Favourite books about the environment for older children

The Don’t Panic Gang is a top secret organisation, comprising a doughnut-loving cat, a little blue bird and an unassuming window-box worm – but when they get a call for help, they transform into superheroes! An exciting, funny adventure to read aloud.

When Viv moves to a new home and school, she discovers that her local beach is a loggerhead turtle nesting area – but some baby turtles are dying. This is a great book for the classroom, with ideas and plans for all aspiring campaigners.

When faced with climate change, the biggest threat that our planet has ever confronted, it’s easy to feel as if there is nothing you can do. Luckily, Lily Dyu’s Earth Heroes is here to tell us different. It’s perfect for young activists in the making, aged 8 and up. 

By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Kids Fight Plastic presents powerful facts about how oceans and their inhabitants are suffering from our over-reliance on plastic and features fifty bitesize missions to chomp through, from a #2minutebeachclean to how to fight plastics in lunchboxes.

This collection of remarkable young people’s achievements is truly inspirational. With a gentle guide to being a hero yourself at the back of the book, and a look back at great children of the past, these amazing young people give us all hope for the future.

In any given year, there may be hundreds of large-scale geological or meteorological disasters on earth – and they’re becoming more frequent because of climate change. This colourful and fascinating guide explains why they happen. 

Learn about the inner workings of our earth, including earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and tsunamis; animal life on earth; the earth regions and the impact of humans on the planet, including information on migration, population and sustainability in this comprehensive hardback book celebrating the biodiversity and structure of this fascinating planet.

Looking for somewhere secret to practice skateboarding, Izzy and Asha ignore the ​‘Danger! Do Not Enter’ signs posted around the derelict gasworks. Sneaking inside along with Izzy’s little brother Connor, they discover an amazing hidden urban wilderness. The girls practice their board skills while Connor explores the scrubland, finding cormorants, beetles… and an injured wolf!

Positive, informative non-fiction book on Rewilding  

Humans would not survive on Earth without water. But what is it exactly, and how do planet Earth’s weather and environments cycle water around so that we always have it? How does urine get cleaned up and put back into rivers and oceans? How do plants take water out of the ground, how do dams work, and what is the future of water in the world? 

This illustrated non-fiction book takes the reader on a journey of discovery around the globe, identifying animals who are under threat from dangers such as habitat loss, climate change and hunting. 

A wonderfully imaginative and beautifully written story about a climate change-wrecked world that feels very timely and shows us the power of hope and resilience. 

A thought-provoking collection emphasising the importance of individual, as well as group initiatives.

Based on a true story, this stunning graphic novel follows Chang as she fights to protect her local forests and wildlife, and rewild a young sun bear, Sorya, who was captured by poachers as a cub.

A funny, moving story about loss, love, loyalty and misunderstanding, all featuring a quirky young heroine, a hilarious swarm of bees, a fitness freak and an environmentally conscientious dentist.

Sorrel Fallowfield is very well-behaved, but her world is about to be turned upside down when she discovers a mysterious packet of seeds. A surreal, sideways take on conformity and the power of breaking the rules.

When the City’s stargold starts running out, the leaders are set on destroying everything to find more – including the countryside and the reclusive Wild Folk. Magic and mythology combine in this breathtaking adventure story with an environmental theme. 

When the sea level rose, a wall was built to protect London. Now Kara and Joe are stuck in the middle between the privileged few inside the wall and the ruthless Mariners out on the ocean. An action-packed, edge-of-the-seat thriller with an environmental edge. 

Shifa and her brother Themba live in a world destroyed by climate change, but when they’re sent away to work, they’re horrified to discover a cruel and corrupt system. Will they be able to escape and make the world a better place?

Three girls, far apart in the world, are born with magical powers into a sisterhood. Together, they must defend the planet they share. Written in a magical realist style, Wolf Light is a challenging, unconventional literary fantasy that disrupts expectations. 

A perilous adventure with dystopian and environmental themes that cut unnervingly close to potential reality, The Dog Runner is a tense, thrilling adventure full of close calls, but also glowing with heart, whether it’s the relationship between Ella and Emery or their love for the ​“doggos” helping them get to where they need to be.

Exodus is a disturbing and relevant epic that explores many contemporary themes.

This is a truly exceptional novel, exciting, gripping and intense, with relatable protagonists whose agonies become the reader’s own.