Can I Recycle This?: A Kid's Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics

by Jennie Romer (Author) Christie Young (Illustrator)

Can I Recycle This?: A Kid's Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
You probably know that you're supposed to recycle—but you may not know how or why. This adaptation of the successful adult book, written by a lawyer and sustainability expert, will answer all your recycling questions.

Can I Recycle This? skips over preaching and platitudes common to books on environmentalism and instead gets right to the real information that kids need.

It takes readers through every step of the recycling process, from the moment that they throw an item in the bin to its journey through the recycling machinery and on its way to its new life. It gives kids the answers and resources they need to be far better informed than their parents, many of whom were raised on the un-nuanced and often inaccurate "recycling solves everything" mantra. It shows how sorting concepts that kids already know and practice can be applied to waste. And it empowers even early elementary school children to make smarter choices about consumption and disposal, using ideas and examples that they can understand.

Adapted from the adult nonfiction book of the same title, Can I Recycle This? is a both fun and educational book to teach the littlest readers the hows and whys of recycling, and to introduce them to the responsibility that we all have to protect the environment.

A Junior Library Guild selection!
Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Robust material to get the next generation of environmentalists on the right path.

Publishers Weekly

Romer gets into the nitty-gritty of recycling with this kid-friendly picture book adaptation. Matter-of-fact text explains why recycling matters, describes the fascinating machines and technology that make it happen, and details specifics around what can and can't be recycled. Set against plain white backdrops, Young's animated mixed-media doodles keep things bright, visualizing trash that frequently speaks up via speech bubbles. "Yay! Recycle us," say paper materials; "We wish we could be recycled, but we can't," comment a baby food pouch and some plastic cutlery. Romer further highlights the need for eco-friendly laws and policies, placing the responsibility for action not just on individuals but on companies. "Find out more" callouts, highlighted glossary terms, and supporting back matter amplify the work's educational value. The overall result is an engaging springboard for environmental stewardship. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

*"Have you ever finished your lunch and, as you're ready to throw away your trash, wondered, 'Can I recycle this?' This is a great, simplified manual to answer that question and more."—Booklist, starred review

*"This book is thorough and well-organized without being wordy or preachy. It strikes just the right note with just the right amount of information to inspire kids to take action. . . A first-rate book!"—School Library Connection, starred review

"An engaging springboard for environmental stewardship."—Publishers Weekly
Jennie Romer
Jennie Romer is a lawyer, sustainability expert, founder of PlasticBagLaws.org, and former legal associate for the Surfrider Foundation's Plastic Pollution Initiative. She currently serves in a leadership role at the US Environmental Protection Agency. She is the author of Can I Recycle This? and has worked on plastic pollution reduction policy for nearly fifteen years.

Christie Young is an artist and illustrator currently based in Austin, Texas. She's collaborated with clients of all shapes and sizes, ranging from Penguin Random House to Bumble to Madewell. Her work is a reflection of her interests in nature, travel, and storytelling.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780593204078
Lexile Measure
890
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication date
March 14, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF024000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Health & Daily Living | General
JNF065000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Recycling & Green Living
JNF071000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Activism & Volunteering
Library of Congress categories
Recycling (Waste, etc.)
Plastics
Recycling

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!