Books for a Better Earth – serie

Imagine millions of buffalo covering the Great Plains. Here's the story of how they almost became extinct and one man who helped saved them.For thousands of years, North America had its own animals, its own peoples, and its own way of life. For many of these Indigenous Peoples, especially those who lived on or near the Great Plains, that way of life centered on Buffalo. When respect for Buffalo began to fade with the arrival of Europeans, a young man named Latatitsa (Little Peregrine Falcon Robe) was sent to protect and care for a group of calves. He transported the calves across the Rocky Mountains to the safety of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. His heroic efforts helped save the species from extinction. Expertly researched and lovingly written by children's book author Deidre Havrelock, a member of the Saddle Creek Cree Nation and passionate advocate for Buffalo conservation and preservation, Buffalo Ways celebrates Native history and identity for young readers. Havrelock details the history of the Buffalo in North American and Latatitsa's extraordinary trek, while William Burns's art captures the true story in epic detail. Back matter includes an author's note, more about Buffalo, a timeline, bibliography, and more on how we can continue to protect ecosystem engineers like Buffalo.Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.

Dive headfirst into the history of environmental activism in the Hudson River watershed and learn how you can help organizations like Riverkeeper protect clean water around the globe!Every inch of the United States is in a river’s watershed. But in 1966, one of our most important watersheds was dying. Dead fish washed up on the Hudson River’s shores, and the once-clear water reeked of oil. With too much pollution to support human or animal life, America’s “First River” was in too deep—until a Riverkeeper, a pioneering group of environmental activists, fought to get rivers around the globe out of troubled waters.Nonfiction pro Nancy Castaldo showcases Riverkeeper’s achievements and the intersection of science and activism. With forty striking photographs and profiles of prominent water protectors, this resource-packed text is both a deep-dive into the history of the environmental movement and a guidebook for how individuals and communities can shape its future.●       Plunge into the dirty history of America’s “First River” and learn how one of America’s first environmental movements changed the course of activism around the world.●       Meet trailblazers like Tracy Brown, the first female Riverkeeper, whose clean water advocacy offers a blueprint for generations of future scientists.●       Learn about groundbreaking laws like the Clean Water Act, and how the hard work of activists—including people like you—has led to modern-day legislation that will help to heal our waterways for decades to come.●       Discover surprising (and surprisingly effective!) methods for ecological conservation, like granting legal personhood to bodies of water.●       Join the movement with engaging and accessible suggestions for cleaning up your local river, whether you’re finding your local river sweep, volunteering as a water tester, or small things you can do at home!●       Explore the outdoors! Complete with a list of fun Hudson River activities and annual events all around the United States, this text celebrates rivers wherever they flow—and invites you to join in on the party!A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Do you want to help the earth? You can start in your own backyard! Learn about important bees, birds, butterflies, and bats–and the special plants that keep them alive.  With stunning illustrations by a NY Times bestselling illustrator.Bees need pollen and nectar from flowers. But not all flowers feed all bees. Some bees need long, narrow flowers. Some bees need short flowers. Some tiny  bees can’t fly far and need flowers that are nearby. Some bees can take pollen from only one particular kind of flower. Those bees are in trouble if that flower isn’t available to them. Flies, wasps, beetles, bats, birds, and butterflies need flowers too. This book is about amazing animals and plants that are native to North America, how they need each other to survive, and how you can help them. Back matter has information about how you can grow your own pollinator garden, as well as a glossary, bibliography, and index. An excellent choice for parents and educators looking for books that provide content knowledge (background knowledge) about the natural world to support reading comprehension.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionAn American Library Association Notable Book

What goes up there ends up here! That's because air travels around the earth and carries lots of stuff in it!Air carries mostly good stuff like seeds, scents, and sounds. And it carries bad stuff like ash, dust and smog.Read about . . . the eruption of the volcano Krakatoa that sent ash into the air and around the earth, The Black Sunday Dust Storm that traveled from Oklahoma to the East Coast, and The Great Smog of London that killed thousands of people. Then learn about what people can do to protect the air we share.You will also like The Last Plastic Straw: A Plastic Problem and Finding Ways to Fix It by Dee Romito and illustrated by Ziyue Chen. The Books for a Better Earth™ collection is designed to inspire young people to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on. Focusing on solutions to climate change challenges and human environmental impacts, the collection looks at how scientists, activists, and young leaders are working to safeguard Earth's future.

