Havering Friends of the Earth

Books for youngsters

by Rosina Purnell; first published 12-Dec-2025

There are so many high-quality choices for children and teenagers to be enticed into reading these days. Unfortunately, we are told that children reading for pleasure is in decline. This is probably in part due to social media but also a lack of opportunity in the very pressurised current school curriculum and the resulting homework demands. We are recommending these outstanding books to motivate our youngsters to read while at the same time also raising awareness of environmental issues. They are all available in paperback.

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers (ages 2-3)

The author presents the world as a place that needs to be treated with great care. Colour double page spreads describe land, sea, night and day and is suitable for very young children, even babies.

Superquesters: The Case of the Great Energy Robbery by Dr. Thomas Bernard and Lisa Moss (age 5+)

Leo, Bea and Lilli must stop Lord Grumble's evil energy draining plan. They have to complete quests as they learn about different types of renewable energy. Stickers reward the readers in their 8 quests.

Fox Goes North by Jeremy Strong (age 7+)

This journey north to see the Northern Lights involves among others a toucan, a bear and a snow leopard. A caravan with a proper roof and chimney plus a veranda and a balcony transports a group of animals on a humorous and exciting adventure.

Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (age 9+)

Leila follows the Blue Fox across the Arctic Circle. This is an emotional story with beautiful illustrations.

The Summer We Turned Green by William Sutcliffe (age 13+)

This is a novel for teenagers. Luke has to adjust when his older sister, and then his father, join climate rebellion activists. He meets Sky, who lives an alternative lifestyle. This has great characters and touches on themes of protest, politics and the media.

When Shadows Fall by Sita Brahmachari (age Young Adult)

There are many themes in this highly recommended tale. It captures raw adolescent emotions and the way society can fail to recognise the true value of things. It's a mixture of prose, verse and evocative illustrations.

Children and teenagers are the future custodians of our planet. Enhancing awareness of critical issues for our young people can be done in a fun but informative way with the suggestions above.

Give it a try!