
all symptoms of the disease of affluenza.
Extensively updated, this new edition offers solution for today's
problems, including new ways of perceiving wealth. Engaging,
fast-paced, and accessible, Affluenza reveals ways of living and
working that make more sense and are, ultimately, more satisfying.
After all, the best things in life aren't things. |
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Worms and Compost |
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Pre-K - 6th grade |
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An Earthworm’s Life
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: John Himmelman |
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Summary: Have you ever wondered how
some of nature’s smallest creatures spend their days? Here’s your
chance to take a scientifically accurate peek at the world from an
earthworm’s point of view. Striking illustrations and a lively
storyline follow an earthworm as it looks for food, faces enemies, and
interacts with humans. |
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Charlie’s Great Escape
Age: 6-10 |
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Author: Jane Luck Wilson |
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Summary: Charlie and Lilly were the
best of friends in the little bucket. They were all each other had.
Living in fear of becoming fish bait, though, was not exactly the best
way to live. As more worms are added to the bucket, Charlie makes
plans to escape. Now to find the perfect time. |
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Compost, By Gosh!
Age: 4-8 |
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Author: Michelle Eva Portman |
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Summary: This book describes
composting and worms from a child’s perspective and includes beautiful
illustrations. |
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Compost Critters
Age: 6-12 |
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Author: Bianca Lavies |
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Summary: Grass clippings, potato
peals, and apple cores… what is “garbage” to humans is a veritable
banquet to a host of creatures who perform nature’s most important
work. The author built a compost pile and closely observed it with a
camera and magnifying glass finding a community of bacteria, fungi,
worms, sow bugs, mites, and other critters - each in its own way
busily breaking down food to exact nutrition. Informative text and
photographs reveal these recyclers. |
|
|
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Compost! Growing Gardens From Your
Garbage |
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Author: Linda Glaser
Age: 3-8 |
|
Summary: This book presents
composting as an entertaining family activity. Youngsters will be
enthused about the prospect of not only participating in a recycling
program, but also literally reaping the benefits from it. |
|
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Diary of a Worm
Age: 5-10 |
|
Author: Doreen Cronin |
|
Summary: This is the diary… of a
worm. Surprisingly, a worm not so different from you or me. Except he
eats his homework. This diary is a clever journal about the daily
doings and the hidden world of a lovable underground dweller. |
|
|
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Inch by Inch
Age: 3-7 |
|
Author: Leo Lionni |
|
Summary: Meet a winning, winsome
inchworm, proud of his ability to measure anything under the sun. When
a hungry nightingale threatens to eat him for breakfast if he doesn’t
measure her song, it’s a good thing he is so skilled - and so tricky |
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It Could Still Be a Worm
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Allan Fowler |
|
Summary: This illustrated book
introduces several species of worms and gives interesting facts about
each. Part of the Rookie Read-About-Science series. |
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|
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The Life Cycle of an Earthworm |
|
Author: Bobbie Kalman
Age: 9-12 |
|
Summary: This book describes many
interesting facts about worms - their home, their life cycle, the ways
they benefit humans, how the make cocoons, and more. Colorful pictures
help the reader visualize worms’ lives. |
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|
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The Racing Worm Brothers |
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Author: Gray Barwin
Age: 4-8 |
|
Summary: When Aaron and Ryan
conclude that their goldfish isn't pettable enough, they decide to get
another animal. Instead of looking to familiar cats and dogs, the
brothers adopt a set of worms. In addition to being able to pet their
new friends, the boys teach the worms how to count, take them on
outings, and provide them with beds. When Ryan decides to hold a race
to determine which worm is the fastest, the creatures mysteriously
disappear underground and the boys fantasize about their activities.
