Introducting the Climate Hope Book List: A resource for teachers and carers with primary age children

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Threads in the Ground is a new climate hope organisation, set up with the support of New Writing North. We’re working to connect 8 million more people to climate hope by 2030. Part of that work is to connect more communities with climate change ideas through children.

With nearly 3 in 4 teachers saying they lack training and support in climate change education [i], we want to help primary teachers start planting seeds of climate literacy, climate hope, and connection to nature. But many teachers told us they needed a starting point – a book list!

We have curated the Climate Hope Book List to be inspiring, inclusive, and beautiful. The books are a wonderful starting point to begin connecting day-to-day lessons with climate change ideas and action.

We humans are not good at thinking when we’re scared. Complex problems can’t be solved by fight or flight. Rather than fear, our best selves emerge from hope – a belief in the possibility of better things. Climate anxiety isn’t a disorder, it’s a logical way to feel after 5 minutes of reading into the state of things [ii]. But the fear on its own isn’t helpful – has it helped you?

The medium of story is a powerful tool, not just for fostering creativity, but for enabling people to envisage a brighter future. Often fictional storytelling and using our imagination, is relegated to being a rather frivolous thing, the airy-fairy pastime of a daydreamer. But to me – imagination is hope at its core. The part of our humanity that allows us to see through the sometimes overwhelming darkness, and beyond to that better place. It’s the driving force that gives us the will to make real change happen. – Lucy Farfort, Author – In Our Hands

It will take nothing short of a total renaissance of global society and systems to reverse the climate and biodiversity crises. The task of reinventing our species, our relationship with the natural world, is the greatest storytelling challenge in our history. What an incredible time to be a storyteller.

Here at Threads we understand that we cannot expect the next generation to care about their environment if they do not have a love of the outside, feeling the wind on their faces and the mud under their feet. That’s why we have selected some books to do just that, to inspire little minds to explore the wonders of nature.

Children are curious, creative, imaginative, empathic, and adaptive, especially when caregivers are able to offer a nurturing education and environment. These qualities are essential for building a hopeful future in the face of climate change. A love of nature and the desire to care for it can begin at any moment, even in the smallest of places and spaces. When we encourage children to actively observe and connect to the natural world through play and participation, we enhance their well-being. This, in turn, helps children develop their capacity to be a source of positive change in the world. – Gemma Kooman, Author – The Tree Keepers

We are developing a publicly accessible Google Drive with draft lesson plans and resources built around the book list, which any teacher is welcome to contribute to. More info to come on the Threads website here.

Keep up to date with Climate Hope projects and resources at www.threadsintheground.com and @threadsintheground

[i] https://www.sos-uk.org/post/nearly-three-quarters-of-teachers-lack-training-on-climate-change

[ii] https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/news/psychiatrist-urges-families-to-take-climate-anxiety-seriously/