Educator Resources
Books are great resources for educators to spark curiosity or keep the momentum going
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Supporting Educators
Openlands is deeply committed to supporting educators who teach garden and nature-based topics, recognizing the vital role they play in fostering environmental awareness and stewardship. Openlands has curated a selection of books organized by topics. These books serve as an inspiration to enhance the teaching and joy of environmental subjects.
Garden & Nature-based Education
Books about worms
Worms can be a magical entry into the world of small creatures.
Superworm (available in Spanish)
by Julia Donaldson
Join Superworm, the most unlikely hero, and his friends as they save the day!
How to Say Hello to a Worm
by Kari Percival
Say “hello” to works, dirt, peas, and more in this gentle how to guide for connecting with nature.
Wiggling Worms at Work
by Wendy Pfeffer
Underneath your feet, worms are finding yummy things to eat! All the while helping the environment.
Worm Loves Worm
by J.J. Austrian
Tale as old as time. Worm meets worm. Worm falls in love with worm. But who will wear the dress? And the tux?
I Can Only Draw Worms
by Will Mabbitt
Part counting book, drawing book and introduction to worms! Wait till you see what happens to worm #8.
Worms Eat My Garbage
by Mary Appelhof
Say “hello” to works, dirt, peas, and more in this gentle how to guide for connecting with nature.
Wonderful Worms
by Linda Glaser
Worms are wonderfully part of the ecosystem of our planet. This book includes informative charts and illustrations.
Lucky Worms
by Vivian French
Learn where worms live, how they move and why they are gardeners best friends.
Life Cycles: Worms
by Robin Nelson
A basic overview of the life cycle of a worm with photos of real worms.
Books about Gardens & Food
Gardening elevates your mood and promotes physical activity. Use these books to invite people to engage in growing activities
Harvesting Friends/Cosechando Amigos
by Kathleen Contreras
In this bilingual picture book, Lupe, her family and friends learn they can harvest more than just fruits and vegetables in their community garden.
Jayden's Impossible Garden
by Mélina Mangal
With the help of Mr. Curtis, Jayden shows his community the magic of nature in the city.
Harlem Grown
Tony Hillery
Join the community of Harlem as they transform a vacant lot into an urban oasis for growing. and thriving.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
by Kate Messner
Explore the world underground helping your garden grown! Follow along as a girl and her grandmother plan their garden.
Errol's Garden
by Gillian Hibbs
An inclusive tale about how one boy’s dream of a garden unites a community in a positive and enriching experience.
Thank a Farmer
by Maria Gianferrari
This books gently reminds us tothink about where our foodcomes from and to give thanksto the people who provide uswith food.
Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm
by Lindsay H. Metcalf
Learn about the innovations happening in food production! Explore how the food you eat is grown indoors and out.
Secret Gardeners
by Lina Laurent
Three children transform an overgrown city yard into a thriving community garden with the help of a neighbor.
The Boy from Mexico Becomes a Farmworker
by Edward Dennis
Immerse readers in a vibrant narrative about farmworkers’ dedicated efforts in bringing produce to American tables.
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table
by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Will looked at an abandoned city lot in Milwaukee he saw a table, big enough to feed the whole world.
Let’s Get Gardening
by DK
A colorful guide featuring 30 easy gardening projects, kids will learn to grow their own fruits and vegetables, attract wildlife such as butterflies.
Square Foot Gardening with Kids
by Mel Bartholomew
Learn how to break down your gardening into the geometry of a gridded box for easy growing!
Books about Trees
Dive into these captivating reads and enrich your understanding of the vital role trees play in our world.
Tree Hole Homes
by Roxanne Troup
Imagine this: one day you’re walking through the woods and spot a tree hole large enough to slip inside. You wonder, what kind of creature lived here?
Be a Tree!
by Maria Gianferrari
We are all like trees: our spines, trunks; our skin, bark; our hearts giving us strength and support, like heartwood. We are fueled by air and sun.
Because of an Acorn
by Lola M. Schaefer
Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, plant, and animal connect to one another. An acorn is just the beginning.
Nell Plants a Tree
by Anne Wynter
And just as Nell’s tree grows and thrives with her love and care, so do generations of her close-knit family.
