CurriConnects Book List - Weather, Climate, and Earth's Atmosphere
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Weather, Climate, and Earth's Atmosphere
Brace yourself for the weather in these books about storm phenomena, weather disasters, climate change, and weather’s causes and effects. Encourage students to select from this list for independent reading during a unit on disasters, weather, or the Earth’s atmosphere. They will “weather” tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and more. Keep this list handy when major storms fill the news, as well. Help students make sense of current weather events.
Preschool and Picture Books
Brave Irene - William Steig, (978-0312564223), Fiction
Interest level: K-4, Lexile: 630
Irene braves a storm to bring the duchess her new ball gown.
Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather - Bruce Koscielniak, (978-0395883983), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 550
The groundhog tries to see his shadow on February second, but the multiple camera flashes blind him.
Heat Wave - Eileen Spinelli, (015-216779X), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 610
Lumberville's population suffers and struggles during a summer heat wave that lasts a week.
Little Cloud - Eric Carle, (978-0399231919), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 390
A cloud changes itself into interesting shapes before joining others and beginning to rain.
Little Cloud and Lady Wind - Toni Morrison, (978-1416985235), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 550
Little Cloud's independence from the other destructive clouds leads her to become closer to other natural elements.
Noah's Bark - Stephen Krensky, (978-0822576457), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 470
Noah finds a separate sound for each animal as he loads them onto his life-saving ark.
Northern Lights A to Z - Mindy Dwyer, (978-1570615153), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2
This book, an introduction to the Aurora Borealis, explains many facts and legends about it by going through the letters of the alphabet.
Otis and the Tornado - Loren Long, (978-0399254772), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 760
Otis the tractor comes to the rescue, helping all the farm animals, even the mean bull, during a tornado strike.
Rain - Marion Bauer, (978-0689854392), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 170
This book explores how rain forms and how it is used.
The Rain Came Down - David Shannon, (978-0439050210), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 370
Grumpy, quarreling community members spat when there is a rain shower.
The Snow Globe Family - Jane O'Connor, (978-0142412428), Fiction
Interest level: K-12, Lexile: 660
A real family contrasts with a tiny family living in a snow globe but both share positive expectations about the coming snow.
When the Wind Stops - Charlotte Zolotow, (978-0064434720), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 490
A mother and son talk about how rain is both the result and the beginning of clouds as are other things in nature both the beginning and the end for each other.
Winter's Gift - Jane Monroe Donovan, (978-1585362318), Fiction
Interest level: K-1, Lexile: 770
A bereaved farmer finds new meaning in life after he delivers a wild colt during a blizzard.
Wuthering Heights - Jennifer Adams, (978-1423631736), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-1
This book introduces weather phenomena using characters from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.
Early Elementary Books
Amanda Pig and the Really Hot Day - Jean Van Leeuwen, (978-0142407752), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 290
Amanda starts pouring lemonade as one way to live with the extreme heat.
April Fool, Phyllis! - Susanna Leonard Hill, (978-0823422708), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 500
Punxsutawney Phyllis' forecast for a blizzard on Spring Treasure Hunt Day, April first, sets everyone to thinking she is trying to play a joke on them.
Aurora: A Tale of the Northern Lights - Mindy Dwyer, (978-0882405490), Fiction
Interest level: 1-4, Lexile: 800
Read about the origin of the Northern Lights.
Buzz Beaker and the Cool Caps - Cari Meister, (978-1434230553), Fiction
Interest level: 2-3, Lexile: 280
Buzz comes up with a way for everyone to keep cool during a hot weather period after the air conditioner goes on the fritz.
Cloud Dance - Thomas Locker, (978-0152045968), Fiction
Interest level: K-5, Lexile: 490
Clouds change shapes and float across a beautiful sky in this relaxing but informative book.
Clouds - Marion Bauer, (978-0689854415), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 360
Readers learn about the three main types of clouds.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Judi Barrett, (978-0689306471), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 730
The weather in Chewandswallow includes soup, juice, and even mashed potatoes raining down from the sky.
Groundhog Weather School - Joan Holub, (978-0399246593), Fiction
Interest level: K-4, Lexile: 630
Groundhog starts a school so others can help him predict the weather and say when spring will come.
Hayley the Rain Fairy - Daisy Meadows, (978-0439813921), Fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 630
Hayley's lost feather will help stop the flooding rain.
Hero of Hawaii - Graham Salisbury, (978-0375865053), Fiction
Interest level: 1-4, Lexile: 460
Calvin comes to the rescue when a nearby river floods as a result of a recent hurricane.
It's Raining, It's Pouring - Andrea Spalding, (978-1551432298), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 440
Little Girl ventures up into the clouds to try and help the old man who controls the weather when he is down with a virus.
