Frogs, Extinction & Climate Change, OH MY! - TWO Middle Grade Book Reviews
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (Pulitzer Prize winner) is an adult non-fiction science book that really rocked my world when I read it a few years ago. So, you can imagine the nerdy-thrill that buzzed through me when I saw the YOUNG ADULT VERSION at my local library. Essentially, this book highlights the fragility of various ecosystems and humans' impact on the world’s biodiversity (hint: we don’t have a great impact and we cause mass extinctions). This well-researched, well-documented information also serves as a call to action, encouraging humans to work to prevent the next mass extinction. Kolbert’s first chapter brings us to current-day Panama, where scientists observed that the local, cherished golden frog population was decimated - wiped out by a spreading fungus. This sad Panamanian example is the first chapter, because amphibians are the world’s most endangered class of animals. Other groups that are at a stark risk: coral, freshwater mollusks, sharks, rays, ¼ of mammals, ⅕ of reptiles and ⅙ of birds. Eek. This book is such an important read. It really amplifies how interconnected we are with nature and encourages us to be mindful of our impact.
During Earth Week, my local library displayed a variety of Earth-themed books, so I grabbed One Small Hop (2021) by Madelyn Rosenberg. This book did not disappoint! Set in Maine in the not-so-distant-future, ravaged by climate change, Ahab and his friends live a life devoid of nature. Most wildlife is extinct and the acidified oceans and intense heat preclude them from spending much time outdoors; however an over-the-top science project leaves the kids with a hand-crafted canoe. They decide to explore uncharted territory - the forbidden ocean! When they paddle up to a small island, they hear a loud noise and uncover a bullfrog! They thought frogs were extinct! They must race against the Environmental Police Force, border control, extreme weather and more to ensure the survival of the bullfrog. Will they make it?
Head: Has Madelyn Rosenberg read The Sixth Extinction?? Did she know about the mass extinction of frogs in Panama? I immediately wondered this when I started reading One Small Hop. I also wondered if One Small Hop was science fiction. I started googling and found out there is a new literary category: cli-fi! Climate fiction! And the Massachusetts Library references Rosenberg’s book with regards to the new category.
I would recommend One Small Hop for 5th-8th grade and The Sixth Extinction for 7th-adult. Seriously, adults may prefer reading the young reader version of The Sixth Extinction. The adult version is pretty dense, but I highly recommend that as well.
Heart: My son loves frogs, toads, snakes and lizards - amphibians and reptiles. He loves animals that are most at risk of extinction. Let’s work together to protect this place, for our kids and for my kid.