A Surrealist Alice In Wonderland, Earth Day Reads, and More YA Book Talk: April 22, 2024

We know that climate change is real. The research is there, the science is there, and the facts are there. Rusch’s book is about the Juliana vs. United States, which came to a conclusion just a couple of months after the release of the book. The case—which the plaintiffs won—was brought to court by 21 young people who claimed that because of the US’s support of the fossil fuel industry, the environment has been and continues to be damaged as a result.

The 21 is an environmental justice thriller, so this won’t read like a blow-by-blow of the court case. Instead, it’s a compelling nonfiction work about the young people engaged in climate justice and the ways they’re working to have their voices heard.

Ash doesn’t believe anyone cares about the world around her like she does. Grown-ups seem oblivious to the climate crisis, and people her own age are way too into celebrities to worry about the future of the planet. Grandpa Edwin felt different, though. He often told Ash that he planned to build a secret cabin deep in the woods.

Now Ash needs to know: did he build it? As they venture into the wilderness to find out, Ash must learn whether or not they are prepared for the self-discovery journey upon which they’ll begin to embark.

Eliza’s life was upended by Hurricane Harvey. Now that she’s in a new high school, she’s putting her energy into environmental activism. This isn’t popular in Houston, where the oil industry is a huge part of the economy.

Then Eliza meets Javi, who is grappling with his own environmental trauma. Together, the two find comfort and connection in their mental health over the personal impacts of climate change on their lives.

When Thea’s father has a premonition, he moves their family to southern Colorado’s Bloodless Valley. The plan is to unschool Thea and her sister, but it quickly becomes apparent that living on a remote farm takes far more time than they have, so Thea and her sister are left to educate themselves. Except the girls are forbidden from going to the library, as they might become “poisoned” by the internet or books.

But the real poison isn’t in knowledge. The farm where they’ve moved and how it won’t grow anything because of the climate.

So when Thea is allowed to take a job at a local café and meets Ray—a partially Deaf teen just like her—she begins to put together the pieces of the world she’s just entered. It’s declining, and quick.

Eco-anxiety is real, and it impacts not only adults, but teens, too. This book is a look at what eco-anxiety is and it offers ten actionable steps that young people—or adults, let’s be real—can take to manage that anxiety and help protect the Earth.

Isa’s life finally feels like it is settling down. That is why she’s dreading her senior year and leaving for college—she wants to just be still. But her community is being ravaged by wildfires and a gas pipeline in town is threatening her dad’s job. She’s decided getting involved in the environmental action club at school is one thing she can do to make herself and her world a little bit better.

Too bad her club’s copresident Darius is so annoying. He’s a good guy, the valedictorian, angling to get every point on his growing resume possible. Darius wants a political career and the environmental club is but one more thing he can do to get experience. It’s not that he doesn’t care about the issues. It’s that he has goals for taking the club to the next level to help gather experience in putting on a policy summit and more.

Then there’s Isa, the new co-president of the club, who is going to make Darius’s job as co-president a bit harder than it needs to be. He can’t focus entirely on what the club brings to his resume but, instead, what he can bring to the club…and, well, no doubt some ~feelings~ will emerge between Isa and Darius.

The Cuban government has outlawed art that doesn’t meet their approval, but Soleida and her family have elected to create a secret sculpture garden anyway. When a storm ravages the area and their installment is found, Soleida’s parents are arrested.

Soleida escapes and makes her way to Central America. There she meets a huge contingent of Cuban refugees, including Dariel. Dariel makes incredible music enchanting both to animals and to Soleida, and before long, the two of them begin to work together to bring awareness to protecting the environment—and to the injustices artists are experiencing in Cuba.