DO SOMETHING. CHANGE THE WORLD!

Aimed at civic-minded youth, this hands-on guide to activism may interest kids very new to the concept. Divided into five sections designed to help readers focus and then strengthen their convictions, plan and execute their strategy and finally review and evaluate, this manual includes quizzes, projects, a resource list and sample forms. Letter writing, fundraising, boycotting, awareness campaigns and drives for in-kind goods are among the suggested activities, and the information about how to conduct them is thorough and clear. However, there are some questionable tips, such as the claim that “Web addresses ending with .org, .gov, or .edu usually have the best information” (in actuality, .org domains are just as easily purchased as .coms). In another section on starting a compost pile, readers are encouraged to “Add clean cat litter to absorb smells if your compost starts to stink,” though most cat litter is made of clay that doesn’t biodegrade. Still, novices may find the step-by-step instruction helpful and appreciate the aggressively upbeat tone. (Nonfiction. 10-14)