Renewing Energy

Children's Literature

What is the energy chain? What are fossil fuels? Are we really running out? In this well-written, if somewhat uneven installment of the "Our World: Our Future" series, Dalgleish explores the basic science of energy transference from sun to plants to animals to us, and some of the consequences of powering our world through fossil fuels. She also mentions alternative energy sources including solar, wind and nuclear. While not going into large amounts of details, she does cover many of basic problems, if few of the solutions that are being worked on worldwide. The book includes simple projects, one of which is "Cleaning up an oil slick." With all its good material, the book does have a flaw. Each page is packed. It includes not only the main text, but pictures, captions and boxed messages titled "You Can Do It!" or "Stop and Think!" These boxes ask young readers to focus on acting responsibly to the world. Because the pages are so crowded, the overall effect is distracting, even though the information itself is good. Included are sections titled Think Globally and Sustaining Our World as well as a glossary and an index. 2002, Chelsea House Publishers, Hansen