Books Unleashed
A few books that may inspire you and your students

Recycling: Reducing Waste
Buffy Silverman (Do It Yourself) Ages 9–12

I Heard the Willow Weep
Toni Albert (Triple Creek Books) Ages 9–12

Johnny and The Old Oak Tree
Rachael Peterpaul Paulson (Crestmont Publishers) Baby–Preschool

Rot and Decay: A Story of Death, Scavengers, and Recycling
Sarah Levete (Rourke Publishing) Ages 9–12

Jed’s Really Useful Poem
Ragnhild Scamell (Red Fox) Ages 3–8

Serena: A Novel
Ron Rash, (HarperCollins) Adult
Although the lead character is named Serena, which comes from the word “serene,” meaning clear, fair, tranquil or peaceful, she is anything but. Set in 1929 Appalachia North Carolina, Serena and her husband George are wealthy timber barons, and will cut, burn, and kill to get what they want. One of the subtexts of the novel is the development of the National Park System, led by Teddy Roosevelt, with financial assistance from the Rockefellers.

This is definitely a summer reader, wonderfully written and Shakespearean to the very last page.

A Trip Through Recycling History
Alfred A. Mijkerk (Bureau of International Recycling) Ages 13–Adult
Although Alfred A. Mijkerk has been involved in the scrap industry since 1956, he has journeyed back in history much further than that for his new booklet, “Recycling Through the Ages.” The 54-page booklet, which can be downloaded as a PDF from the Bureau of International Recycling’s website at www.bir.org, traces the history of recycling back to the smelting of copper in 7000 B.C. in what is now Turkey and Iran. The booklet also describes the recycling activities of some of Earth’s great civilizations, including the Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians.

This is a wonderful resource book, and offers you the opportunity to incorporate recycling topics into your Social Studies and World History curriculums.

Simple Activities for Exploring Key Concepts Related to Climate Change
Books on this topic are available from Green Teacher online at: www.greenteacher.com or by calling 888-804-1486.