Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books
Age Level: 3-6 years old

Eddie's Garden and How to Make Things Grow
By: Sarah Garland
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The garden that Eddie and his Mum plant while his younger sister "helps" grows in the warm earth with the help of sun, rain, and beneficial creatures like worms. Eddie learns that other creatures, like slugs, eat plants. This gentle, engaging family story informs and illuminates many aspects of gardening.

Every Autumn Comes the Bear
By: Jim Arnosky
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader
As the seasons change, a large black bear prepares for hibernation. In his search for a den, he startles a bobcat, a grouse, and other smaller animals. Striking watercolors and brief text, drawn from the artist's observations of a bear behind his Vermont home, explain the balance found in nature and the cycles of life.

Flip, Float, Fly: Seeds on the Move
By: JoAnn Early Macken | Illustrated by: Pam Paparone
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader
The many ways seeds get to where they can grow is revealed in poetic language enhanced by understandable illustrations. Though the information is brief, the sound of the words makes this a unique introduction to this cycle in nature.

Green
By: Laura Vaccaro Seeger | Illustrated by: Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Pre-Reader

In the Small, Small Pond
By: Denise Fleming | Illustrated by: Denise Fleming
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Inside Outside
By: Lizi Boyd
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Jo MacDonald Had a Garden
By: Mary Quattlebaum | Illustrated by: Laura Bryant
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Picture a Tree
By: Barbara Reid
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Plant a Little Seed
By: Bonnie Christensen | Illustrated by: Bonnie Christensen
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Secrets of the Garden
By: Kathleen Zoehfeld | Illustrated by: Priscilla Lamont
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Seed, Soil, Sun: Earth's Recipe for Food
By: Cris Peterson | Illustrated by: David Lundquist
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

The Curious Garden
By: Peter Brown | Illustrated by: Peter Brown
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

The Little Plant Doctor: A Story About George Washington Carver
By: Jean Marzollo | Illustrated by: Ken Wilson-Max
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader
George Washington Carver was always curious and grew into a recognized scientist in spite of the challenges of the time in which he lived. His life and accomplishments become accessible to younger children through the voice of a tree planted by young George, augmented by child-like full color illustrations.

There Was a Tree
By: Rachel Isadora
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader

Where the River Begins
By: Thomas Locker | Illustrated by: Thomas Locker
Age Level: 3-6 years old | Reading Level: Beginning Reader
Age Level: 6-9 years old

First Garden and How It Grew
By: Robbin Gourley
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
White House gardens started with John Adams in 1800 and continue with Michelle Obama. History and recipes for healthy food are presented in this attractive volume.

Get Outside: The Kids Guide to Fun in the Great Outdoors
By: Jane Drake, Ann Love | Illustrated by: Heather Collins
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader

Jack's Garden
By: Henry Cole
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
In this cumulative tale, Jack plants, tends and harvests his garden. Not only will readers follow Jack's activities, they'll learn about gardens and gardening in this informative and animated book through text and highly detailed and well-labeled illustrations. (The author's background as a science teacher is pleasantly evident.)

Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns
By: Mary Quattlebaum
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader

Miss Rumphius
By: Barbara Cooney
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
Miss Rumphius leaves the world more beautiful with an unusual legacy. This gentle story can relate to not only the language arts, but to dreams, legacies, and the environment.

Nature Log Kids: A Kid's Journal to Record Their Birding Experiences
By: DeAnna Brandt
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader

Rachel Carson & Her Book that Changed the World
By: Laurie Lawlor | Illustrated by: Laura Beingessner
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
Rachel Carson was a shy child, always drawn to nature. She grew up to become a professional biologist and enter a field with few women and write a book that changed the way people looked at the environment. Soft, cartoon-like illustrations and straightforward narrative present an overview of Carson's life; sources are included at the end.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
By: Joyce Sidman | Illustrated by: Beth Krommes
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
Strong lines and evocative language call on readers to observe the natural world around them in this handsome look at the spiral shape in nature.

The Ugly Vegetables
By: Grace Lin
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
In a neighborhood of flower gardens, a Chinese-American girl and her mother plant what the child considers to be ugly vegetables. The ugly vegetables, however, become attractive and help build community when made into a delicious soup! A recipe is included.

The Year Comes Round: Haiku through the Seasons
By: Sid Farrar | Illustrated by: Ilse Plume
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader

Up We Grow! A Year in the Life of a Small, Local Farm
By: Deborah Hodge | Illustrated by: Brian Harris
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
This look at one local farm presents a look at work on a farm raising food and animals while protecting the environment. Handsome photographs show the uniqueness of the seasons.

Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City
By: Deborah Hodge
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
Growing fruits and vegetables doesn't take a lot of space; they can even grow in crowded cities! From beekeeping to chickens, small areas can support food which leads to sharing, eating, and caring for others and the environment. Once the concept of urban agriculture is introduced, who knows what may blossom?!

Where Once There Was a Wood
By: Denise Fleming | Illustrated by: Denise Fleming
Age Level: 6-9 years old | Reading Level: Independent Reader
This book is a good introduction to the effects people can have on the environment. The simple text introduces the plants and animals that once thrived in a wooded area before their habitat was changed to build a housing development. The book features Fleming's distinctive lush collage illustrations.











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