This list includes books for a range of ages (pre-K through young adult), fiction and non-fiction. The guide books and references here are those that we have found helpful. For fiction, we have included books with great stories that touch on themes of ecology, biodiversity, invasive species, human migration and other topics related to the life sciences.
| cover | title | authors | category | grades | ages | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Search for WondLa | Tony DiTerlizzi | fiction | 5+ | 10+ | Mind-bending epic saga of a girl who discovers herself in an alien world. Written and illustrated by the creator of the Spiderwick Chronicles. Explores themes of ecology, invasive species, and human migration. |
 | Dark Life | Kat Falls | fiction | 4-12 | 10+ | In a future where humans live on the ocean floor, two young protagonists must unravel a mystery and catch an elusive villian. |
 | Airborn | Kenneth Oppel | fiction | 6+ | 10+ | An epic where airships, pirates and explorers encounter amazing living creatures in the skies. |
 | Gregor the Overlander | Suzanne Collins | fiction | 4-8 | 9+ | Epic saga of life underground, featuring bats, cockroaches, spiders and rats. |
 | Dragon Planet | Dan Wells | fiction | 5-9 | 9-14 | Thrilling SciFi story that weaves in planetary science, chemistry, physiology and ecology. Second in a series. |
 | We're Not from Here | Geoff Rodkey | fiction | 3-7 | 5-10 | This parable of the refugee experience imagines humans learning to live on a planet inhabited by insect-like beings, some friendly, some not. |
 | Chirp | Kate Messner | fiction | 4-6 | 9-12 | A girl adapted to a new home, solves a mystery involving a new friend's cricket farm |
 | Lucy & Andy Neanderthal | Jeffrey Brown | fiction | 3+ | 8+ | Framed by recent scientific findings, this graphic novel shows a fun and snarky vision of life for Neanderthals and early modern humans |
 | Santiago: True Tales of a Little Bug in a Big World | Jennifer Vitanzo | fiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | The story of a mantis that is adopted by humans |
 | The Great Cicada Ball | Bradford P Ward | fiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | A story of insect characters and their crazy antics |
 | The Way of the Hive: A Honey Bee's Story | Jay Hosler | fiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | Experience the life of a honeybee in this coming-of-age story about a bee named Nyuki, in this full-color graphic novel perfect for curious kids |
 | Masterpiece | Elise Broach, Kelly Murphy | fiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | The story of a beetle who gets caught up in an art heist |
 | Pond Scum | Alan Silberberg | fiction | 3-7 | 8-13 | Creatures from the pond are not happy when a boy and his family move into a nearby house |
 | The Worm Whisperer | Betty Hicks, Ben Hatke | fiction | 3-4 | 8-12 | A boy who loves nature enters his favorite caterpillar in a race |
 | The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library | Linda Bailey, Victoria Jamieson | fiction | 2-5 | 7-10 | Eddie, a passionate reader and a shiny green bug, saves the school library in this funny, heartwarming tale |
 | Out in the Wild! | Mike Lowery | fiction | 2-5 | 7-10 | Fun graphic early reader about bugs in summer camp |
 | Pea, Bee, & Jay #1: Stuck Together | Brian "Smitty" Smith | fiction | 1-5 | 6-10 | An early reader graphic novel about 3 unlikely animal friends |
 | Fireflies | Julie Brinckloe | fiction | K-3 | 6-7 | A young boy is proud of having caught a jar full of fireflies, which seems to him like owning a piece of moonlight, but as the light begins to dim he realizes he must set the insects free or they will die. |
 | Bob and Otto | Robert O. Bruel, Nick Bruel | fiction | K-2 | 5-7 | The story of friendship between a caterpillar and an earthworm, and how some things change over time |
 | The King of Bees | Lester L. Laminack, Jim LaMarche | fiction | PK-3 | 4-8 | A gentle intergenerational tale for young readers about the importance of patience and the fascinating work of beekeeping. |
 | Emma Bee | Pamela Fish Carlson, Tessa Carlson | fiction | PK-3 | 4-8 | The story of a bee on her first foraging flight |
 | Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly | Alan Madison, Kevin Hawkes | fiction | PK-3 | 4-8 | Story of how a young girl's fascination with a butterfly builds her confidence |
 | Crickwing | Janell Cannon | fiction | PK-3 | 4-7 | A cockrtoach must learn to control his emotions and work with his ant neighbors |
 | Inch by Inch | Leo Lionni | fiction | PK-2 | 4-7 | The story of a proud inchworm |
 | Hi! Fly Guy | Tedd Arnold | fiction | PK-2 | 4-7 | A silly slapstick comic story of a boy's friendship with a fly |
 | Gotta Go! Gotta Go! | Sam Swope, Sue Riddle | fiction | PK-1 | 4-7 | The story of one monarch caterpillar's migration |
 | Fandex Family Field Guides: Trees | Steven Aronson | field guide | 3+ | 8+ | A simple and convenient way to identify common trees |
 | Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America | Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman | field guide | 5+ | 10+ | The Kaufman guides are easy to use, with pictures of most common species |
 | Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America | Eric R. Eaton, Kenn Kaufman | field guide | 5+ | 10+ | The Kaufman guides are easy to use, with pictures of most common species |
 | New England Wildflowers: A Guide to Common Plants | Frank S Kaczmarek | field guide | 8+ | 10+ | Field guide to the wild flowers of New England |
 | The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America | Donald Stokes, Lillian Q. Stokes | field guide | 8+ | 10+ | Authoritative guide to birds |
 | Good Garden Bugs: Everything You Need to Know about Beneficial Predatory Insects | Mary Gardiner | field guide | 8+ | 10+ | A colorful and engaging guide to common beneficial insects |
 | The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World | Oliver Milman | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | |
 | I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life | Ed Yong | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | Fascinating examination of the role microbes play on, in, and all around us, for good and bad |
 | She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity | Carl Zimmer | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | An exploration of the intersections of genetics and society, rich with histotical details and personal narratives |
 | The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions | Peter Brannen | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | An engaging tour through the past (and present) mass extinctions our planet has experienced. |
 | Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body | Neil Shubin | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | Discover how our distant ancestry is reflected in our genes and physiology today. |
 | Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past | David Reich | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | Harvard geneticist David Reich recounts how new genomic discoveries reveal human origins and relatedness of all people |
 | The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters | Sean B. Carroll | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | Featuring the stories of biologists and their subjects, this books offers a unifying concept of biology as a feedback system. |
 | Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees | Thor Hanson | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | Exciting tales about bees, from their natural history to human interactions |
 | The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | Rebecca Skloot | nonfiction | 11+ | 15+ | An amazing story of medical discovery, medical ethics and one family's history |
 | Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive | Philipp Dettmer | nonfiction | 9+ | 13+ | Explanation of the immune system from the developers of the web series Kurzgesagt (In A Nutshell). |
 | The Diversity of Life` | Edward O. Wilson | nonfiction | 9+ | 13+ | A great introduction to ecology and biodiversity |
 | Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation | Michael Keller, Nicolle Rager Fuller | nonfiction | 7+ | 10+ | A vibrant graphical-novel style adaptation of Darwin's influential classic. |
 | The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science | Joyce Sidman | nonfiction | 6-8 | 10-12 | Richly illustrated biography of Maria Sibylla Merian, one of the first naturalists to observe metamorphosis |
 | Delightful Dung Beetles | Rebecca R. Knox Farris, Kathryn A. T. Knox | nonfiction | 4-6 | 9-14 | Learn about the important ecological role these overlooked insects play. |
 | Ocean Renegades! (Earth Before Us #2): Journey through the Paleozoic Era | Abby Howard | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | Fun comic book journey through Earth's natural history. Features the origins of several major animal and plant groups. |
 | Katie of the Sonoran Desert | Kate Jackson, Natalie Rowe | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | The true story of Katie, a rattlesnake, and her adventures as she struggles to make a life for herself in the harsh Sonoran Desert. Bilingual in English and Spanish. |
 | Noisemakers: 25 Women Who Raised Their Voices & Changed the World | Kazoo Magazine, Erin Bried | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | Short biographies of women in science and global events. |
 | Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature | Rachel Williams, Freya Hartas | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | Nature stories that command calm and foster mindfulness |
 | The Cicadas Are Coming! | Doug Wechsler | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | About one of the oddest insect life cycles on the planet the periodical or 17-year cicada. |
 | Insectigations: 40 Hands-on Activities to Explore the Insect World | Cindy Blobaum | nonfiction | 3-6 | 7-9 | Ideas for activities and games to get kids interested in bugs and nature |
 | Nefertiti, the Spidernaut: The Jumping Spider Who Learned to Hunt in Space | Darcy Pattison, Valeria Tisnes | nonfiction | 3-8 | 6-12 | The true story of a spider who lived in the International Space Station |
