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Total Garbage: A Messy Dive into Trash, Waste, and Our World
An eye-opening, occasionally gross, and above all fascinating account explores what we do with the things we no longer want or need. Chapters titled “What Is Trash?”, “Where Does Our Garbage Come From?”, “Why Do We Make So Much Garbage?”, “Where Does Our Garbage Go?”, “What Can We Learn from Our Garbage?”, and “How Can We Do Better?” explore various kinds of waste; the waste stream, which exists for both an item’s production (upstream) and post-use (downstream); and options for what we can (and can’t) do with various kinds of waste; as well as some intriguing history. The absence of a table of contents is unfortunate, but the engaging narrative invites thoughtful consideration of the individual and collective impact of our choices and the cause-and-effect relationship humans have with garbage. A “Trash Timeline,” selected resources, and index are included in the back matter of a volume that is pure trash—in the best way possible. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by John Hendrix
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9–14
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Substantial Narrative Non-Fiction
Subjects:
Cause & Effect
Climate Change
Consumerism
Environmental Challenges
Recycling and Repurposing
Publishers:
Henry Holt, Macmillan
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 138
ISBN: 9781250760388
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 628 Donnelly