True Green Kids - 100 things you can do to save the planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin

True Green Kids: 100 things you can do to save the planet. by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin. National Geographic, 2008. 143 pages.

Review/Personal thoughts:  If any tween felt inclined to start an Environmental/Save the Earth Club, this is the book to get them started.  This book is published by the highly respected and credible National Geographic Society.  The layout/graphics/photography of the book is exceptional and inviting. The introduction does an outstanding job of informing the young reader about the conditions on planet Earth and motivate them to take an active role in ways to preserve and protect our habitat. The author does a great job of informing the reader that each individual in many small ways can have a very positive impact on the environment. Consider this fact - Enough sunlight falls on the Earth’s surface every hour to meet the world’s energy demands for an entire year! Kids are encouraged to use a solar battery charger to power their iPods, laptops and cell phones. Save water, turn out lights, use an extra blanket, recycle; all ways to help save the earth. There is a great section on pets. I consider myself knowledgeable about environmental issues,  but I never thought  as this book points out about the pet waste that is placed in plastic bags and sent to landfills. There are actually ways pet waste can be converted to useable methane gas and serve as compost and for worm farming.  There are ideas for kids to use at home, at school, in nature, at school and with friends.  Ideas for how to shop “green” and a really cool section on “fun things to make” are here too.  The true green facts section is rich with information.  I highly recommend this book for tweens. It is enlightening and informative.

Genre: Non-Fiction

Reading Level: 6.4 Interest level: Ages 10 to 13.