Tag Archives: Recycling

MG – Total Garbage: A Messy Dive Into Trash, Waste, and Our World

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Donnelly, Rebecca. Total Garbage: A Messy Dive Into Trash, Waste, and Our World. Henry Holt & Co, 2023. 978-1-250-76076038-8. 156 p. $21.99. Grades 5-8.

Donnelly tackles an everyday reality: garbage, and answers questions such as: What is garbage? Where does it come from? Why do we make so much? Where does it go? What can we learn from our garbage? How bad is our garbage problem? And how can we do better? Trash is complicated, and whether it ends up in a landfill, incinerator, recycling center or compost heap, it doesn’t really go ‘away.’ Using first person plural we and and direct address (“take a look at your kitchen trash”), Donnelly establishes a friendly tone through the ordinary and unknown trash realities. Occasional line drawings by John Hendrix help to lighten the heavy load.  Along the way, readers will learn facts ranging from disgusting to simply sobering, facts like: early garbage piles in Paris were so large that troops had difficulty seeing around them, decomposing garbage produces toxic gas, recycling has not been the solution we hoped for, there are many ocean garbage ‘patches,’ planned obsolescence increases profits and trash, and much more. This book explains new terms like MSW, fatbergs, fast fashion, materials recovery facility (MRF), downcycling, middens, mudlarks and toshers, and the rag-and-doll man. The result is a complete look at garbage and ways we can confront our garbage problem.

THOUGHTS: Donnelly covers all the facts on global trash yet maintains a hopeful tone for readers, resulting in a very useful book. This title could work well with Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics by Jennie Romer (2021).

628.4 Conservation & Environment

Elem./MG – Be the Change: Rob Greenfield’s Call to Kids: Making a Difference in a Messed-Up World

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Greenfield, Rob, and Antonia Banyard. Be the Change: Rob Greenfield’s Call to Kids: Making a Difference in a Messed-Up World. Greystone Kids, 2022. 978-1-771-64591-1. 87 p. $18.95. Grades 4-6.

This book is a blend of autobiographical information about the author, Rob Greenfield, and environmental activism facts and challenges. Rob Greenfield has a popular Youtube channel where he completes challenges such as growing all his own food for a year, or biking across the country on a bamboo bicycle, in order to raise awareness about environmental and sustainability issues. This book is an extension of his online media work and details the ways in which he has tried to live more sustainability and simply while also helping  kids to understand ideas like minimalism, recycling, food availability, and the global impact of different types of transportation.

THOUGHTS: This is an easy to read guide with a friendly tone and beautifully designed pages. The inspirational actions of Rob Greenfield make the book feel positive, even when delivering messages about world-wide issues like climate change, food shortages, and feeling disconnected from one’s community. The ideas in each chapter will be welcomed by students looking for ways to contribute positively to the world around them. Bright sidebars, bold text features, and short paragraphs with lots of pictures and white space on each page make the text an approachable read for upper elementary and middle school students alike.

333.72 Environmentalism and Conservation          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD

Elem. – One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey

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Cole, Henry. One Little Bag: An Amazing Journey. Scholastic Press, 2020. 978-1-338-35997-8. 48 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

This wordless book takes readers on one paper bag’s journey from the forest, through a lifetime of different uses, and ultimately back to the forest. Opening spreads depict woods full of trees, and readers watch as one tree is chopped down, loaded onto a truck, and delivered to a sawmill. The tree is turned into a paper bag, and it’s journey continues when a small boy and his father use the bag to carry a flashlight home from the store. The bag is used over and over again through the years to carry lunches, sheet music, tools, snacks, an engagement ring, flower petals, toy blocks, and seashells. The bag passes through generations until it is ultimately used to plant a tiny evergreen tree. Even though this story doesn’t include any words, there is plenty to discuss and infer. Illustrations were created with an ink pen, and the only spot color is the brown paper bag and the red hearts that accumulate on the bag throughout the story. Thoughtful readers will pore over the illustrations, noting details such as woodland creatures, newspaper headlines, and family portraits. An Author’s Note at the end of the book shares this story’s inspiration and offers perspective about the importance of reusing and recycling.

Thoughts: This is sure to become an Earth Day classic, prompting discussions about what other seemingly disposable items people may creatively use more than once.

Picture Book          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Upper Elem. & MS Series NF – Recycled Science; History Hunters; Warrior Science

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recycledscience

Recycled Science (series). North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press, 2017. 32 p. $84. Gr. 3-8.

Enz, Tammy. Awesome Craft Stick Science. 978-1-5157-0861-2.

Enz, Tammy. Cool Plastic Bottle and Milk Jug Science. 978-1-5157-0862-9.

Enz, Tammy. Incredible Snack Package Science. 978-1-5157-0863-6.

Wheeler-Toppen, Jodi. Amazing Cardboard Tube Science. 978-1-5157-0860-5.

