Environment
The Carbon Diaries by Saci Lloyd
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.09, 2011, under Environment, Sam's Reviews, Science Fiction
Who would like this book? Anyone grades 7 and up (usually) who is looking for an eco-thriller or wonders what it would be like to have severe rationing.
Why? Laura Brown, a 15-year-old British teen who loves to play the bass for her punk band, keeps a record of her life as she, her family, and the rest of Great Britain cut their carbon use by 60 percent. Each person has been issued a carbon card with a set amount of carbon. Staying within this amount demands catastrophic changes in life styles, but what comes through in Laura’s diaries is that people have the same kinds of joys and challenges even when their daily lives have great changes. Boy problems, scams, parents going crazy, and colorful neighbors fill Laura’s life; the consequences of the rationing are believable set against the normal craziness of her life. Her voice pulled me right into the story, and it really got me in the end. I hope that the book is not prophetic; perhaps it will encourage readers to conserve energy and help avoid a crisis like the one that Laura narrates.
The details: 330 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
Scat by Carl Hiaasen
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on May.22, 2011, under Animal, Battle of the Books 2011-2012, Environment, Mystery, Real life, Sam's Reviews, Thriller
Who would like this book? Fans of Carl Hiaasen’s books Flush and Hoot or anyone interested in a solid environmental mystery with engaging characters, humor, and a fast-moving plot.
Why? Nick and Marta have never liked their super-strict biology teacher, Mrs. Starch, but when she goes missing after a wildfire cuts short their field trip to Black Vine Swamp, they are worried. Meanwhile, the corrupt president of an oil company is setting up an illegal drilling operation in this same Florida swamp. A recent sighting of an endangered panther brings these (and a few other) story lines together in a raucous thriller that made me laugh out loud in some places and tear up in others. Hiaasen has a knack for creating colorful characters, and he demonstrates this knack wonderfully in Scat. The teacher, the headmaster, the substitute teacher, Nick’s mom and dad, the oilmen, the eco-terrorist, Duane Scrod Jr. and Duane Scrod Sr. are all fantastic. Nick faces another challenge at home, where his dad has just returned home from Iraq with a significant injury. This subplot gives a fuller view of Nick’s personality and gives credibility to his actions in the swamp. Join Nick and Marta as they jump in to solve the mystery of their missing teacher and get in way deeper than they anticipated.
It’s a 2011-2012 Battle of the Books selection.
The details: 371 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Feb.07, 2011, under Adventure, Environment, Romance, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who would like this book would have to enjoy reading about disaster and be able to cope about deaths. So, this book is probably meant for 7th grade and up. Also, it has some romantic stuff in there.
Why? The genre of the book is science fiction, romance, and action. This book has a good combination and knows how to balance everything out. The story is about a girl named Miranda and how her family is getting through a catastrophic event that happened two years ago, but the earth is still damaged by it. Miranda yearns to see the world and meet new people. Their family counts their blessings instead of burdens which helps them get through everyday. A lot of unexpected things happen in this book, and you always are wanting to know what happens next.
The details: 239 p. 2010 Review by Savannah
First Light by Rebecca Stead
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Jan.16, 2011, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2010-2011, Environment, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who like books involving two different stories (different narrators) that potentially come together.
Why? I thought this book was just “Okay”. It had its good parts and definitely had its boring parts. I thought some parts were too long and could have been simplified to make it a little less confusing.
This book is about a 13-year-old boy named Peter who lives in New York. His mother and father study global warming and take a trip to Greenland to advance their discoveries. On the other side of the ice (You’ll know what I mean when you read the book), a young girl named Thea is trying to figure out a way to the surface and the history of Gracehope.
Are his parents really studying global warming? Or could they be searching for something much..much more interesting?
The details: 328 p. 2007 Review by Madisyn
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.25, 2010, under Adventure, Environment, Historical Fiction, Humorous, Newbery, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? If you’re looking for a great book told with a first person narrative, grab this book. Forget it, though, if you’re looking for a fast-paced page turner.
