efits of doing so. While the stories in the book focus on children as young as infants and toddlers to upper elemen- tary-aged children, the concept of the outdoor classroom can be applied to students of all ages up to and including high school and beyond. – (AS)


Nature Explore, 2011. ISBN 978-0- 9839465-0-2 (pb), 144pp.,US $19.99 from www.shop.natureexplore.org


Abundance


on a Dry Land Looking for a natural way to counter drought, like the one hap- pening in the Southwestern United States?


Through interviews with permaculture experts, demonstrations and anima- tions, Jocelyn Demers’ Abundance on a Dry Land introduces the viewer to various techniques to combat irriga- tion issues. By using swales, mulch- ing, dams, biodiversity and many more methods the writer/director shows hope of finding a solution. While focusing mainly on fixes for the water crisis in California, the documentary also explores permaculture practices and everyday remedies being used in Arizona and Jordan. The ideal audience is high school students and adults, due to the information heavy nature of the film. – (NT)


Green Planet Films, 2015, (DVD), 52 min., US $89 (k-12 or $225 (Colleges & Institu- tions) from www.greenplanetfilms.org


What We Think


About Looking for insight into how to engage students in the issue of climate change? What We Think About When


We Try Not to Think About Global Warming examines how to get people engaged by using psychological prin- ciples. The author, Per Espen Stoknes, describes some of the key barriers that prevent individuals from prioritizing climate action. For instance, scien- tists’ frequent overemphasis on dire climate data often promotes fear and helplessness and can prevent people from taking action. Stoknes provides strategies to overcome these barriers and promote climate communication,


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such as using social networks and the power of stories to help people make personal connections to the issues. While the book has a wider audience than teachers, many of the strategies are useful for reframing middle or high school instruction to more effectively address climate change. – (EB)


Chelsea Green Publishing, 2015 ISBN 978- 1-60358-583-5, (pb), 290 pp., US $24.95 from www.chelseagreen.com


Day and Night As part of the National Geographic Kids series, Day and Night provides young readers with accessible facts about the sky. Such as how it looks at various times of day and the effect day and night have on various plants and animals. Each two-page spread is format- ted in a manner to facilitate a


shared reading experience. Noted by an “I read” or “you read” designa- tion, there is information to be read by an adult or older child, as well as information to be read by a begin- ning reader. This non-fiction work is a strong fit for primary grade science curriculums and would be appealing to children ages four to eight. The easy to read format, clear photographs, and low price point make this book a good addition to any early-years classroom. – (NC)


National Geographic Kids, 2016 ISBN 978- 1-4263-2470-3, (pb), 48pp., US $4.99/CDN $6.50 from www.nationalgeographic.org/ education


It’s Your World It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! is a carefully researched and detailed volume sure to inspire activism. Written by former first


daughter Chelsea Clinton, this book for teens covers such diverse topics as homelessness, poverty, food security, gender inequality and climate change. Chelsea draws on her experiences as first daughter to share stories of chil- dren and teens throughout the world


GREEN TEACHER 113


who have endured personal, economic and political hardships. Supported by stories of real teens that have inspired change in their communities, this comprehensive guide will inspire read- ers of all ages “to be the change they want to see in the world.” – (BT)


Philomel Books, 2015. ISBN 978-0- 399-17612-8 (hb), 402 pp., US $18.99/ CDN $24.99 from www.penguin.com/ youngreaders


Little Kids First Big Book


of How Within the pages of Little Kids First Big Book of How are 55 kid-friendly explanations of how vacuum cleaners work, how hail forms, how whales communicate, how food gets to the grocery store and much more. Each chapter in this collaboration between Jill Esbaum and National Geographic Kids includes an investigation that children can do at home (such as seeing how pupils shrink and expand in reaction to changing light condi- tions). While the chapters on “The Animal Kingdom” and “The Great Outdoors” provide some


insight for budding environmentalists, this book will leave the reader seek- ing further information as it skims or skips over some important facts. However, it does manage to highlight a number of key vocabulary words with accompanying images. Suitable as a launch pad for future environmental- ists in grades 2-5. – (MS)


National Geographic Society, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4263-2329-4 (hb), 128pp., US $14.99/CAN $17.99, from kids.nationalgeo- graphic.com


Koala Hospital Part of the Wildlife Rescue series, Koala Hospital by Suzi Eszterhas is an informative text to help young children (ages 7-10) learn about koalas by way of a thorough look at a rescue centre in Australia that helps reha- bilitate these animals. The accom- panying photographs, also taken by Eszterhas, are plentiful, stunning and truly complete the book. The nonfic- tion book is formatted for children to learn from it with a table of contents, glossary, index and frequently asked


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