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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

April is Save the Environment Month on TTLG - A review

Here is another environmental title that I think parents and teachers will find very useful.

Molly Smith
Illustrated by Tad Carpenter
Nonfiction
Ages 10 and up
Chronicle Books, 2010, 978-0-8118-7141-9
   Almost every day we are bombarded with news articles, television shows, and radio programs about the state of our environment. The situation can seem overwhelming, and many young people wonder how they can “possibly make a difference.” The truth is that one person can make a difference simply by implementing “little choices every day” that can help our planet.
   This book is full of activities that will help young people to better understand how their everyday choices both help and harm our home. There are five chapters in all, and at the end of each there is a list of “simple steps” that we can all follow to make our lives greener and more environmentally friendly.
   The author begins by looking at “Energy and Climate.” There is a short introduction about energy and climate and how they are related, and then the activities begin. These include coloring pages, a crossword, a word jumble, experiments, and much more. By the time readers have completed the chapter, they will better understand (among other things) how to conserve energy and what a carbon footprint is.
   Other chapters in the book look at “Water and Oceans, “Land and Animals,” “Health and Food,” and “Waste and Recycling.”
   Both teachers and parents are sure to find this book very useful as they try to find informative and interesting ways to help their children better understand their relationship with our planet.

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