Hello, Beech Tree!
by Rasha Hamid
Based on real events, this story features students in Brooklyn who pays homage to their beloved lost beech tree and takes action to plant a new one.
The City Tree
by Shira Boss
A newly planted sidewalk tree transforms the neighborhood as residents nurture it through the seasons
Can You Hear the Trees Talking?
by Peter Wohlleben
Find out the secret life of trees, how they feel, how they communicate, and the ways they take care of their families
Memories of a Birch Tree (also available in Spanish)
by Daniel Cañas
A story that invites us to see adversities as opportunities, and to trust that changes can help us grow.
Trees, Leaves and Bark
by Diane Burns
Learn how to identify 16 common trees. Find out interesting facts about threes and all their parts!
The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups
by Gina Ingoglia
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s guide answers your tree-related questions with 33 trees that grow in North America
Trees of Illinois
by Stan Tekiela
Learn about 124 species found in the state organized by leaf type and attachment. This guide is available for many other states as well!
What Tree is That?
by Arbor Day Foundation
Field guide that uses a step-by-step approach to identify common trees of the United States and Canada. Fully illustrated, 164-page book.
Books about birds
Birds are everywhere and provide a tangible connection to nature.
Ruby's Birds
by Mya Thompson
Join Ruby as she discovers how
wild her city can be! She quickly
becomes hooked on finding all
the birds in her neighborhood.
We Are Starlings
by Robert Furrow
Learn about the fascinating way that birds fly together in large groups, called murmurations.
Bird Boy
by Matthew Burgess
Being new to a school is always hard. Nico feels lost as the new kid but birds always make him feel better.
Un pajaro en casa (also available in English “Bird House”)
by Blanca Gómez
A grandmother and child find an injured bird and decide how best to help the bird.
Birds/Aves: Bilingual
by Ashley Lee
Learn how birds support the earth’s ecosystem. This book uses sight words and is good for beginning readers.
Aves de Presa
by Bendix Anderson
Learn about birds of prey, in Spanish! Great book with interesting facts.
A Peek at Beaks
by Sara Levine
Find our how birds use their beaks to help them with all kinds of activities!
Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
You don’t need to go far to find birds! They are everywhere you are.
Whose Nest is Best?
by Heidi Stemple
This lift-the-flap book will keep young readers engaged to learn about all kinds of nests.
Yucky Spit Nests, Puke Power, and Other Brilliant Bird Adaptations
by Laura Perdew
This non-fiction book will surprise you with the facts!
The Egg
by Britta Teckentrup
Explore how different eggs are from the shape, to the size, and to the color!
My Book of Plumology
by Cheryl Johnson
Learn all about bird’s feather and how amazing they are. Birds and feather, well they go together!
Books about indigenous knowledge
Indigenous traditions and culture is all around us and has been since time immemorial. All books listed are written by Indigenous authors.
Still This Love Goes On
by Buffy Sainte-Marie
Celebrate Indigenous traditions of honor, nature and community based Indigenous Cree knowledge.
Rock Your Mocs
by Laurel Goodluck
Celebrate the joy and power of wearing moccasins–and the Native pride that comes with them.
A Day with Yayah
by Nicola I. Campbell
A grandmother passes on the knowledge of plants and the natural world to her grandchild.
Berry Song
by Michaela Goade
Join a girl and her grandmother as they celebrate the love, joy, and gratitude of the land of their people.
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story
by Danielle Greendeer
Learn about the true story of Thanksgiving from the Wampanoag people.
Young Water Protectors
by Aslan Tudor
Read about the inspiring experiences in the Oceti Sakowin Camp at Standing Rock.
An Indigneous Peoples’ History of the United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
The first history of the U.S. written from an Indigenous perspective.
The Water Walker
by Joanne Robertson
The story of a determined Ojibwe Grandmother (Nokomis) and her great love for Nibi (water).
Dragonfly Kites/Pimithaagansa
by Tomson Highway
Feel the joy of playing in nature through the experience of two young Cree brothers.
People Shall Continue
by Simon J. Ortiz
In the face of the destruction of their native lands, the People held onto their beliefs and found solidarity.
We Are Still Here
by Traci Sorell
The first history of the U.S. written from an Indigenous perspective.
Powwow Day
by Traci Sorell
Rivers want to dance the annual powwow, but this year an illness might keep her from dancing! Will River dance again?
