#42

#42 Empty by Suzanne Weyn

"'When are we going to get it through our heads that oil is a nonrenewable resource? ...we must throw ourselves wholeheartedly into developing every source of renewable energy - nothing less than our survival as a global community depends on it.'"

We all know it's true. One day the oil will run out. What will the world be like? That's Suzanne's Weyn's task in this YA novel. At the start of the book Empty, gas prices are so high, most people can't afford to fill up their car or heat their home. Whole town are losing power and the food is running out. And this is all before the hurricanes come. You can just imagine the craziness that ensues. Niki, Gwen and Tom are teens growing up in the middle of it all and trying to find a way to survive in a new world.

This book is an honest look at what could happen to our world if we don't make big changes in the near future. There is so much talk about global warming, environmental changes and recycling and this book would be wonderful to use with students. I think it would pair well with a book I read and reviewed just a couple weeks ago: Ship Breaker. If we can get our young readers involved in making positive changes to help our communities, amazing things can begin to happen.

Sidenote: I just have to share a story about some of my students who are truly making a difference. A few of my kiddos did a service learning project about the need to eliminate styrofoam. They researched and read and got fired up about their project. They decided to try and convince our school district to get rid of the styrofoam lunch trays used in the cafeterias. They found companies that sell biodegradable trays, researched the cost, found the best prices, everything. They presented their findings to the principal who agreed they did an amazing job. They kept on bugging her, finding her in the halls, talking to other students, until she had no choice but to bring in the head of food service for the district. The kids presented their project to these administrators, convincing them to look into biodegradable trays. Admin was so impressed that our campus will be piloting a program to rid our district of styrofoam trays all because a small group of students got excited, passionate and wouldn't back down from what they knew was right. Love it!