Publishers Weekly Review
| "When it comes to global warming and whether or not it's being caused by human actions, the verdict is in. There is no reasonable doubt." Heos (Stronger than Silk) doesn't mince words in this self-described "call to action," as she clearly and effectively details the greenhouse effect, the ice ages and mass extinctions of Earth's history, the scientific evidence behind climate change, the ways human activities contributes to it, and the politicization of the topic. Between chapters, "Be the Change" pages gather tips for those interested in reducing their own environmental impact, particularly where emissions are concerned (eat less meat, purchase more used goods). Well-researched and comprehensible, it's an alarming, but never alarmist, examination of a critical topic. Ages 12-up. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. |
School Library Journal Review
| Gr 6-9-Dismissing climate change skeptics as politically motivated, Heos surveys observational evidence that global warming is altering our "perfect world" and that the historically recent increases in our atmosphere's carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are due to human agency. She also presents ominous future scenarios featuring larger and more frequent storms, heat waves, and famines, plus rising tides of global warming "refugees" displaced by flooding coastlines. Along with tallying governmental and other broad initiatives designed to reduce the production of said gases, the author includes "Be the Change" suggestions that readers can undertake themselves. Though this work undeniably addresses an issue of serious universal concern, it's well behind the curve in the currency of its information; figures for atmospheric carbon dioxide are dated December 2013 but come from a site that updates weekly, for instance, and the author mentions only the 2012 winners of the Environmental Youth Awards. Few if any of the dated sources cited in the endnotes will be less than two years old by the time of publication. Moreover, young activists are unlikely to find anything new or inspirational in the generalized suggestions to take quicker showers, move the household thermostat up or down one degree, buy used clothing rather than new, and so forth. VERDICT Worthy but, at best, supplementary to the young readers' edition of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (Viking, 2007) and other more recent titles.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
