For many of us, 40 years is a lifetime ago. For our children, that’s many lifetimes ago. In this time frame, it is fair to say that few parents and no students in elementary school can recall the social or political climate surrounding the inception of Earth Day.

Thankfully, we don’t have to remember the origins to use the holiday as one more platform to instill a love of reading in our children or to partake in the celebration. Earth Day is right around the corner. This year, April 22 marks the 40th anniversary of an event that was designed to raise awareness and appreciation for the environment.

There are countless books to help our children connect with the environment, both global and local. Social values shift through the years. Accordingly, the importance and reception of Earth Day ebbs and flows, and books reflect the times. This may be especially true for subjects like Earth Day. Some of the books out there are preachy. Others are vague. Most importantly for our young readers, some are wonderful!

One of my favorites, and a timeless classic, is "Horton Hears a Who." Even many adult readers do not realize that Dr. Seuss is using Horton to send us a message about saving the Earth. We often read these books when we are very young and don’t pick them up again as we build an understanding of the world to connect to the books. Luckily, college, friends encouraging us to try new things, and animated versions of "Horton Hears a Who" and "The Lorax" conspire to bring us back to these great books. Armed with world knowledge and a new understanding of the good Dr. Seuss, we are ready to deliver these morsels of knowledge to the next generation.

Newer titles that rank as favorites for myself and my students include "City Green" by Dyanne DiSalvo Ryan, "Where Once there was a Wood" by Denise Fleming and "The Salamander Room" by Anne Mazer. Each, in its own way, provides a platform from which children and adults can think about their surroundings. For older readers, books by Carl Hiaasan - "Hoot," "Scat" and "Flush," and books by Lauren St. John - "The White Giraffe" and "Dolphin Song" are thrilling and mysterious adventures in which environmental issues and wildlife conservation are in the forefront.

The newest title added to my list of environment-conscious books is "Here Comes the Garbage Barge!" by Jonah Winter. It’s the fictionalized account of a 162-day journey of a garbage-laden barge from Islip, N.Y. in search of a place that will accept its trash. This story may well encourage readers to take recycling and reusing more seriously.

"Recycled Crafts Box : Sock puppets, cardboard castles, bottle bugs & 37 more earth-friendly projects & activities you can create" by Laura C. Martin is a fun book for those who crave a more hands-on approach to reuse. This book is full of cool activities and experiments for kids and their parents, babysitters or grandparents to try. The projects are clean enough to be completed indoors, but they are also simple enough to be done on a picnic table in the yard on a beautiful spring day.

Don’t forget to visit your public library, a perfect example of sharing resources and reusing materials. It is also a great place to find books about conservation of our planet, environmental issues, and recycled craft projects. Remember, your library books can be read anywhere, even outside in the sunshine!

Rachel Erdstein is the media specialist at Burns Park Elementary. She loves to read and share her love of reading with her students. She can be reached at rachelerdstein@gmail.com.