Onward: 16 Climate Fiction Short Stories to Inspire Hope

Carpenter (Fault Lines) curates a thought-provoking collection of 16 short stories in which teens navigate the complexities of growing up amid climate instability. Selections by authors including Rin Chupeco, Xelena González, Karina Iceberg, and more feature both realistic scenarios and speculative depictions of dystopian futures that confront present-day environmental challenges. Some, such as Erin Entrada Kelly’s “The Care and Feeding of Mother” and Aya de Leon’s “Critobis,” paint a grim picture of humankind’s legacy by portraying the complete destruction of the natural world and the collapse of civilization. Despite the somber subject matter, the offerings also inspire hope, showing teen protagonists acting against climate crises, whether by protecting animals, as seen in Carpenter’s own “Armadillo by Morning,” or cleaning up polluted waterways, detailed in Aleese Lin’s “Graveyard for the Sky.” Most affecting are stories based on true events, such as Jeff Zentner’s “Tellico Lake,” in which homes, sacred structures, and endangered species are devastated by dam construction. A foreword from the editor positions the collection as being inspired by the “severe anxiety over ecological devastation and disasters” experienced by contemporary youth, and affirms the power of storytelling to effect change. Extensive back matter concludes. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)