Your Local Environment.

Susan Cleyle is a systems librarian in the QEII Library at Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

This fine series focuses on how children can be environmentally conscious about a range of things, and encourages them to join the “green team.” Each book is filled with “Challenge!” and “Action!” boxes specifying projects that children can take on to make changes in their environments. For example, in Your Local Environment an Action box provides instructions to children on how to build a small pond to attract wildlife. A Challenge in the same book relates how students can link their school with a school in another part of the world to “Learn about each other’s daily lives and local environments.”

One of the most interesting volumes in the series, Using Water, explains how toilet water can be reused and how even stopping a dripping tap can save an incredible amount of water. Waste and Recycling highlights such things as how elephant dung is used to make paper pulp. Using Energy challenges children to warm up or cool down without electricity. Reduce and Reuse looks at packaging, plastic bags, and recycling. Your Food suggests ways to minimize your food mileage, such as purchasing local produce.

Many beautiful colour pictures of children and places around the world reinforce the series global theme. Each title includes an index, glossary, and websites. All of the volumes are highly recommended.