Status
Available
Call number
Call number
333.72 R39 2020
Collection
Description
"This nonfiction book for middle readers profiles twenty environmental activists of colour from around the world. Their individual stories show that the intersection of environment and ethnicity is an asset, not an obstacle, to helping the planet. Illustrated with photos of each of the people profiled."--
Publication
Orca Book Publishers Ltd. (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 208 pages
Original publication date
2020
Original language
English
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member simchaboston
I had a hard time reviewing this one. Nature is diverse, and so are the people protecting them, so a book discussing POC environmentalists definitely does a service. And it's inspiring to hear about all these different activists working with their communities and integrating tradition and science
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into their approaches. I just wish the writing had been equally inspiring. I know this is for younger readers, but I feel like they could handle more complex prose. If it's an issue of wanting to keep the book a certain length, then I'd drop a few of the photos (maybe it's because they were in black and white, but some are very difficult to read and others seem repetitive), and even some of the more generic quotes could be omitted. Still, a worthy effort. Show Less
LibraryThing member cougargirl1967
A great book; just enough information so it doesn't overwhelm, very inspiring.
LibraryThing member SheilaCornelisse
This is a great collection of biographies on inspirational people from diverse backgrounds. It is written in a style that is relatable to middle grade and high school students. Will be an excellent resource since it is current.
LibraryThing member lisan.
Excellent book of POC who are working so hard to do the work that POC have always done. I was especially inspired by the stories of Saul Brown, Ghanimat Azhdari, and Dominique Edwards, but everyone in the book is admirable. I had an advanced copy given to me by Library Thing, so my copy didn’t
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have color pictures, which meant that some of the photos were hard to see. Show Less
LibraryThing member patsaintsfan
Some books are wonderful wins! This one is that for me. Thank you LibraryThing and Orca Book Publishers.
When I first began reading this I was not impressed with the writing. It felt very much like it was written for kids. I quickly discovered that it is actually marketed as a YA book, and then I
I soon found myself in a groove when reading about these 20 "people of color protecting our planet". These great people live all over the world, and I enjoyed reading about each. Of course, as few stood out to me, but I have no doubt that to someone else a few others would stand out to them.
I really enjoyed learning about these humans(in no particular order):
Ghanimat Azhdari: Born and lives in Iran
-She works with Indigenous People and conservationists by teaching them how to map local borders, areas for migration, how to correctly plant for medicines, and so much more. All the while dealing with the demands of the government.
Daniel Reyes: From Mexico, lives in Austin, TX
- Researches and teaches about Mycology (study of Fungi) and how it is used to clean soil and water contaminated by oil drilling
Rue Mapp: Born/Lives in Oakland, CA
- Created Outdoor Afro - an outlet used to help get more African Americans involved with the outdoors. Her story is great. She's very hands on in her community and a great inspiration.
Saul Brown,'Hazil'hba': lives in the community of Waglisla in Heiltsuk territory
- Worked to prevent the destruction of Herring Fisheries in Pacific NW in Canada. The destruction of herring had become unsustainable and collapsed, and he and his community fought to save the Herring. The loss of these fish as part of the food web affects pretty much everything else.They protested and brought it to the law and made changes needed.
Nitya Chari Harris: Born in Bumbai, India; Lives in Langford, British Columbia
- Started "Coexisting with Carnivores" - teaches solutions when there is conflict between humans and animals in shared environments.
When I first began reading this I was not impressed with the writing. It felt very much like it was written for kids. I quickly discovered that it is actually marketed as a YA book, and then I
Show More
became more impressed that this book was going to be available to encourage the younger generations to follow their passions like the wonderful people highlighted in this book!I soon found myself in a groove when reading about these 20 "people of color protecting our planet". These great people live all over the world, and I enjoyed reading about each. Of course, as few stood out to me, but I have no doubt that to someone else a few others would stand out to them.
I really enjoyed learning about these humans(in no particular order):
Ghanimat Azhdari: Born and lives in Iran
-She works with Indigenous People and conservationists by teaching them how to map local borders, areas for migration, how to correctly plant for medicines, and so much more. All the while dealing with the demands of the government.
Daniel Reyes: From Mexico, lives in Austin, TX
- Researches and teaches about Mycology (study of Fungi) and how it is used to clean soil and water contaminated by oil drilling
Rue Mapp: Born/Lives in Oakland, CA
- Created Outdoor Afro - an outlet used to help get more African Americans involved with the outdoors. Her story is great. She's very hands on in her community and a great inspiration.
Saul Brown,'Hazil'hba': lives in the community of Waglisla in Heiltsuk territory
- Worked to prevent the destruction of Herring Fisheries in Pacific NW in Canada. The destruction of herring had become unsustainable and collapsed, and he and his community fought to save the Herring. The loss of these fish as part of the food web affects pretty much everything else.They protested and brought it to the law and made changes needed.
Nitya Chari Harris: Born in Bumbai, India; Lives in Langford, British Columbia
- Started "Coexisting with Carnivores" - teaches solutions when there is conflict between humans and animals in shared environments.
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LibraryThing member etxgardener
Good resource for middle school to junior high showing how people in the third world are working to protect the planet. Not everyone has to wait for the white savior to show up.
LibraryThing member Loisthelion
I recieved an advance reading copy of this book through the Early Reviewers program, and really enjoyed it. There are a wide range of people and projects from all over the world included in the book. The writing is accessible, but informative, and structured in a way to make an ideal textbook with
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a glossary of terms and easily digestible chunks of information. It is also full of ideas and suggestions to inspire kids to get involved and take environmentally friendly steps both large and small. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
This is a book worthy of a spot on all classroom shelves. We need to see the diversity of people who are involved in protecting the Earth and it’s inspiring to read about their actions 0
LibraryThing member gypsysmom
This book is an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher Orca Books. As such the illustrations and photographs are in black and white but there is a statement on the back cover that the final book will be in color. Since the intended audience for this book are young adults ages 12+ that should make
The author, Anuradha Rao, is a conservation biologist raised in Ontario but now living in Vancouver. She is the daughter of immigrants from India and has taken lessons from the Indian culture but also from indigenous peoples with whom she has worked and interacted. She noticed that very few people of colour worked in the forefront of environmental fields but they are everywhere saving animals, stopping destruction of habitats, researching solutions, and many other actions. She writes about 20 people from around the world and each of them has words of wisdom to share with young people.
In one of those instances of synchronicity that happen often when I read I was watching a PBS program called the Age of Nature which is exploring ways habitats around the world are being restored. One of the areas they highlighted was the fynbos region outside of Cape Town in South Africa. I had never heard of this region until I read the chapter devoted to Ismail Ebrahim, a horticulturist working in the fynbos region to find and save rare plants. And then within a few days the fynbos was mentioned again in The Age of Nature. I love when that happens.
If you know of a young person interested in the environment and nature this would be a great gift for them.
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it very attractive.The author, Anuradha Rao, is a conservation biologist raised in Ontario but now living in Vancouver. She is the daughter of immigrants from India and has taken lessons from the Indian culture but also from indigenous peoples with whom she has worked and interacted. She noticed that very few people of colour worked in the forefront of environmental fields but they are everywhere saving animals, stopping destruction of habitats, researching solutions, and many other actions. She writes about 20 people from around the world and each of them has words of wisdom to share with young people.
In one of those instances of synchronicity that happen often when I read I was watching a PBS program called the Age of Nature which is exploring ways habitats around the world are being restored. One of the areas they highlighted was the fynbos region outside of Cape Town in South Africa. I had never heard of this region until I read the chapter devoted to Ismail Ebrahim, a horticulturist working in the fynbos region to find and save rare plants. And then within a few days the fynbos was mentioned again in The Age of Nature. I love when that happens.
If you know of a young person interested in the environment and nature this would be a great gift for them.
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LibraryThing member MizPurplest
I really appreciated the accessibility of this book as well as the diversity of ideas and backgrounds represented in the short, approachable chapters. The book is divided into themed sections based on area of focus, with short chapters within each section giving a personal history of each activist.
For a young adult audience, this book is practically perfect. It's easy to see yourself in these chapters and realize that you can find your own way to making a difference in the world. It also does an excellent job of showing that even the smallest difference is important - you don't need to aim for saving the earth; you can focus on one small piece that means something to you, and your impact will still make the world better.
As somewhat of an aside, I also really appreciated that each activist presented themselves at the beginning of each chapter, telling the reader exactly how they identify themselves. It gives a strong personal feel to each chapter and allows the reader to feel like they are meeting these people as they would want to introduce themselves. Personal identity is important, and most books interpret for themselves rather than explicitly ask their subjects to offer their identities. It's an excellent way to show how much Rao cares about the people she's introducing.
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The chapters do an excellent job of outlining the background of each person, where and how they grew up, and what triggered their interest in the fields they ended up pursuing. The variety of cultural backgrounds is incredibly varied, as well as the age of each activist and where their interests came from. I loved that some of these were young adults just coming into their activism, some were mature adults who have been activists for years, and some were adults who only found their calling late in life. The message is clear - you can find a way to something you care strongly about, no matter where you come from or what you've done before. For a young adult audience, this book is practically perfect. It's easy to see yourself in these chapters and realize that you can find your own way to making a difference in the world. It also does an excellent job of showing that even the smallest difference is important - you don't need to aim for saving the earth; you can focus on one small piece that means something to you, and your impact will still make the world better.
As somewhat of an aside, I also really appreciated that each activist presented themselves at the beginning of each chapter, telling the reader exactly how they identify themselves. It gives a strong personal feel to each chapter and allows the reader to feel like they are meeting these people as they would want to introduce themselves. Personal identity is important, and most books interpret for themselves rather than explicitly ask their subjects to offer their identities. It's an excellent way to show how much Rao cares about the people she's introducing.
Show Less
LibraryThing member LheaJLove
I really, really loved this book.
Each profile of each young person was so genuine.
I really liked how diverse and how different each person was from the other. But each person reminds us there is always something that we can do to make the world better.
Even me! I really liked the book… I
Really nice for children, teenagers and for adults.
Each profile of each young person was so genuine.
I really liked how diverse and how different each person was from the other. But each person reminds us there is always something that we can do to make the world better.
Even me! I really liked the book… I
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definitely bought a few more copies in addition to the free early review copy.Really nice for children, teenagers and for adults.
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ISBN
1459818865 / 9781459818866