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Diary of a Pug: Paws for a Cause by Kyla May

Source: Purchased
Paperback, 72 pgs.
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Diary of a Pug: Paws for a Cause by Kyla May is the third book in this delightful diary series for first and second graders. My daughter loves this series, which is why we keep reading them, and any practice she can get is fine by me. In this installment, Baron von Bubbles and Bella discover a lost kitten and they are only able to take care of him for the evening before Bella’s mom tells her she has to bring him to the animal shelter. When they drop off the kitty reality hits hard for both Bella and Bub. They soon realize that animal shelters have money for food and little else to keep these soon-to-be-adopted pets happy. Bella and Bub decide it’s time to help.

What we love about this series is that these characters have big hearts and big ideas. Maybe the first try doesn’t always work successfully, but they continue to try harder and make some headway. They take a step back, reassess, and begin again. Some times they have a little help and a little inspiration from others. But through perseverance, they’re able to find a solution and reach the goal they set out for themselves.

Diary of a Pug: Paws for a Cause by Kyla May has some great illustrations, characters, and thought bubbles. Don’t forget the thought bubbles that show how Bub is truly feeling about a situation. The final page always has some great questions to get the kids thinking about what they just read as well as how they would react in certain situations. It’s a great way for parents and kids to engage with the text and have a conversation.

RATING Quatrain

Other Reviews:

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis by Al Gore, read by Cynthia Nixon and John Slattery (audio)

Our Choice:  A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis by Al Gore , which I received as a win from the Green Books Campaign with Eco-Libris, is not what readers will expect.  The foreword is read by Al Gore himself (check out the audio excerpt), but the remainder of the audio is narrated by Cynthia Nixon and John Slattery in alternating chapters.  Many will expect this volume to talk about how to save the planet, but some may mistakenly think that this is a practical guide for the average American.  Upon listening to the audio, however, readers will quickly realize that it is geared at providing larger scale solutions to the climate crisis.  However, it would be wrong to assume this book is only for policymakers, scientists, and other societal players because without support from individuals these initiatives will not come to pass.

Our Choice is a comprehensive look at the most viable solutions available to combat and reverse climate change, and it examines each solution from a variety of perspectives to determine which would be the best investment.  The book is about not only learning to conserve energy, but also about learning to use waste energy to supplant energy needs and make processes more efficient.  From deforestation in developing nations to population growth, Gore discusses many of the pressing issues facing the sustainability of the globe.  Although many of the developed nations have contributed most to the carbon emissions and developing nations find it unfair that they should adhere to caps when they have not had enough time to develop their industries, Gore makes the case that we all live on the same planet and regardless of who caused the most damage the time has passed for the blame game.  It is now time for humans to look beyond nations, cultures, and societies to save our home.

Depending on your level of enthusiasm for environmental issues or affinity for audio books, Our Choice is a deeply informative book about the broader picture of climate change and the possible solutions.  However, readers may find the narration a bit dry at times given the nature of the information provided and may prefer to read this book on their Kindle or in paperback.  Gore’s book is a must have for each American so they can learn about the crisis, make note of the possible solutions available to individuals and those for the broader society, and take action on a grassroots level.  America was built on grassroots activity, and that great tradition should continue.

OK, I’m jumping down from my soapbox.  As a bonus, I would like to do the “green” thing and pass along my copy to another reader.

This giveaway for the audio of Our Choice by Al Gore is international:

1.  Leave a comment about your feelings on the climate crisis.

2.  Blog, Tweet, Facebook, or spread the word and leave a link on this post.

Deadline is July 4, 2010, at 11:59 PM

Green Books Campaign, Nov. 10

Design credit: Susan Newman 

Avid readers need to create the demand necessary to spur publishers to use “green” publication methods and materials.  Readers encourage publishers to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint simply by purchasing books made from “green” materials and through environmentally friendly practices.

As part of this effort, 100 online book reviewers — including Savvy Verse & Wit and Diary of an Eccentric — and 35 publishers from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom have come together for one day — November 10, 2009 — to celebrate “green” books at the behest of Eco-Libris.  The goal of the campaign is to encourage readers and publishers to ensure that books are printed responsibly and book purchases are “greener.”

Only 0.23 percent of publishers are committed to increasing the number of books made on recycled paper, according to Eco-Libris. Moreover, only about 5 percent to 10 percent of paper used by book publishers is recycled.  Meanwhile, the Book Industry Environmental Council announced that it was committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the publishing industry by 20 percent or to a 2006 baseline by the year 2020, and an 80 percent reduction by 2050.

“Although there’s so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible,” explains Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. “Very few books are currently printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to “green” books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.”

Julie Christopher, Senior Marketing Manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing — one of the participating publishers– says, “The mission of the Little Green Books series is to plant the seeds of earth-friendly living at an early age, and we were delighted to work with Eco-Libris on the campaign to help to spread this important message.”

As environmental issues continue to make headlines and paper-based books remain the dominant form on the market, Eco-Libris and online book reviewers want to call attention to those books that are made from recylced materials and FSC-certified paper.  Books reviewed on Nov. 10, 2009, at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time by the online bloggers range from nonfiction and fiction to poetry and cookbooks.

For more information and a list of participating blogs, please visit the Web site for the Green Books Campaign.  See you on Nov. 10, 2009, at 1 p.m. EST.