Climate Lit

Climate change is a human story about home, loss, movement, and belonging.

This new thematic package for grades 9–12 explores climate migration through fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and classroom-ready resources that help students connect climate change to real human experiences.

Featuring books like Dislocation, The Great Displacement, and Climate Migrants, along with discussion frameworks, mapping activities, and interdisciplinary teaching ideas, this resource invites students to ask urgent questions about borders, justice, and what it means to call a place home.

Because behind every climate statistic is a human story.

Access the full package here! https://www.climatelit.org/blog-post/teaching-climate-migration-stories-movement-and-the-human-face-of-climate-change/

Who Hid the Stars: How Light Pollution Changes Our World is a nonfiction picturebook that introduces how artificial lights are created and examines their impacts on animals, insects, and plants.

It begins by tracing the history of artificial light, from early forms of fire—torches, lanterns, and oil lamps—to modern electric lighting. It explains how humans influence other species’ lives through the widespread use of electric lights, affecting both urban areas and wild habitats. The book then introduces birds’ lives in cities, exploring how they are affected in terms of migration, daily cycles, and living conditions.

Check out the full review: https://www.climatelit.org/literature/who-hid-the-stars-how-light-pollution-changes-our-world/

©2026 ClimateLit (Review by Alison Han)
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026
Audience: Ages 14+, Ages 8-13
ISBN: 9780802856517
Pages: 44
Format: Nonfiction, Picturebooks
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NEW REVIEW: A LONG WAY FROM HOME on CLIMATE LIT!

A Long Way from Home explores the themes of climate crisis, migration, belongingness and intergenerational coalitions through the lens of science fiction. The story shows how climate emergencies cut across our understanding of identity, displacement and the search for “home”. Read the full review:
https://www.climatelit.org/literature/a-long-way-from-home/

Check out our topic of the month: Greta Thunberg!
"Thunberg has become an icon for young people’s environmental awareness and activism and has encouraged, supported, and participated in collective initiatives, demonstrations, and protests."
https://www.climatelit.org/topic/greta-thunberg/

“Water is life.”

What happens when a summer meant as an escape turns into something much bigger?

In this powerful middle grade novel by Brian Young, one boy’s visit to his grandmother’s home on the Navajo Nation opens the door to a story that blends family, tradition, and something deeply connected to the land itself.

This is a story about more than just one summer. It’s about connection between people, place, and the natural world. It invites young readers to think about what we owe to the environments we depend on… and what happens when those systems are put at risk.

Grounded in lived experience and Indigenous storytelling, this book offers a meaningful way into conversations about environmental responsibility, community, and hope—without ever losing sight of its heart.

Read the full review at Climate Lit--link in bio!

Publisher: Heartdrum - HarperCollins, 2021
Audience: Ages 8-13
ISBN: 9780062990419
Pages: 362

https://www.climatelit.org/literature/healer-of-the-water-monster/

NEW REVIEW

“Life will find a way.”

Our latest review explores Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone by Rebecca L. Johnson, is a powerful nonfiction text that examines what happens when humans leave and nature takes over.

From the devastation of the Chernobyl disaster to the surprising resilience of wildlife in the Exclusion Zone, this book invites readers to wrestle with big questions:

What does recovery really mean? Who does the Earth belong to? And what are the long-term consequences of our energy choices?

This is a compelling classroom text for exploring climate, energy, and the complex relationship between human impact and ecological resilience.

Publisher: Lerner Publishing, 2014
Audience: Ages 14+, Ages 8-13
ISBN: 9781467711548
Pages: 64

Format: Nonfiction, Picturebooks
Read the full review: https://www.climatelit.org/literature/chernobyls-wild-kingdom-life-in-the-dead-zone/
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Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom: Life in the Dead Zone - Climate Lit “Life Will Find a Way."

Hey, Teachers! Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day by Shaunna and John Stith is a powerful book that explores environmental activism and the origins of Earth Day. Here are four activities inspired by Black Beach that you can do in your classrooms:

From Oil Spill to Action: Creative Classroom Activities Inspired by Black Beach - Climate Lit National CleanUp Day and World CleanUp Day are held on the third Saturday in September every year. Whether through organized events or individual efforts, this day encourages everyone to take responsibility for keeping our outdoor spaces clean and free of litter, preventing harmful plastics and othe...

BOOK REVIEW! Black Beach: A Community, an Oil Spill, and the Origin of Earth Day.

This powerful picture book tells the story of how one environmental disaster helped spark a movement. Through the eyes of a young girl and her community, this beautifully illustrated book shows how ordinary people, especially young people, can take action when they see something wrong.

Based on the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, the story connects environmental history with activism and reminds readers that Earth Day began with people who refused to stay silent.

This is a powerful read for classrooms, libraries, and families, especially as we think about how stories help young people understand environmental responsibility, community action, and the power of speaking up.

Read the review on ClimateLit: https://www.climatelit.org/literature/black-beach-a-community-an-oil-spill-and-the-origin-of-earth-day/

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New on the blog!

Looking for a meaningful way to bring climate literacy into your classroom? Our newest post shares a ready-to-use thematic unit centered on trees and forests designed to help students explore climate science through inquiry, connection, and real-world relevance.

This teaching package weaves together literacy, science, and critical thinking, giving students the tools to understand forests as ecosystems and powerful climate allies.

If you’re hoping to move beyond isolated lessons and toward deeper, thematic learning, this unit offers structure, flexibility, and purpose.

Read the full post and access the thematic package: https://www.climatelit.org/blog-post/trees-and-forests-in-the-classroom-a-climate-literacy-thematic-teaching-package/

This weekend, read a book that grows empathy, resilience, and wonder, because the best valentine we can offer our children… is a thriving planet.

Check out the photographic gratitude of Thank You, Earth: A Love Letter to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre,
the seed-planting tenderness of Love Grows Everywhere by Barry Timms, the globe-trotting healing adventure in Heal the Earth by Julian Lennon & Bart Davis, and the lyrical, living-planet tribute of My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan.

These picture books remind us that love is about care, stewardship, tending gardens, protecting reefs, honoring seasons, and saying thank you for rain, soil, forests, and whales.

To learn more, visit www.ClimateLit.org

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