Recycling and Sustainability: For Kids

Plastic bags are cheap and easy to use. But what happens when a bag breaks or is no longer needed? In Njau, Gambia, people simply dropped the bags and went on their way. One plastic bag became two. Then ten. Then a hundred.
The bags accumulated in ugly heaps alongside roads. Water pooled in them, bringing mosquitoes and disease. Some bags were burned, leaving behind a terrible smell. Some were buried, but they strangled gardens. They killed livestock that tried to eat them. Something had to change.
Isatou Ceesay was that change. She found a way to recycle the bags and transform her community. This inspirational true story shows how one person's actions really can make a difference in our world.

Discovered in 1997, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a wide swath of post-consumer plastic waste that is found at the confluence of four major ocean currents in a vast area known as the North Pacific Central Gyre. This photojournalistic book follows three young female scientists living and working aboard a small research ship that was part of the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastics Expedition. It details the researchers’ process of developing a hypothesis, collecting evidence, and designing experiments to learn more about the impact of the Garbage Patch on marine life. Newman successfully summarizes all of their complex research findings into straightforward and doable tips for minimizing environmental impact. An engaging and worthwhile read, this will surely make young readers think twice about their trash. Grades 4-8. --Erin Anderson

Come and visit Mrs, Knoodle's recycling class. Mrs. Knoodle is big and green and has hair that looks like lettuce. Meet teacher's helper Little Bug and all the kids in her class. This book introduces children to a basic understanding of recycling. Fun activities and recycling ideas are included along with a song everyone can sing. Don't forget to take the "Recycling Pledge."

Kids everywhere are knowledgeable about the environment and climate change. Not only is composting becoming more common in households and residential gardens, but many school gardens feature compost piles, too. But how do you start a compost pile? What’s safe to include? Perfect for an Earth Day focus or year-round reference, this inviting book provides all the answers for kids and families looking for simple, child-friendly ways to help the planet.

Bobbie's room is full of stuff—SO full, that it's hard for her and her "best cousin," Joanie, to find space to play. When Bobbie's mom gives her a two–week deadline to clear out the clutter, Bobbie has an idea–instead of taking stuff out of her room, she brings garage–sale finds and other glamorous garbage in. Will Bobbie transform the chaos into a beautiful big–kid room? This title weaves together three appealing themes: letting go of toys and dealing with a messy room, turning trash into treasure, and recycling and repurposing—a part of every school curriculum from kindergarten up.

Peek into this diary of an aluminum can as it goes on a journey from inside a bauxite rock, to the manufacturing line, to the store shelf, to a display on a bookshelf, to a garbage can, and finally to a recycling plant where it emerges into its new life…as a baseball bat! The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle (2009) is a companion volume by the same author/illustrator team.

Attractive color illustrations and easy-to-follow text combine to present factual information that younger boys and girls will readily absorb and understand. This book describes the ways in which kids and their families can avoid waste and be environmentally conscious. Four pages presenting activities for children appear at the back of the book, followed by a two-page section for parents, with tips on explaining the subject in more detail.