The First Rule Of Climate Club

 Juvenile fiction 

      Carrie Firestone's books for young readers are bright shining lights in that wide swath of blandness that constitutes the gap between picture books and YA fiction.  Recall how the in Dress Coded her tenacious protagonists tackled the kind of patriarchal dress code that is too prevalent in America today?

     In The First Rule Of Climate Club narrator Mary Kate and her classmates also take on a pretty daunting task.  They're the eighth grade students who have been selected for a climate change pilot program at their school.  It's very much not a traditional class.  Instead of reading textbooks and showing their comprehension on tests the eight students chosen out of a pool of over a hundred applicants are to create community programs around what they consider local solutions to a problem most adults either find overwhelming or totally ignore.  

     Mary Kate is troubled by the huge amount of food waste she sees at her school.  She gets paired up with Shawn who is passionate about composting.  When the mayor announces the competition for the first annual Applefest community grant award the class decides to back their project--hiring a composting company to service their school.

     Only you know there's a villain in the works.  He shows up in the form of the very despicable mayor who disqualifies the kids because one member of the class is bussed in from a neighboring town.  There are all kinds of systemic racism in the enforcement of a problematic law.

     Of course the students are discouraged.  The $10,000 would have covered the composting and more.  But they aren't going down without a fight.  They decide to have their own Halloween weekend festival featuring a clothes swap, an electrical vehicle show, vegan refreshments, and a composting demonstration.  Maybe they can raise some money on their own.

     And the despicable mayor is running for election against a truly progressive candidate.

     Kids who feel oppressed by clueless adults being in charge will really enjoy The First Rule Of Climate Change.  There are lots of ideas that environmentally conscious kids and families can adapt to their own communities.

On a purrrsonal note, my leg felt better today.  I had to go to campus to fill out the paperwork to get paid for working Clean Sweep.  Erin gave me a ride in.  Her mom gave me a ride back.  (Jules)

Eugene is riding his motorcycle.  That noisy thing.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Erin, her mom, and the whole fantastic family.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

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