Book Club – Climate Rebels by Ben Lerwill – Review

Recommended for ages 9-12

If you’re looking for something to lift your spirits and make you feel hopeful about humankind, and your own power to make an impact, then this is the book for you. This newly released collection of stories about individuals who have taken quiet, but important action to help animals and our environment, is an inspiring read.

Featuring well-known wildlife and climate champions, like Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenborough, the book also includes the fascinating stories of lesser-known individuals who have fought for causes close to their heart. The accounts are brief but take us from formative childhood experiences through to the present day. Accompanied by illustrations, the text is kept light and lively, but with some serious messages about the environment, and the power of individuals to take action, underpinning it.

Whether its William Kamkwamba, who salvaged metal and rubber to build a windmill which brought water to his community’s dying crops in Malawi; or Len Peters who persuaded his Trinidadian community to join him in patrolling the beaches at night to protect hunted sea turtles; or the Australian friends who designed litter bins for the sea, each one collecting 50,000 plastic bottles a year; these individuals saw something they cared about, they invested time in their ideas, and they made a difference.

The book doesn’t hide its disdain for governments and powerful businesses who fail to act to save the environments and animals impacted by their actions, but its main message is about the power of the individual to bring about change in spite of this. The closing words are: “Like the people in this book, you too have the power to make a difference. So, what will you choose to do?” It’s not just a call to action, but a deeply reassuring idea that any one of us can fight for something we really care about. The core message is a noble one – any person, from anywhere can make a positive difference to our planet.

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