Why? Callie Vee narrates the story of her eleventh year on her family’s cotton plantation in Texas in 1899. She is the middle child of seven and the only girl. She has no interest in the “girl” obligations of her time (handwork, sewing, cooking); instead, she yearns to be exploring species of plants and animals with her naturalist grandfather and recording her detailed observations in her treasured notebook. The collision of passion and obligation in Callie’s life drives the plot, but it is her scrupulous attention to the pithy details of daily life and her delightful ear for humor that make reading this book a worthwhile and wonderful experience. If you’re used to books with non-stop action, you might have to trade it out once in awhile. If you stay with these characters to the end, you’ll be rewarded. It’s a Newberry Honor Book for 2010.
The details: 340 p. 2009 Review by Samrarian
Exodus by Julie Bertagna
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.26, 2009, under Environment, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book? People who like futuristic fantasies that seem like they could be the actual future.
Why? This book is very good because it has references like “we ran out of gas” or “we melted the icecaps because of global warming.” These things make it seem like the events in the book could actually be the real future for us if we don’t change our ways. People in the future had to make Sky Cities because the ice caps melted and the water rose. Read this book if you want to know what the world might be like if we don’t take care of it.
The details: 345 p. 2002 Submitted by Michael R.
Maximum Ride- The Final Warning by James Patterson
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.03, 2009, under Adventure, Environment, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Review by Kenzie
Who would like this book? Anyone who likes the Maximum Ride series, enjoys adventure books, or is interested in global warming.
Why? All throughout this 272-page book, Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy (a.k.a. the flock), are finally given a clear mission; save the world. From global warming, that is. Sent to the ever so freezing Antarctica, the flock has the ability to research the affects of global warming on the coldest place in the world like no one else can. The old enemies are out. But newer, stronger, and more intelligent ones are in. Even in the most remote place on the planet, they still end up face-to-face with people-or mutants is more like it- whose only goal is to kill them. Can the flock save all humans from themselves? Or even keep themselves alive? In this book, you can find out, plus learn a bunch of untold facts about global warming- including the consequences we could face if we sit back and do nothing. So join the flock, and save the world!
The details: 256 p. 2008 Submitted by Kenzie
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.24, 2008, under Adventure, Battle of the Books 2007, Dystopia, Environment, Mystery, Science Fiction, Student Reviews
Who would like this book?
Anyone who loves books about friendship, adventure, and what might happen in the future.
Why?
In this story, the population law is 2 children max due to a food shortage. Luke Garner is an illegal third child, always hiding, always running. He knows no other beings other than his loving family, until he meets Jen, his neighbor, who is also a third child. She too is bored of living in the shadows, and she believes that together, with all third children, they can crush the population law. Can they do it? Read the book to find out!
The details: 153 p. 1998 Submitted by Carley
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Oct.24, 2008, under Battle of the Books 2007, Dystopia, Environment, Science Fiction, Student Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book?
The people that would like this book are people who like camping and like books you can’t put down because they’re so interesting. I read the book in about 3 days.
Why?
This story is about a 15-year-old girl who is about to turn 16 and get this operation to turn her pretty. All the people are “ugly” before they get this operation.
The details: 425 p. 2005 Submitted by Diamond
Sea Otter Rescue: The Aftermath of an Oil Spill by Roland Smith
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Aug.27, 2008, under Animal, Battle of the Books 2008-2009, Environment, Non-fiction, Sam's Reviews
Who would like this book? Teens (and younger readers) who like otters and want to know about the process of saving them from the tragic effects of an oil spill.
Why? Roland Smith originally published Sea Otter Rescue in 1990, soon after the tragic Exxon Valdez oil spill. The spill was devastating to the wildlife in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and approximately 1,000 otters were lost. More otters would have died if not for the Sea Otter Rescue Center. As part of this effort, Smith offers first-hand experience about otters, the devastating effects of the oil spill on them, and the specific procedures developed to clean them and return them to the wild. Though his prose is sometimes overly simple and targeted toward a younger audience, the subject matter is so fascinating that reading to the end is never in question. Photographs accompany every page of the text, complementing Smith’s descriptions. Seeing the otters covered with oil is sad and disturbing, but following the steps in their cleaning is inspiring. These otter-cleaners were heroes. I hope that they won’t have to be called into service again, but if an otter rescue is ever necessary again, be prepared to want to go help after reading this book. It’s a Battle of the Book 08-09 selection, most likely because Roland Smith is an Oregon author.
The details: 64 p. 1999 (10th anniversary of the oil spill)