On Noah's Ark - Jan Brett, (978-0399240287), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 420
In this version of the classic Noah's ark myth, Noah's granddaughter helps bring pairs of animals into the ark for the 40 days of the Biblical flood.
Polar Bear Puzzle - Amanda Lumry, (978-0545068383), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 940
An extended family meets up to observe the polar bear migration in Northern Canada which has changed due to global warming.
River Friendly, River Wild - Jane Kurtz, (978-1416934875), Fiction
Interest level: K-4, Lexile: 400
A family must evacuate during a flood; their return home is more appreciated than ever before.
The Big Bad Blizzard - Gail Herman, (978-0439788106), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 350
Scooby-Doo and Shaggy find themselves in the middle of a blizzard and separated from the rest of their gang.
The Last Polar Bear - Jean Craighead George, (978-0061240683), Fiction
Interest level: K-2
A young Inuit boy tries to provide a safe home environment for a polar bear cub which has lost its mother.
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge - Joanna Cole, (978-0590108263), Non-fiction
Interest level: K-5, Lexile: 610
Mrs. Frizzle's class accompanies her on a series of stops around the world to witness the effects of climate change.
The Schoolchildren's Blizzard - Marty Rhodes Figley, (978-1575056197), Fiction
Interest level: 1-4, Lexile: 430
A wise schoolteacher saves many of her young students during a fierce Nebraska blizzard in this story based on the life of teacher Minnie Freeman.
The Storm Book - Charlotte Zolotow, (978-0064431941), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 1030
Clouds build up on a hot day and a storm and then a rainbow result in this beautifully descriptive book.
Thunder Rose - Jerdine Nolen, (978-0152060060), Fiction
Interest level: K-3, Lexile: 910
Thunder Rose is born to control the weather in this modern version of a tall tale.
Too Much Rain - Fran Manushkin, (978-1404854949), Fiction
Interest level: K-2, Lexile: 430
Katie and her parents have to sleep in a shelter after their area floods.
Twister Trouble - Anne Schreiber, (978-0439204194), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-3, Lexile: 520
Mrs. Frizzle inadvertently heads her class into a real tornado on their way to an amusement park.
Upper Elementary to Middle School Books
Anna's Blizzard - Alison Hart, (978-1561453498), Fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 570
Anna's ineptitude at school work does not matter when she helps her classmates weather through the famous 1888 Children's Blizzard.
Blizzard!: A Survive! Story - Jake Maddox, (978-1434212061), Fiction
Interest level: 5-9, Lexile: 420
Owen and Gray must find their way through a violent snowstorm to get back to safety.
Blown Away - Jean Harlow, (978-1416907824), Fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 890
As the water rises in Galveston, Texas in 1900, Sam and his friends are unsure of their fate.
Cabin in the Snow - Deborah Hopkinson, (978-0689843518), Fiction
Interest level: K-5, Lexile: 500
Charlie tends to everyone in their countryside Kansas cabin during a huge blizzard.
City of the Dead - T. Neill Anderson, (978-1580895149), Fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 890
Galvestonians struggle to survive the flood that results from the Galveston hurricane of 1900.
Escaping the Giant Wave - Peg Kehret, (978-0689852732), Fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 750
Kyle wants to save everyone he can after a post-tsunami earthquake hits his family's resort.
Everything KIDS Weather Book - Joe Snedeker, (978-1440550362), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-8
This non-fiction book about weather for young children presents its information with fun facts, puzzles, and games.
Flood Warning - Jacqueline Pearce, (978-1459800687), Fiction
Interest level: 2-5, Lexile: 590
Tom amazes himself with his courage when he struggles to save the family's cows during a flood.
National Geographic Kids Everything Weather - Kathy Furgang, (978-1426310584), Non-fiction
Interest level: 3-7
This book presents lots of fascinating details, photos, and examples about weather dynamics and results.
Ninth Ward - Jewell Parker Rhodes, (978-0316043083), Fiction
Interest level: 4-12, Lexile: 470
Although Lanesha predicted the hurricane, no one had any idea how serious the storm would be for her and her grandmother.
One Day in the Prairie - Jean Craighead George, (978-0064420396), Fiction
Interest level: 3-6, Lexile: 800
The prairie animals begin to prepare for an oncoming storm as they sense it beforehand.
Operation Typhoon Shore - Joshua Mowll, (978-0763638085), Fiction
Interest level: 4-8, Lexile: 830
A brother and sister set off in their uncle's ship in search of a gyrolabe to help find their missing parents despite the looming typhoon.
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach - Brenda Woods, (978-0142421864), Fiction
Interest level: 3-12, Lexile: 660
Saint, a young boy, finds his dog Shadow and accompanies the pet and an older acquaintance to a hurricane shelter during Hurricane Katrina.
