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Last time I shared some gift suggestions for the people on your giving list this year. But there was some things missing from that list. There were no books. That’s because there were too many books to include, so they get their own list 🙂
Are you looking for books that make you want to spend time out in nature? Do you want to encourage a friend or family member to enjoy nature more? Try one of the books here, in our list of books that celebrate being outdoors.
We read books in their traditional paper form, but we also read Kindle editions and listen to their audio versions using Audible.
Kindle
We use the free Kindle app on our phones (it can also be used on laptops, desktops, and tablets) to read ebooks. We also use Kindle Unlimited to find ebooks. Use this link to get your first 30 days free, then pay just $9.99 a month afterwards. Cancel at any time. You can check out up to 10 Kindle Unlimited books at a time. If you sign up by 12/31/2019 and pay for 6 months at once, it’s half the price (just $29.97)!
Audible
Sign up for Audible with this link and you’ll get your first 30 days free, one free audiobook, and two free Audible Originals. Go here for more info. After your first 30 days, pay $14.95 a month and receive one audiobook and two Audible Originals. You can cancel at any time.
(here’s some audiobook suggestions for your next road trip)
If you want to gift someone an Audible membership, you can do that too! Go here for more info.
Books that Celebrate Being Outdoors
(click an image or a link to read more details and/or purchase each item)
Chapter and Middle Grade Books
My Side of the Mountain (3 book series)
We love this series! The first book is the best and great for fostering a love of nature. Who wouldn’t want to live in a giant hollow tree in the mountains?
Gone-Away Lake (2 book series)
This is another series that’s great for encouraging outdoor exploration and fostering imaginations. What would you do if you stumbled across an abandoned lakeside community?
While this book is fantasy, it is based on reality. Next time you’re in Boston, be sure to stop by Boston Commons and ride the swan boats.
This book is a lot less light-hearted than the others, but shows how resilient we can be, even in tough situations. What would you do if you were stranded by yourself on an island for years at a time?
Three siblings are found in the woods, living like wolves. Who are they and how did they get there? We love the audio version as the narrator is fantastic.
The Penderwicks (5 book series)
This series was just finished a year or so ago, but the writing feels timeless. A family of girls explore their surroundings and make new friends.
I wasn’t sure about a series with sword-wielding rabbits as the main characters, but it works. Heather and Picket are siblings who must find out what happened to the rest of their family. As they do so, they become caught up in a battle to save the kingdom and their way of life.
Picture Books
This sweet book follows a little boy as he explores the newly fallen snow. I love that the little boy is exploring the snow in the city he lives in. Wherever you live, you can explore your surroundings.
Ever found poop while hiking and wondered what kind of animal it came from? This series of books can help you. And lots of kiddos are fascinated by poop (my boys are approaching that stage), so this could appeal to them in a way other nature-oriented books might not.
Learn about the history, culture, national parks, and more of Utah using the alphabet. We picked this book up on a visit to Zion NP a few years ago. In adding this book to the list, I discovered that it’s part of a whole series called Discover America State by State. You can buy each book as a hardcover book, or use your Kindle Unlimited account to read many of them for free. I’ve already got several of them added to my KU account.
This series is great for learning more about the world around us. Beautifully detailed illustrations full of interesting tidbits make it easy to learn without even knowing it. I recently bought the 3 book set after realizing it was a better deal than buying each book individually.
I’m ok at identifying a couple trees, if their leaves are still on, but I’d really like to get better. We just bought this book and I know it’s going to get a lot of use as we learn to better recognize the trees around us.
Books for Grown Ups
I’m too much of a planner to be able to take off on an epic hike on the Pacific Coast Trail with minimal preparation, but I don’t mind reading about someone who did. Now, I don’t agree with everything she does in the book, but this book definitely got me thinking about how I would survive such a hike.
I was introduced to Bill Bryson when I read this book not long before we moved to Virginia. I’ve since listened to a number of his books and find them both entertaining and educating. I’m not ready to hike the Appalachian Trail from one end to the other, but we have been able to hike small portions of it.
Ok, I haven’t quite been able to bring myself to read this one yet, but I know many people like it. A privileged young man leaves it all behind to move to the wilds of Alaska, where his dead body is found months later. What brought him to that point?
This is one of the first “homeschooling” books I read when I started homeschooling our daughter. Only it’s not just for homeschoolers, it’s for anyone who’s concerned about helping their children spend more time in nature.
