Monday's green books series - Easy to Be Green: Simple Activities You Can Do to Save the Earth

Today our book on our Monday's green books series is both coloring and activity book for kids, showing them not only how easy it is to go green, but also that it can be really fun!

Our book today is:

Easy to Be Green: Simple Activities You Can Do to Save the Earth

Author: Ellie O'Ryan

Illustrator: Ivanke & Lola

Reading level: 4-8

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Published on: January 2009

What this book is about? (from the the publisher's website)

Everyone's talking about the environment these days, especially kids. But what can kids do? A lot! This book is filled with cool coloring pages, Earth-saving tips, fun facts, and easy activities kids can do to help the environment. It's just what kids need to be green all by themselves!

This coloring and activity book is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper with soy-ink. The paper is FSC certified.

What we think about it?
This is another book of the Little Green Books series of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, so I figured out it would be an interesting book. I also thought it would be a fun read for kids as this is both a coloring and activity book. For my surprise I found a book that is not only interesting and fun, but also very educational.

Seriously. I review many children's books and this book has the depth and the clarity you can't find in many other children's books about green issues. Actually I'm quite certain parents will also be able to learn from it a thing or two about climate change, carbon footprint, animals in danger and so on.

Besides the great info, the book offers eco-friendly tips, games (recycle maze), educational activities (it even shows you how to write a letter to an elected official!) and cool coloring pages.

And of course we should add that this book is green not only in its content but also in the way it's printed - it's is printed on 100% post-consumer waste recycled FSC-certified paper with soy-ink.

Bottom Line: As we mentioned with other Little Green Books reviewed here, We are collaborating with Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, so I might not be objective. Still this book is educational, fun and green and I think it would be a great gift to kids on this reading level (4-8)!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!!

We're giving away one copy of the book, courtesy of the publisher, and of course a tree will be planted for the copy!

How you can win? please add a comment below with an answer to this question: what's yours (or your kid's) favorite game? Submissions are accepted until Monday, August 3, 12PM EST. The winner will be announced the following day.

If you're looking for other interesting green-themed books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading

From Read to Green - win a green book on a joint raffle of neighBORROW and Eco-Libris!

Last May we announced on our partnership with neighBORROW, a community-based website which provides members of local networks access to a collective online catalog of the items they each own individually. neighBORROW is making it easy and worthwhile for people to borrow things they need to use but don't need to own, including books of course.

Today we're happy to update you on a new raffle we're launching together that is part of an initiative entitled 'From Read to Green'.

This initiative aims to raise the consciousness of the waste (inefficiency) as well as the opportunity associated with books that sit around in people's homes after they have been read and to promote and encourage active book sharing and greening as a means to environmental, economic, and social advancement.

In this raffle neighBORROW members that balance out their books by planting trees with Eco-Libris can win great green books that were given by publishers and authors we work with.

The prizes in the raffle include:
Two packages of the 7 books released so far on the Little Green Books SeriesThis prize is a package including the 7 books released so far on the Little Green Books series, gift of the publisher, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing. Little Green Books cover a variety of subjects, teaching children about the dangers of global warming, the benefits of recycling, what they can do to help endangered animals, and much more.

What sets these books apart from other "green" books is that in addition to the themes, the manufacturing of these books is also environmentally friendly. The books are printed on recycled materials with vegetable or soy inks. You can read about the Green Little Books at http://www.simonlittlegreen.com.

20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth by Coach Pedro and Susan Adam-Rita (1 copy)
20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Earth is a book full of great ideas to put into practice that will help you change little things and have a great impact. The main reason for this book is to educate, inspire, and empower children to protect the environment.Written and illustrated in a fun way, Ways to Save the Earth is a book for the whole family to enjoy and share important ideas. We all share this EARTH, so let us take good care of it.

This book is bi-lingual, written both in English and Spanish. You can read more about Coach Pedro and this book at THEIR WEBSITE.

Catch the Wind by Anne Johnson (2 copies)
Catch the Wind takes readers on a journey that will teach them about wind energy and the importance of making environmentally responsible choices. It was developed with input from educators and experts from within the wind industry. Children can follow Nels, an inquisitive boy, as he visits a wind farm with his father to discover the power of the wind.

Diagrams of wind turbines and their components as well as key terms, defined in a glossary, make up the educational content of Catch the Wind. While exploring topics such as renewable energy, the history of wind power, and the steps to building a wind farm, Catch the Wind also raises awareness of wind power as a viable source of clean, renewable energy. More details about the book can be found at THEIR WEBSITE.

