How to Be a Good Creature

A parent should reach for this book when their child is navigating the loss of a pet or searching for their place in the world. This memoir by naturalist Sy Montgomery explores how thirteen different animals, from dogs and pigs to octopuses and spiders, taught her how to be a better human. It is a deeply moving collection of stories that addresses heavy themes like grief and depression alongside the wonder of scientific discovery. While the content is sophisticated, its message about empathy and the interconnectedness of all life provides a comforting roadmap for older children and teens who feel a deep, sometimes isolating, bond with nature. It is a beautiful choice for normalizing intense emotional sensitivity and finding secular meaning in the cycles of life and death.