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Protecting the Planet: Environmental Activism

Name: Protecting the Planet: Environmental Activism
Author: Pamela Dell
ISBN: 9780756542481

by Pamela Dell

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Overview

Earth is getting warmer, and its plants and animals are at risk. How will they survive the change in climate? What can you do to help? Send a petition. Eat organic. Buy in bulk. Turn off the lights. Even small changes can help preserve and protect the planet and its inhabitants. Join the Green Generation. Together we can make a world of difference.

Synopsis

Children's Literature

Pamela Dell's eloquent writing style captures the solemnity of a planet in crisis. Her text includes seven chapters which highlight various components of environmental activism, including air, water, ground, forests, animals, and future. Referencing the first satellite photographs of earth taken from the Apollo 17 back in 1972, she introduces the planet as a "beautiful blue marble." Many shocking statistics are presented, including that the United States, with just five percent of the world's population, creates thirty percent of the world's waste. Dell also cites relevant governmental acts and laws. Her writing style is directed at a more mature, middle-school audience, though the book's message would be appropriate for any reader. The book encourages accountability with a serious tone. Photographs and graphics are used, but the focus is definitely on the narrative nature of the text. Practical methods of environmental activism are suggested, including "adopting" a local endangered species, slowing down on highways to spare crossing animals, boycotting products that come from threatened species or habitats, and creating a wildlife-friendly backyard. Dell offers some fresh perspectives of environmental activism that transcend the usual. Reviewer: Jennifer Keeney

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Editorials

VOYA - Caitlin Augusta

This series presents lively, current introductions to environmental topics, while taking an unabashedly pro-green stance and stating environmental problems as the responsibility of each person to help solve. Each title uses a conversational style to convey information to students alongside photographs, charts, and sidebars for further information. The titles include further reading and suggested Web sites at http://www.facthound.com. The informational text is enlivened by stories and quotations. Alternative Energy introduces five forms of non-fossil-fuel energy, presenting the scientific concepts at work as well as the pros and cons of each type of energy in a clear, repetitive format. The book concludes with ways students can save energy as another "alternative energy" source. Describing each concept as it is presented, this series entry makes a good introductory resource to the topic. Protecting the Planet is subtitled "Environmental Activism," but it functions as a status update to the quality of the world's air, water, soil, forests, and animals. Once it outlines the problems facing each of these environmental areas, the book discusses ways students can make positive improvements. As with Alternative Energy, this book works better as an introduction than as a comprehensive resource; however, it directly addresses readers and will draw them into the concepts so that they will wish to seek out further resources for reports and papers. For institutions wishing to bolster their environmental sections, this series will provoke discussion and a solid foundation for research. Reviewer: Caitlin Augusta

Children's Literature - Jennifer Keeney

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9– Strong visual appeal is this series' best asset. The cover design, layout, and graphics feel hip and of the moment. The clear writing is easy to understand and includes many concrete examples of environmentally friendly practices. Rather than focusing on a small, specific aspect of issues, these chatty narratives take a broader approach, with chapters covering everything from the Clean Air Act (Protecting the Planet) and the politics of global warming (Climate Fever) to using energy-efficient light bulbs (Green Living) and how hydropower works (Alternative Energy). Although there are many charts, tables, and photographs, diagrams are strangely absent from the texts. Nevertheless, these are good choices for both leisure reading and reports.