 | Animals Nobody Loves | Seymour Simon | nonfiction | 1-6 | 6-11 | The truth about nature's most misunderstood animals |
 | Science Comics: Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield | Falynn Koch | nonfiction | 3-7 | 6-10 | A comic book exploration of pathogens and the human immune system. |
 | Creep and Flutter: The Secret World of Insects and Spiders | Jim Arnosky | nonfiction | 3-7 | 6-10 | |
 | Paleo Bugs: Survival of the Creepiest | Timothy J. Bradley | nonfiction | 3-7 | 5-10 | A comics-style guide to some of the earliest insects and their relatives |
 | Bugs Up Close: A Magnified Look at the Incredible World of Insects | John Hallmén, Lars-Åke Janzon | nonfiction | 3-7 | 8-12 | A photographic journey into a world rarely seen, with accessible text |
 | The Secret Pool | Kimberly Ridley, Rebekah Raye | nonfiction | 3-5 | 6-8 | Illustrated exploration of life in a vernal pool |
 | When Bugs Were Big, Plants Were Strange, and Tetrapods Stalked the Earth | Hannah Bonner | nonfiction | 3-7 | 5-10 | A cartoon prehistory of life before the dinosaurs |
 | Dirty Rotten Bugs: Arthropods Unite to Tell Their Side of the Story | Gilles Bonotaux | nonfiction | 3-6 | 5-9 | This humorous and informative picture book offers information and little known facts from a bug's perspective |
 | Firefly at Stonybrook Farm | Wendy Pfeffer, Larry Mikec | nonfiction | 1-2 | 4-8 | A fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations |
 | Seasons Of The Freshwater Pond Biome | Shirley Duke | nonfiction | K-3 | 5-8 | Explores plants and animals found in freshwater ponds and how they function in the food chain |
 | The Street Beneath My Feet | Charlotte Guillain, Yuval Zommer | nonfiction | K-3 | 5-8 | This award-winning, double-sided foldout book takes you on a fascinating journey down through the layers of the Earth, all the way to the planet’s core and out the other side. |
 | Over and Under the Pond | Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal | nonfiction | K-3 | 5-8 | Discover the plants and animals that make up the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond |
 | Are You a Dragonfly? | Judy Allen, Tudor Humphries | nonfiction | K-3 | 5-8 | The secrets of metamorphosis are unfurled through the story of a familiar backyard creature |
 | Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt | Kate Messner, Christopher Silas Neal | nonfiction | K-2 | 5-8 | Exploration of the hidden world and lives within a garden |
 | An Egg Is Quiet | Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia Long | nonfiction | K-2 | 4-8 | A beautifully illurated book showcasing the diversity of eggs, prompting children to think about their unique adaptations |
 | Pond Circle | Betsy Franco, Stefano Vitale | nonfiction | PK-3 | 4-8 | Life at a pond on a summer night |
 | Over in the Garden | Jennifer Ward, Kenneth J. Spengler | nonfiction | PK-3 | 4-7 | An insect-focused counting book that adapts the traditional tune "Over in the Meadow" |
 | The Backyard Bug Book for Kids: Storybook, Insect Facts, and Activities | Lauren Davidson | nonfiction | PK-1 | 3-5 | Pictures, information and activitiy ideas |
 | The Leaf Men: And the Brave Good Bugs | William Joyce | picture book | PK-3 | 4-8 | An imaginative and heart-warming story of bugs and other characters from a garden, engaged in an epic quest |
 | In the Tall, Tall Grass | Denise Fleming | picture book | PK-3 | 4-8 | A young child's exploration of nature |
 | Ol' Mama Squirrel | David Ezra Stein | picture book | PK-1 | 3-5 | A fun picture book that brings in ideas of animal behavior |
 | Frog in a Bog | John Himmelman | picture book | PK-1 | 2-6 | A simple early reader describing a frog's typical day in the pond |
 | Bee and Me | Alison Jay | picture book | PK-1 | 2-6 | This whimsical wordless picture book describes the importance of pollination |
 | Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors | Joyce Sidman, Beckie Prange | poetry | 1-4 | 6-9 | This book combines imaginative illustrations and poetry (in the voice of different organisms) to introduce several groups of living creatures |
 | Insects: Their Natural History and Diversity: With a Photographic Guide to Insects of Eastern North America | Stephen Marshall | reference | 11+ | 15+ | Authoritative guide to insects with extensive photos and guides for identification |
 | Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide | Paul H. Williams, Robbin W. Thorp | reference | 9+ | 13+ | Authoritative guide to bumble bees with information on the distribution and identification of each species |
 | Bumblebees: Behaviour, Ecology, and Conservation 2nd Edition | Dave Goulson | reference | 9+ | 13+ | Authoritative guide to bumble bees with information on the distribution and identification of each species |
 | Wasps: The Astonishing Diversity of a Misunderstood Insect | Eric R. Eaton | reference | 8+ | 13+ | Beautifully illutrated reference with engaging text that covers all aspects of the biology of wasps |
 | The Log from the Sea of Cortez | John Steinbeck, Richard Astro | travelogue | 9+ | 15+ | Classic account by the writer John Steinbeck of his travels with a biological expedition |