Arguing that climate change and global warming affect us all and that we can be part of the solution, this comprehensive look at the issue includes a clear explanation of the mechanism of the carbon cycle, the role of greenhouse gases on Earth, historical instances of climate change and their causes, descriptions of effects on a variety of habitats, future scenarios and suggestions—both personal and global—about what might be done. An adaptation for teen readers of Flannery’s highly regarded and influential adult title (The Weather Makers, 2006), Walker’s readable and convincing rewrite follows the original organization but tightens up the text, shortening chapters and addressing the intended readers with action suggestions between each chapter. It includes new research and four examples of institutions and groups whose actions have made a difference in greenhouse-gas emissions. Endnotes and an extensive bibliography support the argument. A copy belongs in every middle- and high-school library. (index) (Nonfiction. 14 & up)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3656-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2009
A smart and adventure-packed thriller with heart.
In the not-so-distant future, a clever but troubled teen weaves her way through life as a secret agent.
It started as harmless fun—a crush on a boy who wanted to play hooky from school. But everything went wrong, and 15-year-old Augusta Pine’s biometric electron-ink identity tattoo disappeared when her heart briefly stopped following the car accident that occurred after she hacked the car’s autopilot. The boy died in the crash. It’s commonplace for people to get tattoos that contain all their personal details. Everyone’s faces also appear in the Identity Security Division’s database, allowing their movements to be tracked. A mysterious man called Prefect visits Augusta in the hospital with an offer: She can get back her original identity and face prosecution for her crime, or she can take on a fresh identity and work for Prefect for 10 years. This premise sets the melancholic tone that runs throughout this story and is underscored by Augusta’s desperate longing for the family she had to leave behind. The mood is appealingly buoyed by her sharp wit, and the plentiful tech details, including an incredibly likable spybot bumblebee named Edgar. Three years on, she stumbles onto a violent attack in the Portland, Oregon, apartment building where she’s staying, and she’s drawn into helping cute, earnest neighbor Eames Ahlberg try to save his little sister, Piper, from terrorists who lock down the building. Chapters set in the propulsive present-day scenario are interspersed with debriefings from previous incidents in Augusta’s life, which are characterized by her good-natured defiance. The leads read white.
A smart and adventure-packed thriller with heart. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9781250410528
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
PERSPECTIVES
For pre-teens and teens dealing with some of the problems of surfing the Internet, a guide that proves too superficial to be of much use. Croft discusses online predators, shopping, filters, viruses, hate speech, chat rooms, cookies, and maintaining a balance between living in real life and cyberspace. But her slender volume doesn’t come close to justifying its title. Many issues, such as encountering pornography, are handled in the most cursory fashion, and suggestions, such as notifying the ISP of harassers, are given without any explanation of how to implement them. While Croft is targeting teen readers, the text size, reading level, and content all suggest a younger audience. The author takes tact to an extreme; more lurid aspects of the online experience are never confronted directly, and she suggests that any parent controls are really intended for younger siblings. The issue of staying safe in cyberspace doesn’t get the thorough and courageous treatment it requires. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12- 14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8239-2957-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
