31 Ways to Change the World
By 4,386 children, we are what we do, and YOU!
Candlewick, 2010
Walker Books, London, 2008
ISBN #9780763645069
Ages 8-12
Nonfiction
Changing the World
“Changing the world seems like a pretty massive task. Not the sort of thing you squeeze in before breakfast or check off while you’re tying your shoelaces. “Yup, done. Next job!’ Right?
Wrong! It turns out that there’s tons of things you can do that don’t take long at all but that can really change things. Big Things.”
The book’s introduction continues on to give fascinating statistics about lifetime activities that leads to the point that what an individual does can have a huge impact on the world. The premise is that small actions multiplied by lots of people will equal big change. Emphasis on the small things kids can do in a short amount of time fills the introductory spread and is followed by the actions provided by real kids.
The book is kid-friendly and fun to read, whether it’s in order or simply jumping around. Each action fills a two page spread with a short paragraph explaining the action and fun, brightly colored photos that complement the action. A wide variety of actions prompt the reader to get started and everyone can easily find an action that he or she can take to start their own contribution to changing the world. The final action is left open and provides the prompt for the reader to add his or her own action. Then he or she can go to the website and add it to the list, telling the world. The final pages recap the actions and explain more about We Are What We do and what’s next.
I can see a teacher, parent, or librarian reading one action a day and challenging the kids to keep track of the ones they do. This book is fun and can set the tone for educating children about their place and responsibility in their world.
Activity 1
Have each person create a chart of the actions from the book. You may want to set it up with an X and Y axis. Then, as they perform one of the actions, they can place a symbol to show they’ve done that action.
Activity 2
Write actions that you can take to change your world.
Excellent link to a number of educational and support resources for changing the world.
It’s Nonfiction Monday over at Abby (the) Librarian. Check out all the great books at the roundup.
National Science Standard: changes in environment; regulation and behavior
Book provided by publisher for Librarian’s Choices Book Review Committee, TWU
