1. The book, The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming is classified as a survey nonfiction book. Starting the book with a Letter to the Reader, the authors present a brief introduction, overview, and description of the book. The main topic of this book is global warming. It is broken into four subtopics: explanation and science, effects on weather, effects on plants and animals, and education and prevention of global warming. Every page of this book is filled with pictures and illustrations that add to the story. The illustrations are well placed and very enjoyable. For me, the pictures helped stress the point of the book. Finally, the book contains author’s notes, a glossary, further reading and website suggestions, source notes, bibliography, photo credits, and an index.
2.
Visual Profile of the Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming
No Made up Material 0 All Made up Material
Minimal Information 10 Lots of Information
Simple Structure 5 Complex Structure
No Narrative Text 5 All Narrative Text
No Expository Text 5 All Expository Text
No Literary Devices 8 Many Literary Devices
Minimal Author’s Voice 10 Intense Author’s Voice
No Front/Back Matter 10 Copious Front/Back Matter
No Visual Material 10 Copious Visual Material
*According to my visual profile, this book is a very accurate nonfiction book.
This book has many inviting features to hook the reader. Picking up the book, the reader is drawn to the cover. It is a person, unknown sex, sitting on grass with blue skies behind them and holding the Earth in their hands. The title is in yellow and orange, the colors of the sun, and Global Warming is in big font. The cover ignites curiosity in the reader because it symbolizes humans protecting the Earth.
Opening the book, the reader discovers a well-organized and eye catching book. The first pages of the book are a title page, publication information, dedications, and acknowledgements. Next, the table of contents is presented. The book is broken into four parts with subtitles underneath each. The titles and subtitles are catchy and give the reader an idea of what the reading will contain. The book is organized in a topical fashion with story narration included. After reviewing the table of contents, the reader then turns to the authors’ note. The authors’ note was interesting because it told of advancements in the fight to stop global warming after the book was written but right before going to press. Before we get to the book, the “Dear Reader”, tells why the book was written, what the book is about, and how it is broken down. Finally, we are ready to read!
The book focuses on global warming and stresses the point that people need to be aware of and start correcting the problem before the damage is irreversible. The authors set a partisan tone in the book. They take a firm stand against global warming and defend that stand throughout the book. Although their strong feelings are expressed in this book, the authors can take a partisan approach because global warming is an indisputable problem. Furthermore, they make the content relatable. In order to convey the information, the authors use correct terms, such as sediment, and explains the term in a way the reader can understand. They use age appropriate metaphors to compare global warming topics to topics children understand and/or take interest. Also, the authors use subjects and situations that the reader can relate. For example, the author relates methane gas production to cows’ burps and farts and when discussing CO2 the author uses surfing to grab the reader’s attention. The language and dialect of this book is appropriate for the age range specified. It was well written.
The book is visually appealing from cover to cover. The text is black and the authors use black bold for the “words to know” section. Going one step further, the authors use several different colors and sizes for font to stress the important parts of the book. For me, these features made the book very interesting and easy to follow. Adding to the visual appeal is the book’s pictures and side notes. Every page is filled with illustrations, pictures, and neat little facts that enhance the information. The pictures range in shape and size and the amount of written material included. These extras add appeal to this book.
Finishing the book, the reader turns the pages toward the end. First, the reader comes to a section called “Words to Know.” In other words, this section is the glossary. It gives the reader a list of some words that may need defining while reading this book. A middle school reader would find this helpful. Turning the page, the reader comes to “suggestions for further reading.” This section gives multiple books and websites to guide the reader in exploring more on the topic. Next, the reader turns to the “source notes.” The authors gives a chapter by chapter list, with page numbers and sentence starting words, of information to validate the material written in this book. Then, the reader turns to the bibliography. The bibliography lists a variety of books, magazines, articles and reports, web sites, and interviews and correspondence as sources of research. Many of the sources are from government studies, world renowned journals, and experts in the field. These sources make the book very credible and valid. Turning again, the photo credits are listed and the index begins. The index is useful in this book. It gives the reader a broad range of key terms and the ability to turn to the topic they are searching. Turning to the last page of the book, the reader discovers “about the authors.” It lists the authors’ background and their current activities to “wake” America up in regard to the issue of global warming.
In regards to accuracy, this book was on the mark. The authors give the reader a detailed “About the Author” section. It lists the background, achievements, and the ongoing efforts of the authors regarding global warming. The bibliography lists copious amounts of books, magazines, and internet sites for primary sources of information for this book. The authors express their passion for global warming, but back it up with valid research and documentation. The authors do not use generalization, stereotyping, or anthropomorphism to enhance this book because global warming is a topic that endangers us all and raises eyebrows without any help.
3. I think this book is an excellent addition to a science class. It is easy to understand, appealing, and appropriate for someone of any age to read. This book would work in science class lessons, including but not limited to: recycling, temperature changes, and causes of animal extinction. A big plus to becoming a science classroom addition is it gets students involved. It gives websites and a sample letter to get students involved in the fight to stop global warming.
4. I think this book would be a great addition to the ten books already on the shelves of the UNO Library. It seems to be a different approach then the books listed on the website. It was easy to read and visually stimulating. Also, it gives the teacher an opportunity to use this book as a hands-on learning activity. Students can use the provided letter or websites and express their concerns to the government. After reading this book, students will go home and look around the house to see if they are helping to fight global warming because I know this book made me think about what I could to help.
5. I looked up the book’s review at Kirkus, Barnes & Nobles, School Library Journal, and Hornbook. All four reviews agree, to a very shorter extent, to what I wrote in my review. Kirkus wrote “the excellent backmatter provides documentation and a variety of resources for further research. Barnes & Noble’s wrote from the authors “comes a powerful, kid-friendly, and engaging book that will get kids interested in the environment!” The School Library Journal wrote that the authors “present a mass of material on this broad subject in a clearly explained, kid-friendly format.” Hornbook wrote that the authors “speak plainly and clearly to their young audience using kid-friendly metaphors.” ( )

This book is a great way for young adult or even kids to learn about the climate change and take action in it. ( )

Although I've read reviews that criticize one of the charts in this book as being inaccurate, I still think this book provides an accessible information on global warming for kids. The authors include many colorful photographs and pictures to illustrate their point. They discuss issues with global warming that are certain to be of interest to kids, such as animals going extinct and ways that kids can help combat global warming. Sidebars add interesting facts to accompany the text. A list of recommended books and websites for further reading is included, as are source notes and an index. ( )