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Judith L. Roth and Brooke Rothshank, Cups Held Out (Scottdale: Herald Press, 2006). Age Level: 4 and up Publisher Description: A young girl and her father cross the border into Mexico where the child encounters poverty for the first time. Together they ponder the question, "What can we do about poor people?" Should they put money into every outstretched cup? Will buying a blanket make a difference? What about that shiny bike back home? There are no pat solutions to the problem of poverty, but there is value in asking the question and searching for personal answers. This book opens discussion for parents and children responsibility toward the poor of the world.

UNCW GAs are the best, but you're the VERY best, Erin Fox! :)

Rohmer, Harriet. Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People who are Helping to Protect Our Planet. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2009. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Rather than featuring the usual roundup of environmental heroes, this title spotlights 12 contemporary conservationists who are working to fight pollution in cities, oceans, and wetlands, from Alaska to Mexico City. Many of the featured activists are young people. At age 11, Alex Lin started a campaign in Rhode Island for the safe disposal of electronic waste ("Today's technology should not become tomorrow's toxic trash"). Erica Fernandez, a teenage Mexican immigrant in California, led a successful fight to prevent a pipeline that would transport highly explosive gas through her neighborhood. Julia Bonds, a coal-miner's daughter in Appalachia, is working to replace coal with wind power. The book's format is lackluster, but the black-and-white photos do show the individuals at work in their communities. The powerful mix of personal stories with crucial environmental and social issues will be a call to action for young readers, who will want to move on to the final section: "How You Can Get Involved."