Book Review: Going Blue

Going Blue

A Teen Guide to Saving our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands

by Cathryn Berger Kaye & Philippe Cousteau
ISBN 13 978-1-57542-348-7

Water is the most important substance on Earth; it is also the most threatened—by climate change, trash, and pollution (such as the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico). Young people across the globe are responding to the world water crisis by transforming their ideas and energy into action and participating in service learning. The call to service is being sounded by world leaders such as President Barack Obama, Jane Goodall, and Philippe Cousteau—grandson of Jacques Cousteau and a champion of the new generation of environmental activists. Teens are answering the call to help our environment by being green, and to rescue our oceans and waterways by going blue.

“Everything you do makes a difference. What can you do to make a positive difference?” —Philippe Cousteau, CEO, EarthEcho International

Be water smart. Go blue.

My Review: My son isn't quite into his teens yet so Going Blue was a little beyond his reading level, though he was still interested in finding out about the oceans and how to save them. Each chapter, or stage as listed below, includes bright photos, facts, charts, ideas and examples. I like how the majority of the book is broken down into lists or shorter blocks of information - I was a teen myself, and even when I was interested in something if it was presented in pages and pages of endless information I was more likely to skip over it than to read the entire thing.

The book is divided into the five stages of service learning:

Stage 1: Find Out → Investigate

Stage 2: Dive In → Prepare

STAGE 3: Get Going → Act
STAGE 4: Think Back → Reflect
STAGE 5: Tell It → Demonstrate

If your child is an earth lover like mine, Going Blue would be a good resource to consider adding to your library. You can purchase this, and many other self help and educational books from Free Spirit Publishing.