An Inconvenient Truth: The Crisis of Global Warming (by Al Gore)

If you saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth and were left feeling overwhelmed by what could be in store for our fragile planet and our fellow humans, now you can pass that feeling on to your kids. The content here is basically the same, generously illustrated with Gore's slides. What the publisher failed to grasp in the repurposing process was that kids need a different approach. You don't have to dumb the message down, but you don't have to spend all your time trying to convince them with graph after graph, either -- they're already much greener than the older generations.

Blink and you'll miss the brief mentions in Chapter 15 of alternative forms of power, fluorescent lightbulbs, green roofs, hybrid cars, and hydrogen fuel-cell buses. After that, a two-page spread (out of 190 total pages) encourages everyone to take action: Ride your bike, recycle, turn off lights, spread the word. Kids may find the book alarming and overwhelming -- and need proactive parents to present the content with a hopeful tone.