Storm Mountain - Tom Birdseye, (978-0823421305), Fiction
Interest level: 2-8, Lexile: 740
Two cousins fear for their lives while trapped in a Cascade blizzard with good reason; their fathers died in the same place two years earlier.
The Dreamer's Legacy - Celu Amberstone, (978-0978499891), Fiction
Interest level: 3-4
Although Tasimu has some control over the Northern Lights, his search for his lost parents is interrupted by the Empire's Soldiers.
The Fire Eternal - Chris d'Lacey, (978-0545051644), Fiction
Interest level: 5-8, Lexile: 680
Alexa tries to save the universe from awakening forces of evil after the warming climate leads to the melting of icecaps and increasingly warmer weather.
The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting - Mark Breen, (978-0824968236), Non-fiction
Interest level: 2-8
Readers learn about weather forecasting and the tools and science that helps scientists refine their skills predicting.
The Legend of Zoey - Candie Moonshower, (978-0440239246), Fiction
Interest level: 4-7, Lexile: 650
Zoey relates her time travel adventure back to New Madrid, MO in 1811 in her diary; she meets another girl who is pioneering in the early time.
The Storm Makers - Jennifer Smith, (978-0316179591), Fiction
Interest level: 2-6, Lexile: 940
Pre-teen twins seem to be able to affect weather happenings in rural Wisconsin, so they join up with others who share this uncanny ability.
Twister on Tuesday - Mary Pope Osborne, (978-0679890690), Fiction
Interest level: 3-4, Lexile: 310
Jack and Annie learn about prairie life in their latest time travel adventure when they fly to Kansas and experience a real tornado.
Typhoon Island - Franklin Dixon, (978-0689858840), Fiction
Interest level: 4-6
The Hardy Boys vacation turns out to be quite challenging rather than relaxing with their bad luck, the presence of a typhoon, and an unsolved mystery.
Under the Weather - Tony Bradman, ed., (978-1845079444), Fiction
Interest level: 4-8, Lexile: 750
This series of stores explores different aspects of climate change.
Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming - Jean Davies Okimoto, (978-0989429108), Fiction
Interest level: 1-3
Winston the polar bear tries to help tourists, who come to see the Hudson Bay polar bears, understand the decrease in time the bears have to look for food each year.
Middle School to Young Adult Books
After the Snow - S.D. Crockett, (978-0312641696), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 700
The new ice age is the only thing Willo has ever known, and he must use his survival skills to try to locate his family who vanished from a frozen mountain home.
Arctic Homestead - Norma Cobb, (978-0312283797), Non-fiction
Interest level: 7-12
One family moves to Alaska and experiences all its beauty, weather, and other challenges.
Chasing The Storm - Ron Miller, (978-1467712842), Non-fiction
Interest level: 8-12
Follow a storm chaser on the job and see how he works with weather men to predict the weather and save people.
Emperors of the Ice - Richard Farr, (978-0374319755), Fiction
Interest level: 7-12, Lexile: 1050
A young member of a real Antarctic expedition tells the fictionalized story of their adventure which included weather disasters, penguin research, polar conditions, and killer whales among other tantalizing features.
Empty - Suzanne Weyn, (978-0545172790), Fiction
Interest level: 5-12, Lexile: 790
Senior high students take a big step toward helping society change its destruction of natural resources and the environment.
Forces of Nature - Catherine O'Neill Grace, (978-0792263289), Non-fiction
Interest level: 7-12, Lexile: 1080
Scientist interviews give information people need to know about large weather events.
Love in the Time of Global Warming - Francesca Lia Block, (978-0805096279), Fiction
Interest level: 7-12, Lexile: 850
Penelope must try to scavenge what is left of her life after a mind-numbing earthquake destroys her home and family.
Shackleton's Stowaway - Victoria McKernan, (978-0440419846), Fiction
Interest level: 5-12, Lexile: 740
Told from the point of view of a teen stowaway, the real story of Shackleton's great adventure becoming ice-locked in Antarctica comes to life in this fictionalized account of the real thing.
The Carbon Diaries 2017 - Saci Lloyd, (978-0823423903), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 690
Laura's diary of her first university year reflects the growing climate change and carbon dioxide rationing that England is trying as a result of the changes.
The White Horse Trick - Kate Thompson, (978-0062004161), Fiction
Interest level: 6-12, Lexile: 840
Cataclysmic climate fluctuations and the increasing refugee problem in Ireland resulting from it have changed lives for Tir na n'Og forever.
We are the Weather Makers - Tim Flannery, (978-0763646561), Non-fiction
Interest level: 8-12, Lexile: 1280
This book presents the history and future of climate change and suggests ways people can prevent a global catastrophe.
Weather Witch - Shannon Delany, (978-1250018519), Fiction
Interest level: 7-12
The Weather Witches give the earth its power and control the effects of the weather in a tightly controlled dystopia.