Sustainable Bookshelf Volume IV

It is our beloved annual tradition to turn to our friends at Longfellow Books in Portland and Royal River Books in Yarmouth for their top picks on recently published books about living with compassion for the planet. As always, they delivered! Here are beguiling lists for curious readers young and young-at-heart, covering a wide variety of topics, unified by their focus on tuning into the natural world, in all its bounty, wonder and complexity.

LB: recommended by Longfellow Books | RRB: recommended by Royal River Books


For adult readers

Audubon’s Animals: The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America

By John James Audubon; Introduction by Kristofer M. Helgen

This handsome boxed set includes a new edition of John James Audubon’s classic work on animals along with twenty-four facsimile prints suitable for framing. First published in 1854, Audubon’s portraits of the nation’s native mammals are still considered by many to include the finest animal prints ever published. –RRB

Audubon's Animals book cover

In Maine: Essays on Life’s Seasons

By John Cole

In Maine, like all Cole’s essays and books, draws from his fascination with the natural world, from commercial fishing in the waters off Long Island, New York, to chasing stripers in Casco Bay, Maine, to quietly observing the shifting winds that roll around the meadow and the annual change of seasons—a ritual he finds exhilarating. –RR

In Maine by John Cole book cover

Northland

By Porter Fox

Fox took three years to journey along America’s northern border, and this book is the result of his travels. His journey leads him to interact with border guards, Native American activists, “ordinary” residents and even militia leaders. Through Fox, we learn the northern border is as affected by issues of war, climate change and security as its southern counterpart. –LB

Northland by Porter Fox book cover

The New Portland, Maine Chef’s Table

By Margaret Hathaway; Photography by Karl Schatz

At this point, everyone knows that Portland is a hot restaurant destination, and this book beautifully captures the essence of some of the city’s most popular eateries. With stunning photographs and clearly written recipes, Hathaway and photographer husband Karl Schatz bring Portland’s best restaurants into your kitchen. –LB

The New Portland Maine Chef's Table by Margaret Hathaway book cover

Underland: A Deep Time Journey

By Robert Macfarlane

Macfarlane’s most recent book explores the connections between humans and their landscapes by looking at what is happening under our feet. Ranging from caves to tree roots, bunkers to subterranean rivers, Macfarlane opens our eyes to a part of the world most of us rarely consider but which influences so much of our existence. –RRB & LB

National Geographic The Photo Ark
Vanishing: The World’s Most Vulnerable Animals

By Joel Sartore; Foreword by Elizabeth Kolbert

As part of the Photo Ark project to document the world’s animals, the animals featured in this photo collection, are either destined for extinction or already extinct in the wild but still alive today, thanks to the dedication of a heroic group committed to their continued survival. –RRB

The Photo Ark Vanishing by Joel Sartore book cover

Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have

By Tatiana Schlossberg

Schlossberg’s take on climate change is not simply a rehashing of the same information we all know—fossil fuels are bad. Instead, she delves into the ways that everything around us is connected to the environment and how our decisions play into global change. With a light approach and a dry sense of humor, Schloosberg shows that we, as voters and consumers, have power to affect the environment. –LB

Inconspicuous Conumption by Tatiana Schlossberg  book cover

For younger readers

Running Wild

By Lucy Jane Bledsoe

Twelve-year-old Willa and her twin brothers have survived with their father in the Alaskan wilderness for five years. But Willa knows this can’t go on—they must escape. –RRB

Running WIld by Lucy Jane Bledsoe book cover

The Magical Unicorn Society: A Brief History of Unicorns

By Selwyn E. Phipps

From the story of the 17th century sailors rescued from pirates by Water Moon unicorns to the mystery about the girls who believed they’d discovered a Woodland Flower unicorn in modern-day Central Park, this book shares some of the most amazing stories of humanity’s experiences alongside these magical creatures. –RRB

A Brief History of Unicorns by Selwyn E. Phipps book cover

Hey, Water!

By Antoinette Portis

A spunky little girl plays a spirited game of hide-and-seek with water in this gorgeously illustrated nonfiction picture book. As the girl discovers water in nature, in weather, in her home and even inside her own body, water comes to life, and kids will find excitement and joy in water and its many forms. –RRB

Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis book cover

Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest

By Peter Wohlleben

The children’s adaptation of Wohlleben’s best-selling Hidden Life of Treesis a fascinating, approachable look at how trees communicate. Filled with scientific principles and activities explained in a manner that kids will relate to, this book teaches without talking down. –LB

Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben book cover

SunriseGuide 2020 book cover

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Green & Healthy Maine is published by TheSunriseGuide, LLC. This article originally ran in the 2020 SunriseGuide.

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