Climate Change: A Groundwork Guide, Reviewed by Emma, 14

Climate Change: A Groundwork Guide
by Shelley Tanaka
Reviewed by Emma, 14

"Soggy northlands, heat-related deaths, water shortages, heavy precipitation, power blackouts. Is this the way of the future? Many experts are saying Yes." -from Climate Change: A Groundwork Guide

Groundwork Guides are books on important and controversial social and political issues. So far, the series also includes Empire, Being Muslim, and Genocide, all by different authors. Shelley Tanaka is the multi-award winning superauthor behind Climate Change. She is also an editor, and writes both fiction and non-fiction works very successfully. Climate Change, is appropriate for anyone twelve and up. Read it in short bursts, when you are in the right mood, and after a good night’s sleep.

Climate Change lays out the facts on global warming: what it is, how it is happening, what researchers know and how, the effects, short-term and long-, and what we can do to make a difference. Complete with graphs, maps, and shocking stats, Climate Change is out to educate…

Though Climate Change was far more engaging and enjoyable to read than many books of its genre, it is still non-fiction. This book tries to be more intriguing through visuals, sidebars, and interesting language, but it is hard to completely distract the reader from the fact that they are reading a textbook (practically).

Climate Change was a very educational read, and did a better job of warding off the bore factor than I ever would have expected. However, if you really want to find out about this pressing world topic, don’t look here, or don’t look ONLY here. Find many different sources, and take action. I love books, but I also love movies, and though it feels like sacrilege to say it in a book review, don’t read this book. Rent Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth instead. The two works have all the same information, but the movie is far more interesting, shocking, and moving. If you are looking to find out about other environment-related movies, Who Killed the Electric Car? is also very good, but I’m off topic.

I’m giving Climate Change a "Don’t Read It", because it could have been a lot worse, but it also could have been a lot better than it was. I would have liked to have seen more visuals (in colour), less repetition, more stark stats, and a little more shock value. I would also love for any movie, book, or article about global warming to devote less time to information that we’ve all heard before, and more time to the ways we can change to help our Earth.

Don’t Read It

Emma, 14
North Vancouver, BC CANADA