Discover how poop can actually help protect our planet in this nonfiction book on the nutrient cycle and scientific problem solving.What could be more revolting, useless, and downright disgusting than poop? But in nature’s endless and complex cycles, there’s no such thing as waste. The poop of wild animals is full of surprising power: it can be food, shelter, a way for creatures to communicate, and more. For scientists, scat can reveal clues about how animals are responding to climate change threats.From researchers in India using tiger poop to track the endangered big cat to scientists in Mexico using bat guano to help replant a forest destroyed by fire, Scat shows how scientists are getting creative when it comes to studying animals and protecting ecosystems from climate change.Award-winning nonfiction author Anita Sanchez’s writing is clear, concise, and lightly punny, providing readers with an accessible introduction to the nutrient cycle and the world of animal poop that is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards. Back matter includes a glossary, a photo guide to common animal scat, and more.A Books for a Better Earth™ TitleA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

A richly illustrated nonfiction picture book celebrating how scientists and activists can work together to create change and protect wildlife, making the world safer for creatures both big and small.How do you save a species? Start at the edges of the food chain.In the 1950s, the brown pelican went from thriving to barely surviving. The culprit was DDT: a harmful pesticide that seeped into soil, spread in the water, festered in small fish, and ultimately caused the pelican population to plummet. Scientists sounded the alarm, but faced pushback from farmers who relied on DDT to control pesky pests. It required many voices joining together, demanding change, before the government took action. Thanks to these efforts, we now have the EPA and the Endangered Species Act, which continue to protect wildlife threatened by climate change.This thrilling and inspirational nonfiction picture book introduces young readers to bioaccumulation, endangered species, and one of the biggest grassroots movements of our time. It connects the success of the pelican’s regrowth with conservation efforts in place today, such as pollinator gardens, wildlife corridors, and much more.Sweeping illustrations depict the brown pelican’s journey from near extinction to a robust, populous species. Back matter includes more details on the EPA, a glossary, and an index.

An outstanding STEM picture book documenting the transformation of an aircraft carrier that was gutted and turned into the world’s largest artificial reef.What happens when something designed to be unsinkable gets bombed to the bottom of the ocean floor? With careful preparation, new life can take root!This incredible story brings young readers along on the journey of the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany—the Mighty O—as it gets stripped down to a steel shell for a new life below the waves. After 25 years of service, launching more aircraft than any other carrier of its time, the ship found a new mission as an artificial reef off the coast of Florida. The Mighty O was prepped and reefed by a team of more than 150 scientists, engineers, and technicians. Today, it is home to a flourishing variety of marine animals. Designed to encourage regrowth and protect vulnerable marine life, artificial reefs are a crucial tool in the fight against overfishing, pollution, and warming water temperatures. Extensive back matter reveals more about the Mighty O’s history, the diseases eating away at the world’s natural reef systems, and the role artificial reefs play under the sea, and budding marine biologists will love poring over the exquisite illustrations.Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.A Cook Prize Silver MedalistA Crystal Kite Midwest Region Honor BookA Utah Beehive Award NomineeA Green Earth Book Award Recommended TitleA New York Public Library Best Book of the YearA Science Friday Best Science Book For KidsAn ALA Top 10 Sustainability Themed Children's Book of the YearA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionA Horn Book Fanfare BookA CCBC Choices BookA Bank Street Best Children's Book of the YearA Connecticut Nutmeg Book List SelectionA Washington, D.C. Capitol Choices List Selection

Sixteen scientists. Protecting our planet. Making science more equitable.An Orbis Pictus Recommended BookA Green Earth Book Award HonorA Blueberry Award HonorScientists who collect microbes from surfers' skin, who use radar sensors to gather data miles away, who combat inequality by pushing for cleaner air policies. Each with their own story, all working to make life better for future generations.Celebrated author Dana Alison Levy profiles 16 people, all studying different elements of the earth’s landscape, animals, and climate, who defy stereotypes of who can be a scientist. From analytical chemists to volcanologists, from global experts to recent graduates, these scientists share what they were like as young people, how they got where they are now, and what they—and the rest of us—can do to help the planet.Based on extensive interviews and featuring infographics and personal photos, Breaking the Mold offers a snapshot of the people and organizations fighting to make science more equitable. Back matter includes advice for readers interested in science careers, DIY projects, paths to community involvement, and more.Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.A Chicago Public Library 'Best of the Best' BookA School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Imagination meets science and engineering in this inspiring nonfiction picture book about the myriad possibilities of repurposing old objects.Fabric. Cardboard. Plastic. With a little creativity, these everyday materials can be reused in surprising new ways... An old water bottle becomes part of the wall of a school, while a disassembled wind turbine transforms into playground equipment. It's not magic—it's recycling!Award-winning author Jessica Stremer takes a kid friendly approach to exploring how we use discarded products at the end of their lifecycle to reduce waste and keep the planet healthy. From household goods to objects used in global industries, repurposing can have a big environmental impact.Gorgeous double-page spreads capture how the OLD (plastic bottles, rubber tires, seatbelts) becomes NEW (ecobricks, playground mulch, a hammock), encouraging kids to consider how even the most unexpected items can be reused. Back matter elaborates on the different upcycling methods featured and includes a DIY activity for kids to repurpose items found in their home. Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.

