Bad news about the environment is everywhere—either in headlines, or unfolding in real-time disasters like storms, floods, and fires. It’s nearly impossible to avoid the reality that climate change is shifting the world around us.
This means that there are more people. Particularly young peopleClimate anxiety, depression, and related mental health issues are all possible in those who are most vulnerable. Stress, sadness, anger and grief are all possible. Normal partYou may face serious problems. But for the good of our ecosystems and ourselves, it’s important to confront those feelings and learn to cope. Avoiding or suppressing those feelings might be dangerous. Inaction can lead to inaction, and ultimately worsens the state of the planet and our mental well-being in the long-term.
So, what’s a Better way? It is important to learn the facts and build community. Climate change is big—whole-world big. Teens and young people can find it difficult to know where to begin to make a difference.
These five books can help. Teens can learn accurate information that doesn’t rely on doomsday clichés, learn about positive change from others, and then come up with real strategies to help themselves, their friends, and the Earth.
The Story of More: How we got to Climate Change and Where to go from Here (Adapted to Young Adults).
By Hope Jahren
(Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House LLC, 2021; 208 pages; young adults)
The Story of More The climate crisis is a consumption crisis, Hope Jahren argues. Hope Jahren, a geochemist, studies how to look back in history and track climate change. Hope Jahren’s scientific work focuses on the past to understand the future. She begins the book at the origins of human civilization, agriculture, energy, and life on Earth. She has a gift for captivating narrative. Nearly every chapter starts with a compelling personal anecdote.
The book is full of easily digestible facts and Jahren makes a convincing argument that people in a few countries (primarily the United States) could have less without losing out. At points the “story” leaves big questions unanswered (e.g. how to avoid cars if your family lives somewhere with bad or no public transit), and Jahren acknowledges there are limits to the personal responsibility mindset. Concrete examples are the foundation of her sustainable, alternative future. It offers readers both resolve and a dose of hope.
Buy it at Bookshop.org.
When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water Crisis
By Nancy F. Castaldo
(Algonquin Young Readers/Workman Publishing, 2022; 208 pages; young adults)
This book is for you if your goal is to get up and moving, not just to feel depressed. Nancy Castaldo is an author with over 20 years experience in writing about the environment. Water is both a necessity for life as well as a resource in danger. She offers scientific, social, and political explanations of how, why, and where Earth’s water supply is threatened. Climate change is a major concern. When the World is DryCastaldo also discusses equity, distribution, and other pollution issues.
The book’s target audience is readers ages 10-18, though the explanatory sections at times feel a little too academic to engage younger readers. Castaldo shines best in her in-depth case studies that focus on the struggles of communities from Flint, Michigan, to Hampstead (New Hampshire), to Venice, Italy, and Cape Town South Africa. These examples are mainly (but not exclusively), focused on the United States. They are full of lies and incompetent politicians, profit driven companies, and the suffering that they cause. Each diversion into a specific place and group of people hammers home the importance of solidarity and standing up for what’s right—and presents suggested pathways to achieve that.
Buy it at Bookshop.org.
A Bigger Picture: The Fight to Bring a new African Voice to the Climate Crisis
By Vanessa Nakate
(Mariner Books/HarperCollinsPublishers, 2021; 240 pages; young adults)
Activist Vanessa Nakate tells her own story—from college student to global climate leader—in an honest and inspiring narrative that’s both memoir and vision for a better future. She brings to life the unintended consequences of climate change on Africa and her country, Uganda, through her clear, emotional writing. She illustrates the intersection of race, gender and geography to show how the least responsible for climate changes are the most vulnerable. problems.
A Bigger Picture doesn’t gloss over the challenges Nakate has faced. It includes moments of doubt and depression, which makes the author’s story relatable to all audiences and the label of activist seem attainable. Along with wider reflections and recommendations, Nakate wisely demonstrates that individuals do not act alone—she emphasizes the importance of friends, family, and other support networks in tackling crises. The book humanizes the reality of climate activism and makes it seem possible for the reader to do the same.
Buy it at Bookshop.org.
How to Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other
By Naomi Klein
Adapted from Rebecca Stefoff
(Atheneum Books For Young Readers/Simon & Schuster, 2021; 336 pages; young adults)
The root causes of the climate crisis can be found here. Naomi Klein is a journalist, writer, professor, activist and activist. She connects the issue with every aspect of life and shows how its causes run deep. How to Change Everything doesn’t focus on a single contribution to, or outcome of, climate change. It examines the global economic, societal and political structures that have been created to maximize profits for a few at all costs to the planet and everyone else. Some of the science is explained, but most of the page space is dedicated to “disaster capitalism”: how we got into a tangle of climate misinformation, why inequality is baked into the system, the importance of environmental justice, and the need for collective action. This theory was originally developed by Klein in The Shock Doctrine, a book for grown-ups; this book adapts it for for young readers.)
Klein focuses on the political person and vice versa and tells stories about specific activists or places. The book’s final third is a comprehensive guide to how you can get involved in changing the world. It may seem overwhelming to young readers, but the prose is easy to understand and retains interest. How to Change EverythingThis book is a critical view that is sure to leave readers equally angry and engaged.
Buy it at Bookshop.org.
Hot Mess: How Climate Crisis is Impacting Our World
By Jeff Fleischer
(Zest Books™/ Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., 2021; 192 pages; grade 6-12)
Look no further if you’re looking for detailed explanations about the science behind climate and greenhouse gas emissions for teenagers. Jeff Fleischer is a journalist and author. He begins by explaining exactly how humans are responsible. Then, each chapter will be explained. Hot MessWithout any hand-waving, the chapter dives into the details of extreme storms. The last chapter provides a concise and balanced summary of what we can do (and must) to avoid the worst.
Although lots of relevant examples are thrown in, it’s less narratively driven than other books on the list and more akin to a readable, well-organized textbook. It could be used as a reference tool and a place to return to many times. A Hot Mess isn’t designed to reduce readers’ climate anxiety, but it provides vital information to understand what’s happening, win debates, and help convince others of the facts. This one is for those who love to be nerdy and feel like they don’t have enough.
Buy it at Bookshop.org.
