A top-shelf explication of the energy world, measured but pulling no punches and naming names—from ExxonMobil to you and me.
A thoroughgoing introduction to the omnipresent and decidedly Janus-faced world of fossil fuels.
In a clear, cautionary presentation, Goldstein takes readers into the world of fossil fuels. She notes that humans have been using, on the record, fossil fuels for at least 10,000 years—that’s back to the period of glacial retreat—and thus probably longer, so our current predicaments concerning their use are hardly outside our responsibility. But she is also quite specific about corporate malfeasance and political shenanigans (George Bush and Dick Cheney are sent forthwith to the garden shed) in order to increase profits for the few, grease the campaign-funding chute, and stack the deck to pass legislation that encourages environmental degradation, improper maintenance, and reckless disregard for safety oversight. Though Goldstein has an agenda, her presentation is far from hyperbolic; all of it is buttressed by facts and references augmented by sharp diagrams, crack photographs, and archival illustrations. Goldstein also knowledgeably covers the history, geology, and geopolitics of the oil industry, as well as oil-related catastrophes and easily anticipated problems coming down the road. She does not address the greater energy conundrum—if she mentions electric and biofuels as alternatives to gasoline, she doesn’t interrogate their own drawbacks—but all in all, a stellar treatment of energy issues.
A top-shelf explication of the energy world, measured but pulling no punches and naming names—from ExxonMobil to you and me. (notes, glossary, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4677-3831-6
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: April 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2015
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
The Manhattan Project is a complex subject for a book for young readers, but Sullivan does a fine job of relating the fascinating story in clear and lively prose. The three-year Project was huge, secret and desperate, an all-out effort to beat the Nazis in the arms race. The people and places are now legendary: Oppenheimer, Los Alamos, Trinity, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Little Boy, Fat Man and Paul Tibbets. It’s a tale of brilliant scientists, shadowy spies, dreadful war, secret cities and secret lives. Despite the complicated history, this book is completely compelling, a straightforward narrative told with a light touch. Only toward the end does the voice falter, lapsing into a bit of editorializing. Still, the solid writing, attractive design, abundant photographs, suggestions for further reading that include works for young readers, websites and a glossary make this the best work on the subject for young readers. A great match with Ellen Klages’s novel The Green Glass Sea (2006). (appendix, chronology, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12+)
Pub Date: June 15, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8234-1855-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2007
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