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A Wild Summer Reading List for the Young and Young at Heart

This past winter, we came up with a Cozy Winter Reading List for quiet reading breaks in a busy holiday season.  With summer heat rapidly bearing down on us, sprawling on a hammock, a lawn chair, or the beach with a book, soaking up those rays like a lizard, is top on many of our to-do lists.  Once again, with the help of coworkers, fellow naturalists and book nerds, we’ve compiled a list of beloved titles to inspire not just you- but the young readers in your life.

Nature books for young readers

Award-winning new fiction:

Outside In, by Deborah Underwood

Fun nonfiction:

Finding Calm In Nature: A Guide For Mindful Kids, by Jennifer Grant

For those who love a classic:

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McClosky

For environmental solutions:

The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics, by Susan Hood

Big Ideas for Little Environmentalists: Restoration, by Maureen McQuerry with Wangari Maathai

On a local endangered species:

Scoots, The Bog Turtle, by Judy Cutchins, Ginny Johnston, and Francis Smith

For poetic inspiration:

Over In The Meadow, by Olive A. Wadsworth (multiple illustrated versions of a classic counting rhyme!)

For foodies and food growers:

Food Heroes Series, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

On our feathered friends:

Owl Babies, by Martin Wadell

On creepy crawlies:

26 Things That Bug Me, a Special ABC, by Mike Raupp

Diary of a Spider, by Doreen Cronin

On creatures of the night:

Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon

On native plants and native people:

Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

On aquatics:

Flotsam, by David Wiesner

Because kids like gross things:

Whose Poop is That? By Darrin Lunde

Does It Fart? The Definitive Guide to Animal Flatulence, by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti

Hello, Habichatters! In this summer issue, you’ll find a native animal profile about one of my favorite avians, along with a discussion of native lawn alternatives and resources for planting low growers. As summer reading programs gear up, we’re offering some suggestions of our favorite books for young naturalists to add to your lists. And finally, don’t forget to bling out your native gardens with colorful certification signs to educate your neighbors. Congrats to all our student readers for another academic year completed, and have a great summer!

Sarah Witcher
Sarah.Witcher1@Maryland.gov
410-260-8566

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In this Issue

Header image featuring native grasses

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