Each book in this series focuses on an everyday object like a cardboard tube or a popsicle stick.  There are several step-by-step experiments and projects that can be completed using the objects.  Not only do these projects serve to recycle the materials, but they also teach scientific principles that will stick with the reader after the project is finished.  For example, readers will turn cardboard tubes into marshmallow shooters and learn about potential energy and kinetic energy in the process.  They will create harmonicas out of popsicle sticks in order to understand the concepts of sound waves, frequency, and pitch.  Complete with a glossary, index, color photographs, additional print and web resources, and critical thinking questions using the Common Core, this hands-on series is sure to entertain students as they learn about scientific principles.  THOUGHTS:  This is an excellent resource for elementary and middle school science teachers to incorporate into the classroom or Earth Day.  Full of great ideas for recycling everyday objects and hands-on projects designed to make learning fun, these books are a wonderful addition to any elementary or middle school library.

745.5; Crafts & Hobbies; Recycling              Julie Ritter, Montoursville Area High School​

 

historyhunters

History Hunters. North Mankato: Capstone, 2017. $20.99 ea. $125.94 set of 6. 32p. Gr. 3-8.

Dickmann, Nancy. Ancient Egypt. 978-1-5157-2531-2.

Dickmann, Nancy. Ancient Greece. 978-1-5157-2535-0.

Dickmann, Nancy. Ancient Rome. 978-1-5157-2550-3.
Spilsbury, Louise. Ancient China. 978-1-5157-2525-1.

Spilsbury, Louise. The Mayans. 978-1-5157-2551-0.

Spilsbury, Louise. The Vikings. 978-1-5157-2552-7.

The History Hunters series uses archaeological discoveries to help illuminate and explain the history of several well known ancient civilizations. Numerous photos of archeological finds are used to supplement the text. Each volume covers topics such as religion, family life, work, housing, food, wars/conflict, and other basic information about the culture being presented. Sidebars entitled “Deadly Secrets” offer a photos, descriptions, and clues about specific finds in order to get the reader to correctly guess their purpose. A glossary is included in each volume.  THOUGHTS: Though each book in this set is a slim 32 pages, a great deal of knowledge is incorporated into the text. Readers will walk away with a basic understanding of the each civilization. Numerous photos of archaeological discoveries as well as historical images will add to the reader’s overall understanding. A great choice for history fans.

900s; Ancient Civilizations     Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg HS/MS

 

warriorscience

Warrior Science. North Mankato: Capstone, 2017. $20.99 ea. $83.96 set of 4. 32p. Gr. 3-8.

Lassieur, Allison. Gladiator Science: Armor, Weapons, and Arena Combat. 978-1-4914-8129-5.

Lassieur, Allison. Medieval Knight Science: Armor, Weapons, and Siege Warfare. 978-1-4914-8130-1.

Lusted, Marcia Amidon. Ninja Science: Camouflage, Weapons, and Stealthy Attacks. 978-1-4914-8115-8.

Lusted, Marcia Amidon. Samurai Science: Armor, Weapons, and Battlefield Strategy. 978-1-4914-8124-0.

Each volume of the Warriors Science series examines one of the most prominent and popular groups of fighters from world history. Types of weapons, protective gear and tactical strategies are discussed within the context of science. In order to emerge victorious, these historic warriors had to rely on scientific principles and knowledge to maximize the effectiveness of their weaponry and strategy. For example, medieval knights protected themselves with armor designed to disperse and absorb energy from the blows of enemy weapons. Knights also built weapons such as trebuchets, which relied on counterweights and the science of gravity. Each volume features numerous diagrams, photos and historical images designed to illustrate the science behind the history. In addition, phrases/words are defined throughout the text in order to increase clarity for the reader. THOUGHTS: These engaging reads are sure to be popular with upper elementary and middle school fans of military/weapons books. The science content is seamlessly and logically woven into the presentation of historical events and the soldiers/fighters under discussion.

Military Science, History    Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg HS/MS

Plastic, Ahoy!

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plasticahoy

Newman, Patricia. Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2014. 978-1-4677-1283-5. 48 p. $23.00. Gr. 5+.

This book is a fabulous way to introduce young students to the effect that plastic has on our ecosystems, particularly the ocean. It contains fascinating information made very accessible to young students. The book details how each researcher became interested in ocean research, and their mission to change the way we think about plastic. It includes many fascinating photographs by Annie Crawley. I didn’t even know that an Ocean Garbage Patch existed (called the Pyre), let alone make attempts to reduce my plastic consumption. The book details how the currents of the different oceans converge to keep the Garbage Patch in one place. The book includes a glossary, source notes, hints to help, and items for further reading.

This book was not in one day, and a science teacher grabbed it. She then passed it on to the other science teachers. It is a little simplistic for the grade 8 students, but not overly so. It has spurred a movement in our school to recycle more, use reusable containers, and cut down on plastic use in general. Great to inspire STEM minded students for further study. It has had a global effect on my middle school.

363.738       Kathy Gilbride, North Pocono Middle and High School