Families who loved Rootless by Chris Howard often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your teenager expresses anxiety about climate change or the environmental legacy of previous generations. It is a striking entry point for discussions about conservation and human resilience in the face of scarcity. In a world where real trees are a distant myth, seventeen year old Banyan builds metal forests for the wealthy while searching for his missing father. His journey into the wasteland brings him face to face with flesh eating insects and treacherous pirates, but also the hope that nature can be reclaimed. While the world is bleak and the action is intense, it is ultimately a story about finding the courage to grow something new in a dying world. It is best suited for older teens comfortable with visceral imagery and complex moral choices.