Brilliant!

August 1, 2013
Mulder offers an upbeat exploration of the often-curious world of alternative energy. Mulder has been around the world, and in so doing, she has been exposed to a wide variety of things that produce energy. Sure, there is the internal combustion engine, but there are also feet and bicycles and draft animals. There is coal, but there is also a whole family of vegetable oils, as well as poop, both animal and human. There is natural gas, but there is also pond scum. She generates her own energetic enthusiasm as she explains that most energy, at one point or another, comes from the sun. She comfortably introduces the role of carbon and photosynthesis, then the creation of fossil fuels. She delineates the drawbacks of fossil fuels, from carbon dioxide byproducts to sustainability, but she is also sensitive to the human urge to make life a tad easier: In terms of sheer effort, the horseless buggy looked pretty good compared to the horse, coal to splitting wood. By the time she gets to wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave energy, they seem positively industrial compared to the small-scale, local productions on display--and utterly feasible. The book is peppered with exotic photographs, as well as quick-shooting boxed items, to catch the attention of busy eyes. A smart, welcoming introduction to alternative fuels, one that puts the greater world in readers' hands. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

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September 15, 2013
Grades 4-6 To look at a hard black lump of coal and see the potential luminosity that it is able to provide requires a stretch of imagination. That type of vision is just what Mulder is asking young readers to engage when considering the possibilities of the raw materials that surround them. Mulder begins with a very basic explanation of how energy is created and transmitted, beginning with the moment a light switch is flicked. Our current dependence on fossil fuels is discussed, and the disadvantages of their use are laid out as the impetus for exploring alternative sources of energy. Environmental problems are treated as exciting opportunities for ingenuity, rather than a scary future menace. Geothermal heat, wind, hydroelectric power, and the sun are all discussed as potential alternate sources of energy, but biofuel is given the most attention. More cutting-edge approaches, such as burning human waste or creating energy through play, encourage kids to look for solutions in unexpected places.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)