International Children’s Book Day 2nd April

It’s International Children’s Book Day next Wednesday, so how about using it as an opportunity to not only encourage your pupils to read, but also to inspire a classroom of environmental citizens? There are some great books available that tackle the issue of climate change; accessible to and enjoyable for children of all ages. Here are some of our favourites, including some great picture books to share with KS1 pupils, through to some dystopian future thrillers for older students.

 So whether you wish to choose one book to engage with your class of young children, or give your older children some ideas to put their vouchers towards, or just to have a think…..take a moment to peruse.

Key Stage 1

Lottie’s Letter (Gordon Snell).  Lottie and Max are so outraged at the damage done to animals by people and pollution that they decide to send a letter of protest to the Queen of the World. What starts as a journey by two children swells to a colourful procession of creatures great and small, striving to make the world take notice of their plight.

George Saves The World By Lunchtime (Eden Project Books). George wakes up one morning deciding that he would like to save the world by lunchtime. With some sound advice from his grandpa, he learns about all the little things that he can do, every day, that mean he can really do it.

The Last Wild Witch (Starhawk). An enchanting eco-fable about the children of a perfect town who unite to save the last wild witch and last magic forest from disappearing. Bravely, they invite a little wildness in and joyfully they take on their mission.

Key Stage 2

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart – The Fight For The Frozen Land (Elizabeth Singer Hunt). A team of scientists researching global warming in the Arctic has mysteriously disappeared. It’s up to intrepid Secret Agent Jack Stalwart to rescue them from hungry polar bears and stop the villains intent on speeding up the process of climate change and destroying the world.

Polar Bears (Animals in Danger) (Tick Tock Books). This book uses stunning photography to illustrate the daily life of polar bears in the Arctic Circle. It gently teaches children about the perils that polar bears face as the ice caps melt, and shows ways in which they can all help.

Teach Your Granny To Text And Other Ways To Change The World. Produced by the global social change movement ‘We Are What We Do', this book is essentially written by kids for kids. It suggests 30 simple actions that are fun and easy for children to do, empowering them to play their part in changing the world in which they live. Its message is straightforward: small actions x lots of people = big change.

Key Stages 3 and 4

Four Degrees More (Malcolm Rose). A book to encourage reluctant readers, this is a short book (just 64 pages) that is rich in pace, characterisation and drama. An environmental thriller that grips from the outset as teenager, Leyton, watches his bedroom collapse into the sea as a result of climate change…

The Flower Girls (Susan Thaler). In the year 2275, Earth is still reeling from the devastating effects of global warming. Tsunamis have destroyed coastlines across the world and droughts have reduced whole continents to desert wasteland. Life beneath the giant protective domes, erected to protect the survivors, becomes intolerable for one family: dare they venture out?

Floodland (Marcus Sedgwick). Set in a not too distant future where the sea is reclaiming the land, Zoe escapes the watery fenlands of East Anglia to find refuge on Eel Island. A place where survival of the fittest is the only rule.

The Learning Escapeis committed to fuelling a passion amongst children for learning and the environment: our eco-classrooms are designed to achieve both. We hope that our book selections can assist you in harnessing the message of World Book Day whilst gently introducing the subject of environmentalism. Have a good read.