Weeks later, a rainstorm leads to an unexpected discovery. |
|
|
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Squirmy Wormy Composters |
|
Author: Bobbie Kalman
Age: 6-12 |
|
Summary: This book teaches about
worms and composting. Interesting facts are given about worms as well
as instruction on how to set up a worm compost bin at home or at
school. Many of the benefits of composting are described, such as
helping to recycle and obtaining free fertilizer. |
|
|
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Squirmy’s Big Secret
Age: 6-10 |
|
Author: Robert Kraus |
|
Summary: Welcome to Miss Gator’s
schoolhouse. It’s only one room in the middle of the Hokey Smokey
Swamp, but her students get a heap of learning there. Squimy’s Big
Secret is finally out! And there’s a lot more to the little worm in
the apple on Miss Gator’s desk than meets the eye - as the other
students will soon discover. |
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Toil in the Soil
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Michelle Myers Lackner |
|
Summary: A truck bumps along a
country road and- oops!- a bag of garbage falls out. Raccoons are the
first to the scene. They rip the bag open looking for leftovers. But
what happens to their leftovers? Worms! In this book readers will get
to see what valuable work worms can do over the course of a year -
with a little help from nature. |
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Wiggle Worm’s Surprise
Age: 4-7 |
|
Author: Judith Martin |
|
Summary: A play for young people
about some trees, leaves, rocks, and a worm who scares away some
woodcutters. It is humorous, and gives the message: protect our earth. |
|
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Wiggling Worms at Work |
|
Author: Wendy Pfeffer
Age: 4-8 |
|
Summary: Worms crawling through the
dirt, worms are hard at work, helping plants grow. Worms help the
fruit and vegetables we eat by loosening the soil and feeding the
plants. |
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Wonderful Worms
Age: 5-10 |
|
Author: Linda Glaser |
|
Summary: A celebration and natural
history of the helpful underground gardeners. |
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Worm (Bug Books)
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Jill Bailey |
|
Summary: Welcome to the slithery,
slimy, creepy-crawly world of Bug Books. Are you brave enough to find
out more about these familiar and fascinating creatures? How are they
born? How do they grow, feed, and move? Where do they live and what do
they look like? What makes each one special? |
|
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The Worm Family
Age: 6-10 |
|
Author: Tony Johnson |
|
Summary: The Worms love being
wormy. They’re squiggly. They’re skinny. They’re very, very long. And
they sing loud worm songs. They’re nothing like their glossy, bossy
neighbors. And the neighbors don’t like that one bit. What to do? The
Worms could move away (again). Or, they could dig in- and show the
world the glory of Worm! In a tale both warm and quirky, a family of
merry, down-to-earth worms proves that being different is a glorious
thing. |
|
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Wormology
Age: 5-10 |
|
Author: Micheal Elsohn Ross |
|
Summary: Wormology is the study of
worms, those long, slithery critters found on the ground and on the
sidewalks after it rains. Most everyone has seen an earthworm, but not
too many of us have become friendly with them. In Wormology, Ross
helps readers get to know these mysterious creatures. You will learn
about worms through simple, entertaining activities, like building a
palace for worms and meeting a “space worm.” |
|
|
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Worms
Age: 8-11 |
|
Author: Raintree Steck-Vaughn |
|
Summary: Children just love to
collect and observe small animals from their own backyards and
gardens. The MiniPets series instructs them how to do so in a fun,
safe, and respectful manner. Readers learn where to find small
invertebrates and how to capture and identify them. A detailed text
and clear diagrams show the best way to observe these minipets as they
go about their daily lives. The right types of food for these animals,
what they need to survive the winter, and how and when they should be
released back into the wild are also included. |
|
|
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Worms, Wonderful Worms
Age: 5-10 |
|
Author: Kathie Atkinson |
|
Summary: This book introduces
several interesting species of worms and gives unique facts about
each. Colorful photographs of these worms are included. |
|
|
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Wormy Worm
Age: 3-5 |
|
Author: Chris Raschka |
|
Summary: The Thingy Thing series
teaches young children to read using simple sounds paired with easy
word repetitions. This book familiarizes small children with what a
worm is. |
|
|
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Inchworm and a Half
Age: 6-10 |
|
Author: Elinor J. Pinczes |
|
Summary: What’s a fraction? A
puzzled inchworm finds out when she enlists the aid of ½ - inch, 1/3 –
inch, and ¼ - inch worms in her quest to measure all the vegetables in
their garden. New lengths bring new fractions to conquer, but the
clever worms prove equal to every challenge, triumphantly munching
their way through this tasty tale of math and measuring. |
|
|
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Life in a Garbage Dump
Age: 7-11 |
|
Author: Jill Bailey |
|
Summary: What creatures live in
rotting piles of garbage, in the decaying wood of a fallen log, or in
the hidden world of the human body? With the help of color photographs
and illustrations, this book takes the reader into these busy but
often unseen worlds, where a variety of microbes, animals, and plants
interact in a complex, and sometimes endangered, web of life. |
|
|
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Microlife that Rots Things
Age: 7-11 |
|
Author: Steve Parker |
|
Summary: What is a mite? Why do
dead plants and animals rot? What microlife can lay 1000 eggs every
single day? This book includes unusual, close-up, and microscopic
images that reveal mircrolife in stunning detail. |
|
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The Little Worm Book
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Janet and Allan Ahlberg |
|
Summary: This illustrated and
humorous book describes some fictitious types of worms and some
fictitious but funny activities that they do. |
|
|
|
Middle School/Junior High |
|
Squirmy Wormy Composters |
|
Author: Bobbie Kalman
Age: 6-12 |
|
Summary: This book teaches about
worms and composting. Interesting facts are given about worms as well
as instruction on how to set up a worm compost bin at home or at
school. Many of the benefits of composting are described, such as
helping to recycle and obtaining free fertilizer. |
|
|
|
High School/Adult |
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Back Yard Composting - Recycling Yard
Clippings |
|
Author: John W.
