Do you ever think about the fact that we are now raising the first green generation? Our kids are being brought up in a world that was different than the one we were brought up in. We need to teach them how to live a greener life than we were taught to live. It is a good thing that there are some excellent guides to help us out.
The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen's Guide to Saving the Planet
Jenn Savedge's book is packed with tips that teens can easily do to green up the world that they inhabit. Thee are also a few more challenging actions (like starting a school recycling program) for those ready to take their environmentalism up a notch. Jenn has done an impressive job creating a straightforwrd, well-organized reference book full of tips, resources and advice for eco-friendy teens. She not only explains the how's of going green; she explains the why's too, and helps teens to understand the importance of the part they can play in caring for the planet. - Robin Shreeves, Mother Nature Network
Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life
A thorough yet accessible manual on green living. Sivertsen and her teenage son draw on scientific findings, personal experience, and interviews with celebrities and teens to provide readers with environmentally responsible lifestyle alternatives, from organic cosmetics to natural kitchen cleaners to green career opportunities. The "Five Rs"—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink, Refuse—provide a framework for embracing an alternative to rampant consumerism. The book's incisive voice, using teen idioms, is accessible to those who have little or no background in environmental issues, yet the standards within will likewise engage readers already committed to being green. Though there is no index and the many pop-culture references may hinder the work's longevity, this volume will appeal to the target audience. Chapters are broken into frequent, user-friendly subheadings, and special interviews—many with energetic, activist teens—are clearly designated; decorative illustrations complement the text. Listings of green Web sites, charities, and organizations are included. In addition to being a handy, information-rich companion to Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (Viking, 2007) and Laurie David and Cambria Gordon's Down-to-Earth Guide To Global Warming
(Scholastic, 2007), Generation Green is also unique, for its central focus is not to explain the science behind current environmental challenges, but rather to reveal how young people can work to solve those problems in their everyday lives.—Farida S. Dowler, Mercer Island Library, WA
MySpace/OurPlanet: Change Is Possible
Geared toward teens, this collection of MySpace postings focuses on what readers can do in their daily activities, social lives, and communities to help the environment. Each chapter breaks down the setting into its individual components. For example, the chapter "Your Home, Your Planet" gives environmental hints for making one's room, bathroom, kitchen, and yard more eco-friendly. The modern layout, with green foliage on each page and purple and green font, as well as the slang, will be engaging for young adults. Highlighted boxes, located in most chapters, give facts about topics such as recycling, carbon dioxide, alternative fuels, alternative spring break, and television. The recycling box starts with, "Lose virginity: recycle" and contains facts about virgin materials saved by recycling newspapers, aluminum cans, glass containers, and plastic soda bottles. Myths and facts about the environment are explored. This book gives excellent suggestions for helping to help the environment, and is sure to encourage teen activism.—Teresa Moffett, Fulton High School, Knoxville, TN




