A portion of my son’s homework is to do nightly reading. Every day he chooses a book from his class library to bring home and at bedtime we take turns reading to each other (always a favorite part of my day). Last night as we snuggled up to read, he handed me his book.
I had never read a Judy Moody book before so I did not know what to expect. It did not take more than a few pages of reading for me to be pleasantly surprised with my son’s book choice. Judy Moody Saves the World touches on many green issues (from rain forest destruction to endangered species, from saving trees to recycling) and was able to put the issues into a perspective that young children can easily understand and relate to. Megan McDonald, the author, cleverly includes humor into the mix(Judy wishing she could recycle her brother, putting the “made from the rain forest” toilet plunger on the table, trying to live in a tree). All things that made my son giggle (he is an 8 yr old boy after all).
"Look around you—at home, in school, on the playground—not just in Science class. How can we help the planet? How can we make the world around us a better place? We can each do our part. All it takes is one person to make a difference.”One person! If all it took was one person, then she, Judy Moody, could save the world! She knew just where to start. With a banana peel."
After reading that passage my son immediately starting listing the ways he “saves the world."
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Letting my sister wear my old Halloween costume.
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Using things I already had for my Halloween costume instead of buying a costume.
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Using the back side of paper to write and draw on.
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Making cereal boxes into books.
I was impressed with the short list of items that he had quickly come up with (one of those proud parenting moments where I could not help but smile). For me, going green has meant changing the way I do things, purchase things, and think about things. It has meant a lifestyle change.My thought/hope is, if my children grow up with an awareness of how their actions affect the world around them, if they grow up recycling, composting, using reusable bags, buying eco-friendly products from eco-friendly companies, if they grow up living a green lifestyle then it will be easier for them to continue living that lifestyle.
Reading books like Judy Moody Saves the World is an enjoyable, non-preachy way for my children to understand why we are trying to live a “greener” lifestyle. It will teach them that they too can make a difference, one plastic bottle at a time.
I highly recommend going to your local library and checking out this very enjoyable and fact filled book: Judy Moody Saves the World!
Have your children read this book? If so, what did they think about it? What did you think about it? Are there other books that you have found that creatively teach children about living Greener? Let me know which ones you have enjoyed. We are also looking for a good book to snuggle up and read.
Lena at Over Coffee – the green edition
Picture from JudyMoody.com and Judy Moody Saves the World
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