Get Real: What Kind of World Are You Buying? by Mara Rockliff

Rockliff, M. (2010). Get real: What kind of world are you buying? Philadelphia, PA: Running Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7624-3745-0

Summary

The back cover of the book asks readers, “Can you really change the world with your wallet?” It then answers, “You already do.” This nonfiction resource exposes teens to the common items they consume every day and how they are affecting the planet. Booklist calls it, “A clearly written guide for readers who want to translate social and environmental awareness into action.” Thirteen chapters discuss environmental concerns; some of the topics are fast food, cell phones, and organic food. Each chapter describes the issue with an anecdote and questions. A section titled, “Rebels With a Cause” tells the story of how real-life teens made a difference. “Power to the People” sections show how readers can also make a difference. “How Low Can They Go?” presents readers with negative impacts real companies that readers have heard of have on the environment. “No Way!” further shocks readers with information about what they consume. “Act Out!” gives readers strategies to help the environment through what they do or do not buy. Many chapters have a section titled “Fast Forward” where readers learn about future trends. At the end of each chapter is a pullout box titled “More.” Here, readers will find more sources of information such as books, articles, and movies about the chapter’s topic.

Critical Evaluation

The layout of this book is interesting. When the reader opens it up to the table of contents, he sees not a list, but a collage of multi-colored text boxes of varying sizes. The effect this creates is it shows us how there is not a listed, linear approach, but that everything is somehow interconnected. Form follows function here; the same is true of our spending and consuming habits. The information in this book is often shocking and disturbing. One disappointed factor is much of the statistical information is left without reference citations. While the exclusion of the references might make the information seem less credible, the effect the statistics has on the readers is where the significance lies. There are interesting and creative graphics that draws attention. For example, the ear of corn with two screws on its sides definitely raises questions. Color photographs of landfills and destroyed forests also intend to disturb the reader. The book also offers more information in its lists of books, articles, movies, and websites. By doing so, this book clearly tells the reader that the information here is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

What you buy has more of an effect on the environment that you think. Read this book to learn what your part is in helping, or destroying, the environment.

Author Information

 

Mara Rockliff’s website lists many interesting things she has done in her life. For example, she has ridden an elephant, lived on a commune, and hung out with Cambodian monks. She also admits that she has never had a cell phone nor does she watch TV.

Mara Rockliff has also written under the pen names Nan Walker, Eleanor May, and Lewis B. Montgomery. She currently lives in eastern Pennsylvania with her family and enjoys visiting schools to talk about her books.

She can be reached through her website at:

http://mararockliff.com/index.html

This site has a lot of information for teens and teachers. There is a list of curricular units, ideas, and activities for download.

Genre

Young adult

Nonfiction

Curriculum Ties

Science, environment, recycling, gardening, nutrition, trade, economy

Book Talking Ideas

What are you doing to help the environment? What are some ways people can group together to really make a change?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Challenge Defense

N/A

Why did I include this title?

I thought I was doing a good job “going green” by recycling paper and bottles. Now, after reading this great little resource of a book, I realize that there is so much more I can do and how important it is that we all begin buying and consuming in a smarter way. I didn’t think buying Fair Trade products was such a big deal. Now, I will look for that symbol when I buy things like coffee. The information in this book is fascinating and informative, and teen readers will do well to take to heart its recommendations and spread the word. Today’s teen is more green-conscious than any other teens in history, and they are in the position to truly make a great impact. This book will help them accomplish that goal.

The Devil's Breath by David Gilman

Gilman, D. (2007). The Devil’s Breath. New York: Delacorte Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73560-5

Plot Summary

Fifteen-year-old Max Gordon attends a private all-boys boarding school near a military training zone in England. Something is amiss when he narrowly escapes an assassin’s shot. When he gets back to his room, items are misplaced. Furthermore, his brilliant ecological adventurer father, Tom Gordon, is missing and presumed dead. Max then sets out to find his father and his adventure leads him from Europe to Africa. Along the way, Max makes new friends who help: !Koga is a bushman boy who understands the language in Africa and Kallie is an aviator. Together with the help of his computer genius friend Sayid back in boarding school, Max and his new friends encounter numerous complications such as extreme weather, car chases, hand-to-hand combat, poisonous arrows, and evil monkeys. When Max learns that his father is caught up in Shaka Chang’s monstrous plot of water pollution that could kill thousands of people, he must find his father and stop Chang in time.

Critical Evaluation

The story opens with the attempted assassination of Max Gordon, and the plot does not let up from there. The twists and turns of this adventure story lead the reader to multiple locations; some readers might be easily confused by such quick setting changes. However, it is these unrelenting twists and turns that create the fast-paced plot. In fact, The Devil’s Breath is very much like Horowitz’s Alex Rider books. Readers will be intrigued by the Bushmen people’s language as it is translated by !Koga for Max. The African setting is significant because it is as foreign to Max as it probably is to the reader, and the detailed descriptions of this unfamiliar place add to its intensity. However, sometimes the descriptions can be quite lengthy and the reader might feel lost. The reader will recognize clear references to the ecological dangers of water pollution.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Max Gordon’s adventurer father is missing and Max, with the help of his friends, faces dangers in the African wilderness to try to find him. When he realizes the evil plan that will kill thousands, Max must find his father before it’s too late.

 

Author Information

 

David Gilman is a successful television screenwriter in the UK and was a writer for a show called A Touch of Frost from 2000-2009. Before that, the sometimes tragic turns of events in his own life provided him with experiences that took him all over the world. He grew up in Liverpool, England and because his father’s job required him to move every six months, Gilman attended many different schools. He was always looking for new experiences and frequently went missing from the time he was four. When he eventually found a love of books at a public library, he continued to get lost in the worlds he found in the pages. Of reading, he says, “I’m convinced that reading helps to socialize even the most disadvantaged or disruptive child and makes an enormous difference to communication skills. Reading lights up synapses other activities can’t reach!”

Gilman held a variety of jobs while living in South Africa before going to school to learn how a screenwriter. His many jobs working in a dairy and in a clothing emporium where he learned how to tailor clothes. He lied about his age to become a traffic cop and then as part of a Fire and Rescue Service. His jobs took him from South Africa to England to Canada to Australia and back to England again. There, he became a screenwriter for a television show and novelist.

More information about David Gilman can be found on his website:

http://www.davidgilman.com/

Genre

Young adult

Action Adventure

Survival

Curriculum Ties

Geography, environment

Book Talking Ideas

What would you do to help someone you loved? What kinds of adventures would you expect to have in South Africa?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Main character is in high school; appropriate for ages 15 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Challenge Defense

N/A

Why did I include this title?

Evil monkeys. Enough said. Seriously, though, this novel does feel an awful lot like an Alex Rider novel for an older crowd. It is fun to read. Fans of Alex Rider novels will enjoy this ride.