Book Reviews
“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation.”
-Walter Cronkite
A collection of recommended books for those interested in the topics of climate change, environmental conservation, or the myriad of subjects concerning the wellbeing of our planet and its species (including humans). From personal experience, many of these publications are available through your local library in various formats such as books, ebooks, books on CD, or my personal favorite, downloadable audiobooks. It is my hope that these great reads may be as entertaining, illuminating, and thought provoking for you as they were, and still are, for me. Enjoy!
American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West
Nate Blakeslee
A captivating narrative of the controversy, politics, and environmental impact surrounding some of Yellowstone National Park's most famous wild canines, the people who love them, and the people who hate this polarizing species.
Genres:
Nonfiction, American Politics, Wolves, Wildlife, Yellowstone National Park, Wildlife Conservation, Hunting, American West
Reader Engagement:
A+
Grades
Educational Value:
A
Emotional Impact:
B
Lasting Impact:
A-
Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History
Dan Flores
A fascinating, thought-provoking, and at times gut-wrenching, in depth exposé of America’s relationship with one of its most iconic and polarizing animals, the coyote.
Genres:
Nonfiction, American Politics, Wildlife, American West, Natural History, Hunting
Reader Engagement:
B-
Grades
Educational Value:
A
Emotional Impact:
C
Lasting Impact:
A-
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: the Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
Bill Gates
A refreshing perspective on the climate change crisis that both acknowledges the issues and, more importantly, focuses on the new opportunities for technology, industry, commerce, equality, and international cooperation offered through potential solutions.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Climate Change, Technology, Energy, Politics, International Cooperation, Climate Policy, Business, Sustainability
Reader Engagement:
C
Grades
Educational Value:
B+
Emotional Impact:
B+
Lasting Impact:
C
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
Conor Knighton
After an unexpected breakup with his fiance, author Conor Knighton sets out on a yearlong mission to visit all fifty-nine of America’s national parks in what becomes an entertaining collection of anecdotes that span American history, meaningful interactions, social commentary, self-reflection, and personal discovery.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Nature, Coming of Age, Hope, Travel, National Parks
Reader Engagement:
A
Grades
Educational Value:
B
Emotional Impact:
A
Lasting Impact:
C
My Penguin Year: Life Among the Emperors
Lindsay McCrae
A remarkably thrilling and touching account of cameraman Lindsay McCrae’s eleven months spent filming emperor penguins in Antarctica while enduring the planet’s most brutal winter and an extreme desire to return home to meet his newborn son.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Antarctica, Penguins, Birds, Travel, Adventure, Autobiography, Wildlife, Nature, Documentary, Photography/Filmography
Reader Engagement:
A
Grades
Educational Value:
B+
Emotional Impact:
A-
Lasting Impact:
A
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
Jane Goodall, Douglas Carlton Abrams, & Gail Hudson
Friends and authors Jane Goodall and Douglas Carlton Abrams share stories and philosophies on reasons to stay hopeful in a world rife with troubling issues like climate change, political instability, COVID19, and the destruction of the natural world.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Biography, Animals, International Cooperation, Nature, Wildlife Conservation, Hope, Altruism
Reader Engagement:
A-
Grades
Educational Value:
A-
Emotional Impact:
A
Lasting Impact:
A
The Hummingbirds’ Gift: Wonder, Beauty, and Renewal on Wings
Sy Montgomery
A brief, but captivating true story about the touching and painstaking commitment needed to save and rehabilitate two orphaned baby Allen’s hummingbirds, Zuni and Maya.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Birds, Hummingbirds, Memoir, Hope, Animals, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation
Reader Engagement:
B+
Grades
Educational Value:
B+
Emotional Impact:
A
Lasting Impact:
C
The Wisdom of Wolves: Lessons from the Sawtooth Pack
Jim & Jamie Dutcher
Married naturalists Jim and Jamie Dutcher recall some of the more memorable and insightful experiences during a 6 year, multigenerational observation of the Sawtooth wolf pack in the remote Idaho wilderness.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Animals, Wolves, Nature, Wildlife, Science, Autobiography, Animal Behavior / Cognition
Reader Engagement:
B+
Grades
Educational Value:
B+
Emotional Impact:
B+
Lasting Impact:
B
This Side of Wild: Mutts, Mares, and Laughing Dinosaurs
Gary Paulsen
Award winning author of juvenile fiction, outdoorsman, and former Iditarod competitor Gary Paulsen shares a humbling rendition of the relationships and experiences with the animals that shaped, and even saved, his life.
Genres:
Nonfiction, Family Friendly, Animals, Pets, Animal Behavior / Cognition, Coming of Age, Autobiography, Humor, Dogs