One tree supports an ecosystem of life–insects, mammals, and even humans. Discover the surprising biodiversity of trees in this science picture book from award-winning creators of And the Bullfrogs Sing and The Dirt Book.A tree is more than just a plant, but a whole ecosystem hiding in plain sight, on street corners and in backyards everywhere. Discover how one tree provides shelter, food, and clean air to a host of animals and insects. Robins build their nest in the branches and bees gather nectar from flowers. The tree keeps its neighborhood clean, healthy, and safe. Leaves clean the air and roots keep the dirt from washing away. The tree's residents are safe through thunderstorms and changing seasons. This home is built to last!Those buds POP openand bees BUZZand rain SPLASHESand sun SIZZLESAuthor David L. Harrison's lively, rhythmic text informs and excites readers about the ecosystem of trees. Illustrator Kate Cosgrove's lush and dynamic illustrations color a charming world aglow with life. This award-winning team, from And the Bullfrogs Sing and The Dirt Book, are back with another picture book that invites young readers into the natural world around them. A Tree Is a Community is perfect for the budding naturalist.The Books for a Better Earth™ collection is designed to inspire young people to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on. Focusing on solutions to climate change challenges and human environmental impacts, the collection looks at how scientists, activists, and young leaders are working to safeguard Earth's future.

A stunning illustrated overview of "green" architecture on every continent, packed full of cool STEAM facts and fascinating details.From a waste collection site built entirely from recycled materials, to a school designed to float during flood season in Bangladesh, this dazzling book highlights innovative and sustainably built structures around the world. Did you know that "woodscrapers," or skyscrapers made of wood, can reduce construction waste? How about that termite mounds have served as inspiration for temperature control systems? And believe it or not. . . there's a research station built on skis in Antarctica.Pairing a kid friendly, conversational approach with spectacularly detailed art, Kate McMillan dissects the design of 15 eco-friendly buildings worldwide. The extraordinary structures fall into five categories, each emphasizing a key element of sustainable design: 1) local materials, 2) adaptability, 3) sustainable construction, 4) clean energy, and 5) optimized space. Readers of all ages will love poring over the precise, colorful illustrations and informative close ups featured on eye catching double-page spreads. Perfect for budding architects and engineers, this book is a work of art!Books for a Better Earth™ are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.

Meet an unlikely climate change hero: the wet, slimy stuff known as seaweed.Imagine forests where you can float weightlessly among schools of fish. Huge green pastures where sea turtles graze. Forests that capture carbon from seawater and breathe out oxygen. The answers to many of our planet’s problems may lie underwater, in these forests of seaweed.Celebrated nonfiction author Anita Sanchez takes readers on a tour of seaweed forests, from the Sargasso Sea to seaweed patches off Prince Edward Island, to explore how seaweed supports marine ecosystems and plays a big role in climate change solutions. From reducing methane emissions to advances in biofuels, medicines, and more, seaweed science is at the forefront of innovation.Written with beauty and wonder, The Forest in the Sea encourages readers to think outside the box when it comes to climate change. Back matter includes recipes, activities, ways to identify and help protect seaweed, and more.Books for a Better Earth are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the YearA Green Earth Book Award Recommended TitleA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

A stunning illustrated overview of "green" architecture on every continent, packed full of cool STEAM facts and fascinating details.From a waste collection site built entirely from recycled materials, to a school designed to float during flood season in Bangladesh, this dazzling book highlights innovative and sustainably built structures around the world. Did you know that "woodscrapers," or skyscrapers made of wood, can reduce construction waste? How about that termite mounds have served as inspiration for temperature control systems? And believe it or not. . . there's a research station built on skis in Antarctica.Pairing a kid friendly, conversational approach with spectacularly detailed art, Kate McMillan dissects the design of 15 eco-friendly buildings worldwide. The extraordinary structures fall into five categories, each emphasizing a key element of sustainable design: 1) local materials, 2) adaptability, 3) sustainable construction, 4) clean energy, and 5) optimized space. Readers of all ages will love poring over the precise, colorful illustrations and informative close ups featured on eye catching double-page spreads. Perfect for budding architects and engineers, this book is a work of art!Books for a Better Earth™ are designed to inspire children to become active, knowledgeable participants in caring for the planet they live on.