The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
By Darienne Stewart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
A hefty science lesson mixed with tips on taking action.
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What's the Story?
Ms. Frizzle’s class needs up-to-date information for their class play on global warming, so they climb aboard the morphing Magic School Bus for a wild ride around the Earth. They visit the melting Arctic ice cap, witness alarming changes in weather patterns and regional climates, and slide down sunbeams to help them understand the science. Then the students explore ways to combat global warming, including alternative energy and conservation. When they return to school, they begin taking steps to save energy and present their play, inspiring their school and town to join their efforts.
Is It Any Good?
Every corner of this fun book is crammed with fun details: funny asides, informational graphics, and brief reports presented as papers by students. The climate change lesson is a sobering, even frightening, one but “the Friz” and her class leave readers with a solid message of empowerment that probably will leave kids feeling more excited than worried. The science is well illustrated with engaging artwork and concrete comparisons: For example, the amount of carbon dioxide generated by Americans each year is equivalent to “eight hefty hippos” per person.
Parents might find it a bit busy to read together, but kids will enjoy unearthing facts and ideas tucked in every corner of the brightly illustrated pages. There’s a psychedelic touch to the book -- both the bus and Ms. Frizzle’s outfit sport ever-shifting Technicolor decorations (as the students learn about recycling, the Friz even sports cans on her high heels).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about reducing energy use at home. What steps does your family already take to conserve energy? What more could you do?
Come up with a proposal for your school, community, or organization to save energy. Develop your idea and plan how to present -- and lobby for -- its approval.
Book Details
- Author: Joanna Cole
- Illustrator: Bruce Degen
- Genre: Science
- Topics: STEM
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Scholastic Press
- Publication date: March 1, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 48
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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