Rumer & Qix: The Race to Terra Incognita" by Kathleen Wilson (one copy)
The story follows a 16-year-old apprentice reporter, Rumer, and her sidekick, Qix, who become obsessed with reports by credible witnesses of bizarre nature sightings coming through the indie news feeds. Rumer & Qix have a creeping feeling that things are terribly amiss on their seemingly perfect planet because by the 31st century there are no more natural plants or animals, they've all been replaced by perfect, synthetic replicas by the mega-conglomerates that manufacture 'Syncov'.

The mysterious nature sightings are simply dismissed as lunacy by everyone but Rumer, who soon finds herself enlisted by MoNa (Mother Nature) to help fight an epic battle with Dr. BigCo (head of the mega-congloms) to turn things around on the planet before its too late ... You can read more about the book at THEIR WEBSITE.

Where the Buttercups Grow by Shelley Meyer (one copy)
What happens when a mother-daughter team combine the beauty of buttercups, the power of storytelling and a great respect of nature to create a wonderful book with amazing art? In a beautiful field, the buttercups grow, but when two children have no respect for nature, garbage begins to pile up high.

Are the days of the buttercups over, or will help come to rescue the buttercups from a fate more deadly than illness? See the difference that children can make when they set their mind to it and decide to take care of Mother Earth. Beautifully written by Shelley Meyer and vividly illustrated by her daughter Tessa Meyer, this inspiring and powerful story will find a spot on every child's list of favourites, especially when they can carry the story forward in their own lives and plant their very own buttercups. This wonderful title is doubly special because for every book 1 tree has been planted. More details on the book can be found at THEIR WEBSITE.

Pagans on the Wildside: Campfire Cooking edited by Edain Duguay (one copy)
This eBook, edited by Edain Duguay, is the first eBook of the 'Pagans on the Wildside' series. This informative and interesting eBook contains recipes for cooking breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks with a campfire. Also included is a short campfire story by renowned Bard John David 'Hobbes' Hickey and a Campfire Handfasting, with a menu and recipes.

Within this unique eBook there are also tips and personal experiences, which show the inventiveness and humour of their Pagan and Heathen contributors. You can read more about it at THEIR WEBSITE.

How do you participate in the raffle? it's very simple:
1. Join neighBORROW (http://neighborrow.com/signup.php)
2. Add books to your neighBORROW list of items you would like to lend or donate
3. Go to Eco-Libris website (http://www.ecolibris.net) and balance out books by planting trees on Eco-Libris website (1 Book = 1 Tree = $1).
4. Add on the comments box in the PayPal payment page (the purchase on Eco-Libris website is made via PayPal) the magic word "neigh*borrow." Or you can send an email to info@ecolibris.net following the purchase with "neigh*borrow in the subject.

That's it! You're in! Each purchase, no matter how many books you balance out (the minimum on the website is 5 books), will receive one entry to the random drawing scheduled for September 1st. (we reserve the right to extend the drawing until December 31st, 2009).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading!

The U.S. 2010 Census is going green, but is it as good as it can get?

Are you getting ready for Census 2010? well, even if you didn't remember it's coming, the U.S. Census Bureau is already working on it and it has begun printing 2010 Census questionnaires.

And this time the Census Bureau is going green. As Treehugger reported yesterday "The Census Bureau has gone to great lengths to make the printing process as efficient and eco-friendly as possible," Census Director Robert Groves said. "The printing of 2010 Census questionnaires uses 30 percent less ink than 10 years ago and will be printed on 30 percent recycled paper."

Well, this is really great if you think of the number of questionnaires printed - more than 120 million questionnaires. But I was wondering while reading the news - is this as good as it can get in 2010?

I tried to think about the filled part of the glass - this is a great progress comparing with 2000 Census, it will help increasing the demand for recycled paper and reducing its price, less trees will be cut down, less resources will be wasted and less pollution will be generated.

These are very important and positive outcomes of this move, but I still can't understand why the Census Bureau can't offer to fill in the questionnaires online. Just think how much trees, other resources, green house gases and pollution could be saved then.

I know this step might be difficult to implement, but if the IRS can let you fill your tax report online why shouldn't the Census Bureau can offer you the same? Do we really need to wait for Census 2020 for this option to be (hopefully) available?

I'll be happy to hear your thoughts about it.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing

My Summer Reading with author and founder of Pilcrow Lit Fest, Amy Guth

This week on our series My Summer Reading we're having a dear friend from Chicago - Amy Guth.

Amy Guth is Digital Coordinator/Books for the Chicago Tribune and writes the local literary blog, Chicago Subtext, for the Tribune's Chicago Now blog network. She is the founder of Pilcrow Lit Fest (which partnered with Eco-Libris for the second time this year), managing editor at So New, a regular crew member at Reading Under The Influence and author of Three Fallen Women (2006).