Roulac
Age: Adult |
|
Summary: An easy guide to
successful composting. Spend five minutes a day and save money by
fertilizing and watering less, grow healthier and stronger plants, and
stop overloading our landfills. Discusses all types of composting bins
and how to build your own bin from scrap materials, how to maintain
your composting bin, and how to use the fertilizer. |
|
|
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Composting to Reduce the Waste Stream |
|
Author: Cornel University
Age: Adult |
|
Summary: This book describes the
composting process, methods of composting and composting alternatives,
making and maintaining a compost pile, and how to use compost. |
|
|
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Exploring Profits in Wormfarming |
|
Author: Glenn Dembroff
Age: Adult |
|
Summary: A sensible how-to book
about getting started in the worm farming business. |
|
|
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Let Your Earthworm Be a Garbage Man
Age: Adult |
|
Author: Home, Farm and Garden
Research, Inc. |
|
Summary: This report discusses how
on an all-year-round basis, earthworms and soil microorganisms can
transform garbage and garden wastes and surpluses into useful humus
for soil improvement, with a minimum of inconvenience and in
surprisingly short time. |
|
|
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The Worm Cafe: Mid-Scale
Vermicomposting of Lunchroom Wastes |
|
Author: Binet Payne
Age: Adult |
|
Summary: This manual for schools,
small businesses, and community groups explains how to start and
maintain a composting bin. It discusses the 3 R’s; reduce, reuse, and
recycle, and how worm bins can improve the health of our environment.
Detailed explanations are given about how composting works, the
creatures involved, and how to manage your bin. Worksheets and tests
are also available in the back of the book to assist students in
learning about worms and composting. |
|
|
|
There’s a Hair in My Dirt!
Age: Adult
A Worm's Story |
|
Author: Gary Larson |
|
Summary: Written and illustrated in
a children's storybook style, There's a Hair in My Dirt! A Worm's
Story is a twisted take on the difference between our idealized view
of Nature and the sometimes cold, hard reality of life for the birds
and the bees and the worms (not the mention our own species). Told
with his trademark off-kilter humor, this first original non-Far side
book is the unique work of a comic master. |
|
|
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The Earth Moved
Age: Adult |
|
Author: Amy Stewart |
|
Summary: They destroy plant
diseases. They break down toxins. They plough the earth. They
transform forests. They’ve survived two mass extinctions, including
the one that wiped out the dinosaur. Not bad for a creature that’s
deaf, blind, and spineless. Who knew that earthworms were one of our
earth’s most important caretakers? Or that Charles Darwin devoted the
last years of his life to studying their remarkable achievements? |
|
|
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Worms Eat My Garbage
Age: High school and up |
|
Author: Mary Appelhof |
|
Summary: The premier worm
composting book. Appelhof explains how to set up and maintain a worm
composting system to help you recycle kitchen food waste, save energy,
produce fertilizer, grow fishing worms, and reduce waste disposal. |
|
|
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Environmental Awareness |
|
Pre-K - 6th grade |
|
Earth Book for Kids: Activities to Help
Heal the Environment |
|
Author: Linda Schwartz
Age: 10 and up |
|
Summary: This book offers children
and their families a wide variety of ways to learn about the
environment while having fun. Between its covers are fascinating facts
and creative ideas for activities to help kids become better
acquainted with their environment. |
|
|
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I Heard the Willow Weep |
|
Author: Toni Albert
Age: 4-8 |
|
Summary: Albert captivates children and
inspires them to care for our Earth. Lush, dreamlike illustrations by
Brandt illuminate the Albert’s poem. Both the author and the artist
introduce young readers to some of today’s most pressing environmental
problems, from too much trash to the destruction of rainforests. The
second part of the books tells children what they can do to help solve
these problems |
|
|
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Just a Dream
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Chris Van Allsburg |
|
Summary: When it comes to the
environment, young Walter is not an enlightened individual. He
believes that the future is going to be wonderful, filled with robots
and other amazing inventions. He wishes he could visit the future.
When he falls asleep, his wish comes true. However, it is nothing like
the future world he imagined. The earth is very polluted. When he
wakes up, his dreams are changed. |
|
|
|
The Lorax
Age: 4-8 |
|
Author: Dr. Suess |
|
Summary: The Lorax is a lovable
creature who speaks for the trees, trying to stop the once-ler from
destroying the forest. A poignant tale of progress gone amok, this
important warning is geared to the young, with an eye towards the
world they will inherit tomorrow. |
|
|
|
50 Simple Things Kids can do to Save
the Earth Age: 6-9 |
|
Author: The Earthworks Group |
|
Summary: 50 Simple Things Kids Can
Do to Save the Earth is full of fun experiments, facts, and exciting
things to do. Learn to keep the Earth a safe place for yourself, for
other kids...and even for grown-ups! |
|
|
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Middle/Jr. High |
|
50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The
Earth |
|
Author: Earthworks Group
Age: 12 and up |
|
Summary: This informative book
describes some environmental challenges and lists 50 simple things
that we can all do to stop wasting natural resources and polluting the
earth. |
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