Summer is a time for playing outside and enjoying the environment. At least one study has shown that playing outside as a child is an important predictor of protecting the environment as an adult. But parents need to ensure kids keep up their reading skills, which often slide over the summer.
These books with environmental themes, sorted by reading level, will improve both your kids’ literacy and their environmental awareness. We suggest reading them in a treehouse or on a picnic blanket in the sun.
Earth911 teams up with affiliate marketing partners to help fund our Recycling Directory. If you purchase an item through one of the affiliate links in this post, we will receive a small commission.
Picture Books
A Leaf Can Be …
by Laura Purdie Salas
A leaf can be a … shade spiller, mouth filler, tree topper, rain stopper. Find out about the many roles leaves play in this poetic exploration of leaves throughout the year. Pair it with the companion volumes A Rock Can Be … and Water Can Be … for a full nature-cycle set.
The Tantrum That Saved the World
by Megan Herbert and Michael E. Mann
A little girl inherits a huge problem she didn’t ask for — and then channels strong emotions into positive action. Co-written by climate scientist Michael E. Mann, the second half explains the science of climate change in age-appropriate language and closes with a kid-friendly action plan.
Seeds of Change: Wangari’s Gift to the World
by Jen Cullerton Johnson
It’s never too early for children to see examples of strong women who make the world a better place. This picture-book biography of Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai illustrates the often-overlooked intersection between ecology and justice, which makes this example even better.
We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade
New to this list. Winner of the 2021 Caldecott Medal, the first awarded to a Native American illustrator, this lyrical, gorgeously painted book follows an Ojibwe girl who rallies her community to defend the water against a “black snake” pipeline. It introduces the youngest readers to Indigenous environmental stewardship and the idea that water is life.
Books for Younger Middle Grade
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
by Joanna Cole
Trust the beloved kids’ science series Magic School Bus to explain the facts of global warming in ways kids understand, and to give them ideas about how they can help. Ms. Frizzle takes the class from the Arctic to the equator to see the signs of a warming planet firsthand.
The Last Bear
by Hannah Gold
New to this list. There are no polar bears left on Bear Island, or so April’s father tells her when his research takes them to a remote Arctic outpost. Then April spots one: hungry, lonely, and far from home. Hannah Gold’s award-winning debut (a Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Blue Peter Book Award winner) pairs a tender friendship story with a clear-eyed look at melting sea ice, illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold.
Operation Redwood
by S. Terrell French
The environmental movement is too often associated with white people. In Operation Redwood, a biracial boy challenges his rich relatives to look past the profit motive and protect an old-growth redwood grove on property they own.
Books for Middle-Grade Tweens
Two Degrees
by Alan Gratz
New to this list. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee, this fast-moving novel braids together three kids facing three climate disasters — a California wildfire, stranded polar bears in Manitoba, and a Florida hurricane — into one connected story. It won the 2023 Green Earth Young Adult Book Award and reads like a thriller, which makes it a strong pick for reluctant readers.
Gorilla Dawn
by Gill Lewis
Two children living in the Congo’s war zone risk everything to protect a captured baby gorilla from a life in captivity. Although not graphic, this book is intense. It addresses the impact of violence on children and wildlife and reveals the connection between the rare-earth minerals in consumer electronics and devastating destruction in Africa.
Squirm
by Carl Hiaasen
While not as overtly environmentalist as the well-known Hoot, Hiaasen’s eco-adventure features tween protagonists who care about animals and appreciate the natural world more than the adults around them — here, a Florida kid who heads to Montana to find his father and ends up tangling with poachers, a spy drone, and a grizzly. His characteristic irreverent humor is on full display.
The Last Wild
by Piers Torday
A boy who can talk to animals — but not people — fights against extinction in a world where a virus has wiped out nearly all wildlife. The first book in a gripping trilogy, it’s a natural conversation-starter about biodiversity loss and what a landscape looks like once the wild things are gone.
The Casket of Time
by Andri Snær Magnason
From poetry to nonfiction, books by Icelandic author Andri Snær Magnason are unified by environmental concern. Now available in English, his 2013 novel for tweens and teens, The Casket of Time, tells the story of Sigrun, a teenager whose TimeBox® opens too early. Her family entered the TimeBoxes to sleep out “the situation,” but now she finds herself among the few who are left awake to fix the world. Younger readers will enjoy his first children’s book, The Story of the Blue Planet.
Make the Most of Summer Reading
A few simple habits help these books do double duty — building reading stamina and environmental awareness at the same time:
- Read outside. Pairing a nature story with time in a backyard, park, or trail reinforces the connection the research points to between outdoor play and lifelong environmental care.
- Borrow before you buy. Most of these titles are available through your local library or its e-book app, which keeps reading low-cost and low-waste. Buy the keepers your kids want to read again.
- Talk about the action steps. Several of these books — The Tantrum That Saved the World, Two Degrees, Old Enough-style activist stories — end with concrete things kids can do. Pick one and try it together.