Previously, she has written for a variety of national and online publications, many of which can be seen here. In addition to her personal blog, Bigmouth Indeed Strikes Again, she also writes a fitness blog, Bonkless, is a new-ish filmmaker and a disaster and mass care volunteer for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. Previously, she collaborated in several sketch comedy productions at Second City's training center and other improv comedy venues, served as assistant fiction editor at 42 Opus, and hosted/curated Chicago's Fixx Reading Series.

For more info, please visit the FAQ page of her main blog or follow her on Twitter.

Hi Amy, what are you reading now?
I'm reading both How To Hold A Woman by Billy Lombardo and Sunlight at Midnight, Darkness at Noon by Cunningham and McCreesh. Both are from local Chicago publishers-- OV Books and Orange Alert Press, respectively-- and I'm enjoying both very much.

I tend to read more than one book at a time. Occupational hazard.

Any recommendation on a good summer reading?

I tend to want to read dark, mysterious inner-transformation of protagonist sorts of things in the winter and bright, incredible stories of inner-transformation of the protagonist in the summer. [laughs] I never really seek that out, per se, I just tend to intuitively gravitate towards different things in different weather. I think the key elements of a good summer read is something you can set down and pick back up again later and not have to page back to remember. The ideal summer read has literary weight to it, but it also clips along so you, the reader, and step in and out of it as needed.

What you are planning to read this summer?
I am trying to re-read some classic novels I read as a teenager. I see them so differently now. Years will bring that kind of perspective.

What is your favorite place to read in the summer?
An outdoor cafe, in warm sunshine, with a good pinot grigio and a plate of olives. That's about as good as it gets for me.

Thanks Amy!

So far on My Summer Reading series:

Christian Valentiner of the Norwegian publisher Flux

Avrim Topel, co-author of 'My Green Beginnings'

Tania Hershman, author of 'The White Road and Other Stories'

Elisabeth Baines, author of the upcoming book 'Too Many Magpie'

Erica Caldwell of the bookstore Present Tense

Sue Schrader of the bookstore Sources of Hope

Jennifer Taylor of GreetQ

Kathleen Wilson, author of "Rumer & Qix"

Edain Dugay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading

Green Options: 7 Environmental Lessons from Living in Europe

This post is brought to you as part of our content partnership with the Green Options. It was originally posted on Sustainablog by Zachary Shahan on July 21.


I have lived in Europe on two occasions now -- for five months in the Netherlands (two years ago) and for ten months in Poland (currently). I have been green-minded since I was a young child, and knew that Europe did better on many green issues. Nonetheless, to come here and live here has given me more insight on the perspectives of the people and more of a practical understanding of why Europe fairs so much better than the US on many environmental issues.

Recently, I came up with a list of seven things that really stand out to me as good environmental practices in Europe that could be transferred to the US. These could all be adopted in the US, but some are more personal in nature and some are more systemic. Furthermore, some of the personal ones regard large, life decisions, and some are much simpler in nature and easier to implement into your life now.

Of course, Europe is not one country and things vary from country to country. Nonetheless, there are also several similarities across borders. I have friends in other countries and have traveled a bit as well, so I hope to be sharing the best of the best.

Here's the list!

A winner on our giveaway of "What Do You See?: A Lift-the-Flap Book About Endangered Animals"

We also had a giveaway following our review of "What Do You See?: A Lift-the-Flap Book About Endangered Animals" by Amy Schimler, and we have a winner!

We asked you to share with us what is your or your kid's favorite animal and got many many great replies - from dogs and cats to giraffes and rats! The chosen animal of our winner, Jayne @ Misplaced City Girl was no other than frogs. Here is what she wrote:

Tosha likes tree frogs. And she'll jump around the house like a frog. Especially after her grandparents have given her bag of Starburst to take home.
Congrats Jayne! You won a copy of this great book and we'll also plant a tree for it and send you with it our "One tree planted for this book" sticker.

Thank you to all the other participants who shared their favorite animals with us. And of course thanks to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing that contributed this book. We'll have more Little Green Books reviewed on our blog (and giveaways!) so stay tuned!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading

And we have a winner on our giveaway of "The Green Year"

We had a giveaway following our review of "The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference" by Jodi Helmer, and we have a winner!

We asked you to share with us a tip of your own - one small step to go green that you successfully adopted. We got great tips and our winner is Annie who adopted what seems to be (at least to fathers like me) a very challenging though rewarding green practice - cloth diapers. Here is what she wrote:

Well- we have been trying to go green by adopting cloth diapers last year! They are making a come back!!!

Since our decision to do the cloth diapers, our whole look on waste has change naturally. We use cloth napkins at dinner time and we use dish towels more than anyone I know! The little things you do can make a huge difference!

Congrats Annie. You won a copy of this great book and we'll also plant a tree for it and send you with it our "One tree planted for this book" sticker.

Thank you to all the other participants who shared their great stories with us.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading