It is the New Year, but we still have the same old economic crisis, the same old global warming, and maybe the same old tendency toward poor fitness habits. If only there was a way to tackle all three problems at once… But wait, there is! Check out The Human-Powered Home, and learn how to reduce your hydro bills, reduce your carbon footprint, and reduce your waistline all in one go. Through designs for pedal and pump power we can power any number of household appliances, from blenders to washing machines (remember the one on Gilligan’s Island?), even pedal-powered snowplows (wait till you see that one) and bike-framed cultivators for your garden. When considering implementing these plans in your own home, it may be helpful to have a friend or family member who is an engineer at heart, as the schematics are not as detailed as the instructions, but the author – who lives in her own human-powered home – also provides information on commercially available parts and contraptions. There are photos from all over the world illustrating the various uses for pedal and pump power, including some innovative entrepreneurs who use them in their various businesses. These machines are designed for energy efficiency, not time efficiency, of course, and your grandparents may recognize some of them from days gone by (the hand-cranked ice-cream maker is just one example), but sometimes the old things really are best for the economy, earth and your own health. This book is recommended by Mother Earth News.

The first step is to understand the concepts and causes of climate change and pollution; the next step is to take steps toward reducing these threats to our world. You Can Save the Planet provides fifty practical suggestions to children and families – small steps which, if taken by many, become large steps. Did you know that many household appliances such as DVD players, if switched off by a remote control, go on standby and continue to use a considerable amount of electricity? Did you know that only about 5% of discarded cell phones are recycled, and that the rest go into the garbage, leaching toxic materials such as cadmium and mercury into the ground? How can every household reuse paper, avoid using plastic bags and other packaging, and reduce household water usage?
Some of the suggestions made in this book will be old news to adults but perhaps not to children … besides, with the current state of our planet, some of the ideas need to be repeated again and again … and again. You Can Save the Planet is an essential and upbeat resource for children and their families.
** Recommended for ages 7 to 11 years.
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Canadian children’s author Jan Thornhill’s skills in explaining issues in an easy-to-understand way that will interest children, are very much in evidence in her 2007 publication, This is My Planet. What exactly is meant by the term “global warming” (especially after this winter’s cold temperatures)? What causes global warming, and why is it so detrimental to people, plants, birds, animals and sea life? What results of climate change can we expect to see in the future? And what are some up-to-date web sites with further information for children? Jan Thornhill’s thoughtful and colorfully-illustrated book offers answers to all of these questions – from a Canadian perspective.
** Recommended for ages 7 to 10 years.