I am not a fan of hot weather. There. I’ve said it. I love the cool spring & Fall we have here in the Pacific Northwest. Fiona has a really hard time in the heat and sometimes I soak a towel and lay it on top of her to help her out. The two books above tell about water related problems and what you can do to help.
Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by Patricia Newman does what the title suggests. It follows a team of researchers, all young women, explored the area of the Pacific where millions of pieces of plastic have collected. A lot of it has broken into tiny confetti-sized pieces and they wanted to know how those pieces were affecting ocean life. This narrative non-fiction book is well-organized. The first three chapters give background information about the project, the garbage situation and the area of the Pacific they will be visiting. The next three chapters tell the project each of the three are investigating: “Miriam’s Hitchkikers”, Darcy Follows Phytoplankyon” and “Chelsea’s Plastic Puzzle”. The final chapter “Charting the Answers” brings it all together. Backmatter includes source notes, glossary, bibliography for further reading and an index. This is an excellent book: highly engaging, very readable and chock full of photos that enhance the text and let young readers see scientists in action.
Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home by Michelle Mulder sheds light on the fact that, in many parts of the world, finding clean water is a daily challenge, and kids are often the ones responsible for carrying water to their homes. It tells of the journey our water has taken to reach our water faucets or toilets. This book, filled with colorful photographs and stories, provides some of the history behind wells, reservoirs, and waste water treatment plants as well as making clear the laborious process of hauling water home every day. It is a short book that covers a lot in a highly engaging and readable manner. Like Plastic Ahoy!, this book also has amusing chapter titles.
I suggest reading these in the shade of big old tree, with a nice glass of cool water handy to refresh yourself.
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