TBR - Earth Day

Did y'all know Thursday is Earth Day? If not, you do now! Earth Day was always one of my favorite days to plan programming around when I was working, so in addition to today's environmentally-themed Tuesday Books Recs, I'm including a bonus recommendation of a great resource for upcycled kids' crafts, TheCraftTrain.com. This is one of my go-to blogs for activities of all varieties, but some of my particular favorites are her egg carton crafts. Please, please make yourself an egg carton monster and share your pictures with me! I love them so much.

Now, on to the books!

American War by Omar El Akkad - This debut novel centers around a second Civil War in the United States, during which the main character and her family are relocated to a camp for displaced individuals. 

Bayou Magic by Jewell Parker Rhodes - This is the third book in the Louisiana Girls trilogy, although I don't believe this is a trilogy that strictly needs to be read in order. It combines folk magic with a coming-of-age story centering around main character Maddy's reaction after an oil leak in the bayou.

Love After the End edited by Joshua Whitehead - This is an anthology of short stories featuring Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer characters that encompasses multiple genres, including queer romance, dystopia, and science fiction.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith - Orleans picks up after a series of disasters, first hurricanes and then a devastating illness, has decimated the Gulf Coast. The area is now under quarantine, and many outside believe life inside the quarantined area has basically died out. What they don't realize is that a new society is actually flourishing - one that thrives on the trade of blood.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler - Look, I can't give a better summary than the first sentence in the book description on Goodreads: "In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future." CHILLS. (Also, 2025 is four years from now. What the FUCK.)

The Poisoned City by Anna Clark - A non-fiction account of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which started in 2014 and has still not completely been resolved.

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson - An environmental classic! This non-fiction account of the impact of chemicals like DDT on the environment was originally published in 1962 and is, depressingly, still relevant today.

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade - This beautifully illustrated picture book is a call to action to safeguard the Earth's water, inspired by Indigenous-led movements in what is now known as North America.