- Pass them on. When your family outgrows a book, donate it to a school, Little Free Library, or shelter so it keeps circulating instead of heading to the recycling bin.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by Gemma Alexander on May 10, 2019, and was most recently updated with new titles in June 2026.
The post Stop the Summer Reading Slide With Eco-Themed Kids’ Books appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/eco-themed-kids-books/
There’s something undeniably special about wearing uniquely handcrafted, fair trade jewelry that you can know was made slowly and thoughtfully with care. Equally special is wearing an elevated set of jewelry crafted with recycled materials and sustainable processes.
Whether you’re looking for an investment piece or more affordable pieces, there are options for any budget on this list. The aesthetics of these fair trade and sustainable jewelry brands also vary, so you’ll also be able to discover an ethical brand that matches your unique style.
What is Fair Trade Jewelry?
Fair trade can both be a general term used to describe a brand’s sourcing practices — like direct relationships with artisan cooperatives, wages above local standard rates, and safe working conditions — or a third-party “Fair Trade” verification through an organization like Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade USA, or World Fair Trade Organization. When a brand doesn’t have a certification, we verify a brand’s practices by their own published information.
In the cases where brands do go the extra mile and get a third-party verification for their fair trade practices, we’ve noted it directly in their entries.
Note that this guide includes affiliate links and partners. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for responsibility we love, and that we think you’ll love too!
2. Ana Luisa
Best for: affordable everyday jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown Diamonds, Small-Batch Production, Direct-to-Consumer
Ana Luisa creates stunning, elegant jewelry from responsibly-sourced materials including 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds. The sustainable jewelry brand also produces in small batches to minimize waste.
By using a direct-to-consumer model, Ana Luisa is able to provide luxury, high-quality jewelry at accessible prices.
3. Monica Vinader
Best for: recycled demi-fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Founded, Recycled Silver & Gold Vermeil, Traceable Gemstones, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Supply Chain Transparency
Price Range: $85 (studs) – $2,495 (diamond ring)
British jewelry brand Monica Vinader was one of the first brands to meet the gap between fashion jewelry and fine jewelry with their “demi fine” jewelry. The women-founded brand has necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings crafted from 100% recycled sterling silver and gold vermeil, fully traceable gemstones, and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds. Monica Vinader also launched Product Passports, taking an active effort towards full supply chain transparency.
4. WorldFinds
Best for: unique statement jewelry with a story
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Upcycled Materials, Artisan-Made
WorldFinds provides sustainable employment and just wages for hundreds of women artisans in India and Bali. These artisans handcraft both sleek metal fair trade jewelry and unique recycled Kantha pieces. WorldFinds is Verified by the Fair Trade Federation, which assesses members against fair trade principles including fair wages, safe conditions, and transparent supply chains.
Plus WorldFinds’ signature Kantha jewelry is made from upcycling materials: wood scraps from a furniture factory and locally sourced Kantha fabric remnants.
5. Astor + Orion
Best for: drop earrings and charm necklaces with symbolism
Conscious Qualities: Certified Ethical Factory, Recycled Materials, Designed for Recyclability, Repair Program
Ethical jewelry brand Astor + Orion sources their jewelry from a factory with multiple certifications ensuring worker safety, fair production practices, and responsible environmental management. Astor + Orion’s stunning jewelry is made from recycled materials and designed in a way to make it easily recyclable! Their pieces also come with a quality assurance — the brand will repair any piece within 6 months of purchase.
6. Laura Elizabeth
Best for: non-toxic jewelry in organic shapes
Conscious Qualities: Locally Sourced Recycled Metals, Woman-Owned, Fair Wages, Safe Working Conditions
Price Range: $45 – $330
Crafted from recycled metals sourced locally in LA, Laura Elizabeth creates stand-out sustainable jewelry. All of the brand’s jewelry is sourced ethically from a small, woman-owned studio in Los Angeles that ensures reasonable working hours (35 hr/week), fair wages, and safe working conditions (such as proper ventilation). Check out more on Laura Elizabeth in this post!
The jewelry is also non-toxic, free of cadmium or lead.
7. Ten Thousand Villages
Best for: giftable fair trade jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Production, Artisan-Made
Price Range: $6 – $175
Founded in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is one of the fair trade pioneers and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the global network that verifies fair trade practices across its member organizations.
They’ve developed relationships with artisans around the world, providing valuable economic opportunities for thousands of makers in 30 countries around the world. Their marketplace has handmade necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, along with a variety of other fair trade goods.
8. Edge of Ember
Best for: gemstone jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Gold & Silver, Artisan-Made, Ethical Production
Price Range: $49 (ear cuff) – $2,730 (diamond tennis bracelet)
Edge of Ember’s timeless jewelry is responsibly crafted by makers working in artisan groups and small-scale factories. Their delicate necklaces, bracelets, rings, and other pieces are crafted by skilled artisans in India, Hong Kong, Germany, and Thailand. The brand carries out independent social audits to ensure ethical working conditions and environmental responsibility.
