Power Up

June 1, 2015

Gr 3-5-Rising a notch above other infographics-based nonfiction, this title presents a complete and thorough view of energy sources, consumption, history, and future outlook in a well-organized, visually pleasing way. Pie charts, bar and line graphs, and pictograms are clearly labeled in both metric and U.S. standard units and color-coded, making them easy to compare to their counterparts on other pages. The approach is balanced, with an equal number of pros and cons for each energy source (which include oil, wind, solar, nuclear, hydro), and economic and environmental impacts are considered. Paleja covers topics such as climate change, hydraulic fracturing (fracking), and more recent "unconventional oil sources," including offshore drilling: half a page is devoted to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Concluding with practicalities like how much energy common household appliances use and tips for conserving energy, the book offers concrete applications for what otherwise are abstract global affairs. VERDICT Readers will enjoy browsing this clean, colorful, fun, and timely offering.-Jennifer Wolf, Beaverton City Library, OR

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