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The 2026 Book Nook
These books were displayed at the 2026 Education Tent on Illinois Summer Nights in the Book Nook. This list is not complete. Other books on the market are also accurate and a good source of information. This list will give you a good starting point to find reliable and accurate information to read to youth and children. This list does not represent endorsement to any book or author by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Books listed under the various reading ages can be read either at the level above or below depending on the child.
Youngest Readers (2 to 5 years)
About Bats by Sindy McKay
Barn Owls by Quinn Arnold
Daylight, Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor
Discovering the Hidden World of Nature at Night by Lenka Chytilova
Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery by Jennifer Ward
Forest Bright, Forest Night by Jennifer Ward
The Night Walk by Marie Dorleans
Young Readers (4 to 8 years)
A Place for Bats by Melissa Stewart
Badgers After Dark by Heather Moore Niver
Barn Owls by Quinn Arnold
Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester
Coyotes After Dark by Heather Moore Niver
Daylight, Starlight Wildlife by Wendell Minor
Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery by Jennifer Ward
Luna Moth: Creatures of the Night by Quinn Arnold
Molly the Owl: The True Story of a Common Barn Owl that Ends Up Being Not So Common After All by Eric Blehm
Night Creatures: Animals that Swoop, Crawl, and Creep While You Sleep by Rebecca Hirsch
Night Creepers by Linda Stanek
Night Owl Night by Susan Edwards Richmond
One Small Square: Night Skies by Donald M. Silver
Nighttime Animals (DK Super Readers Level 1) by DK
Opossums After Dark by Heather Moore Niver
The Night Walk by Marie Dorleans
The Wild Moonlight by Linda Blackmoor
Where are the Night Animals (level 1) by Mary Ann Fraser
Whoo-Ku Haiku: A Great Horned Owl Story by Maria Gianferrari
Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls by Annette Whipple
Middle Readers (9 to12 years)
Animals at Night by Anne Jankeliowitch
A Place for Bats by Melissa Stewart
Badgers After Dark by Heather Moore Niver
Can you Hear the Trees Talking? Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben
In the Dark: The Science of What Happens at Night by Lisa Deresti Betik
Night Creatures: Animals that Swoop, Crawl, and Creep While You Sleep by Rebecca Hirsch
Night Creepers by Linda Stanek
Opossums After Dark by Heather Moore Niver
Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night by Mark Wilson
The Bat Scientists by Marh Kay Carson
The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bat by Sandra Markle
Through the Night Sky by Anita Ganeri
Wait Till It gets Dark: A Kid’s Guide to Exploring the Night by Anita Sanchez
Older Readers (11 to15 years)
Bugwatching: The Art, Joy, and Importance of Observing Insects by Eric Eaton
Chasing Bats and Tracking Rats: Urban Ecology, Community Science, and How We Share Our Cities by Cylita Guy
Owling: Enter the World of the Mysterious Birds of the Night by Mark Wilson
The Bat Scientists by Marh Kay Carson
Adult & Youth (15+ years)
Bugwatching: The Art, Joy, and Importance of Observing Insects by Eric Eaton
Summer World by BerndHenrich
The Bat House Guide by Merlin Tutle
The Secret Lives of Bats by Merlin Tutle