Edge of Ember has a wide selection of recycled gold and silver rings, bracelets, and necklaces adorned with stunning gemstones, including many birthstone jewelry options perfect for gifting.
9. Aurate
Best for: ethical diamond fine jewelry
Conscious Qualities: 100% Recycled Gold, Lab-Grown & Conflict-Free Diamonds, Vintage Collection
Price Range: $18 (stainless steel chain) – $19,000 (diamond tennis necklace)
Responsibly-sourced quality jewelry — that’s Aurate’s promise. The jewelry brand’s sleek, timeless pieces are thoughtfully made by seventh-generation craftspeople using 100% recycled gold and lab-grown or conflict-free diamonds.
Aurate also has a curated collection of vintage fine jewelry from cocktail watches to signet rings up to 50% off.
10. SOKO
Best for: modern, minimalist artisan-made jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Above-Market Artisan Wages, Black-Owned
Price Range: $78 – $298
SOKO is an innovative Black-owned ethical jewelry brand using mobile tools to bridge the barriers for artisan entrepreneurs in Kenya. In partnership with SOKO, independent artisans can operate a “virtual factory”, earning 5x more than an average artisan workshop in their local areas.
The jewelry is made with 24K gold or silver-plated brass — an affordable metal that also happens to consist of 90% recycled content on average. Other materials include reclaimed horn and bone, locally-sourced teak wood offcuts, and ceramic beads made by a fair trade women’s collective in Kenya.
10. Raven + Lily
Best for: affordable artisan jewelry
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Verified, Artisan-Made, Women-Led
Price Range: $40 – $240
Raven + Lily is an ethical fashion and jewelry brand verified Fair Trade by the Fair Trade Federation. The women-led brand partners with artisan women around the world who use natural materials to craft both classic, elegant pieces and statement jewelry.
11. NAKIIT
Best for: one-of-a-kind, solo-handcrafted pieces
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Recycled Silver & Gold, Zero-Waste Scrap Recycling
Price Range: $21 – $485
As a small, slow-minded jewelry brand, NAKIIT’s founder + owner handcrafts each piece with intention. In fact, every piece of jewelry the brand sells is made by the founder herself!
Nearly all of NAKIIT’s ethically-made jewelry is either made-to-order or one-of-a-kind, ensuring a minimal ecological impact and the highest attention to quality.
As if we could love this brand even more, NAKIIT also sources recycled sterling silver and gold, plus recycles any remaining metal scraps or dust after production.
You May Also Want to Check Out:
Best Fair Trade Fashion Brands With Style and Heart
Affordable Ethical Fashion Brands
Consciously Curated Marketplaces for One-Stop Ethical Shopping
The post 11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
11 Best Fair Trade and Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Shine
It’s time to leave fast fashion in the dust — with one-of-a-kind designs, quality fabrics, and the assurance your dollars are supporting a more responsible fashion industry, these slow fashion brands are sure to win you over.
Before we go any further, though, I think we need to clarify what exactly slow fashion is…
What Do I Mean By “Slow Fashion?”
Slow fashion is about being more mindful and thoughtful about how clothing (and other fashion items) are being produced, how they’re being purchased, and how they’re being used/worn.
Instead of mass-producing trend-driven garments cheaply and quickly, slow fashion production is about creating a piece to last by using high-quality materials, transitional designs (i.e. they migth be contemporary but they’re not super “trendy”), and durable construction.
For individuals, slow fashion purchasing habits means buying less, but better. A slow fashion mindset is all about choosing well — it’s about picking well-made items that are built to last and also selecting pieces that fit your lifestyle and body well, to ensure they’ll not only be durable but will actually be useful for years to come.
Adopting slow fashion in your life, though, doesn’t necessarily have to mean spending money — this concept is also about slowing down to appreciate your clothes and closet. Slow fashion can mean wearing what you have as much as possible, mending and repairing worn clothing, or upcycling an even sewing your own clothes.
For more, read “What is Slow Fashion, Really?”
While slow fashion is a term that’s often used quite generally, it’s important to note that there are fast fashion brands that might have some organic or recycled clothing. Those did not make the list!
Slow fashion companies to me — and the criteria used to select brands for this guide — are brands that produce in smaller batches, make most of their pieces by hand, craft each piece with attention to detail and quality, and ideally, partner with skilled artisans, sewers, and craftspeople (who are of course fairly paid).
Now without further ado, here are our picks for…
My Top Picks for Slow Fashion Brands
To be clear: you do not need to purchase from slow fashion brands to participate in slow fashion. However, when the time comes that you want to add a new piece to your wardrobe, you probably want your dollars to go towards supporting responsible brands that are doing things better; that are producing with quality and intention.
You want to invest in pieces for the long-haul — and pieces that have a positive impact. And these slow fashion brands will help you do just that.
Note that this article features affiliate links which help us continue to run this independent site. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!