You Are Eating Plastic Every Day

November 1, 2019

Gr 5-9-Contemporary social issues are investigated by examining the surrounding laws, rights, debates, court cases, and backlash. The role of protest, social movements, changing behaviors and beliefs, and toxic traditions and choices are shown to play into the development of these matters. Though text-heavy, the layout is broken up with visuals including bar graphs, pie charts, infographics with statistics, maps, time lines, and photographs. Fact boxes and sidebars present additional information on specific topics, people, terms, and moments. Each edition concludes with offering ways to get involved, with information such as what to do if someone you know is assaulted, how to help combat gun violence, or what you can do to help with the problem of plastic pollution. The additional resources at the end include multipart critical thinking questions to show reading comprehension and tie these larger issues into students' daily lives. VERDICT Solid, up-to-date explorations of topical issues.

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2019
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Meet microplastics, the world's grimmest sprinkles. Part of the Informed! series (4 titles), this book comprehensively and convincingly presents the dangers single-use plastics pose to the environment and its animals, including humans. Smith-Llera opens with the haunting photo of a seabird carcass, reduced to feathers, bones, and a stomach full of colorful bits of plastic. This bird's fate is common among animals that live in or feed from the ocean, which is steadily filling with plastics?with bags, straws, bottles, fishing nets, and nearly invisible microplastics being the biggest offenders. The text utilizes infographics, fact boxes, and photos as it describes the pros and cons of plastic's resilience, its journey into oceans and the food chain, the trouble with recycling, and environmental activism by young people. The book's shocking statistics will make readers look at seafood (and salt!) in new ways and compel some to take action. Source notes, a partial bibliography, and further reading suggestions will guide those wanting to know more about this growing problem.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)