How Do We Conceptualize the Climate Crisis in YA Literature? Considering the Place of Systems Thinking in Original and Youth Adapted Versions of YA Nonfiction Books by Mark Sulzer and Brook Batch
| Mark A. Sulzer is an Associate Professor in the areas of Secondary English Education and Literacy at the University of Cincinnati. Previous to joining the faculty at the University of Cincinnati, he worked as a high school English language arts teacher and drum line instructor. His research and teaching focus on young adult literature, secondary English teaching methods, digital literacies, dialogic pedagogies, and phenomenology. He can be reached at [email protected] |  |
| Brook Batch is a PhD candidate in Educational Studies at the University of Cincinnati. Her dissertation project centers on engaging computer science students in undergraduate research experiences. Her research interests include undergraduate research experiences, research methodology pedagogy, and engaging diverse populations through technology. She can be reached at [email protected]. |  |
As the climate crisis has intensified, we’ve increasingly felt its effects in our daily lives. Hotter temperatures. More severe storms. Increased drought. Most of us in North America found ourselves breathing in the effects of global warming in the summer of 2023, as we were immersed in waves of smoke from Canadian wildfires, which consumed more than 9.8 million acres of forest (Bilefsky, 2023). The NOAA’s annual report (Assessing the Global Climate in 2023, 2024) ranked 2023 as the warmest year since 1850 when global temperatures were first recorded, and the top ten warmest years in the entire record were—you guessed it—the last ten years. We could go on, but the upshot is this: The global climate emergency has led to no small amount of doom scrolling.
But this is where, as lovers of literature, we can pause. We know, because we’ve seen it time and again, that the story is not over until the last page. That’s one theme of Elizabeth Kolbert’s (2024) new book, H is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z, a collection of 26 short essays, one for each letter of the alphabet. In the chapter for D, Kolbert addresses despair, putting it plainly: “Despair is unproductive. It’s also a sin” (p. 31). Given Kolbert is the Pulitzer-prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, and thus knows a thing or two about the darkest prospects of the climate crisis, we can imagine this rejection of despair as coming from a place of wisdom.
But this is where, as lovers of literature, we can pause. We know, because we’ve seen it time and again, that the story is not over until the last page. That’s one theme of Elizabeth Kolbert’s (2024) new book, H is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z, a collection of 26 short essays, one for each letter of the alphabet. In the chapter for D, Kolbert addresses despair, putting it plainly: “Despair is unproductive. It’s also a sin” (p. 31). Given Kolbert is the Pulitzer-prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, and thus knows a thing or two about the darkest prospects of the climate crisis, we can imagine this rejection of despair as coming from a place of wisdom.
| As YA literature enthusiasts, where might we find hope? One answer: YA nonfiction. The YA nonfiction market is producing lots of books on climate, empowering youth readers (and everyone, if we’re being hopeful) with accurate information, engaging frameworks to understand the climate through the lens of daily experiences, and the big questions that will shape our future. For example, Nancy F. Castaldo’s (2022) book When the World Runs Dry: Earth’s Water in Crisis provides case studies about water, our most life-giving resource on Earth, exploring the meaning of water in our lives and jolting us out of complacency with questions like, “You just turn on the faucet, right?” (p. xiii). Not only does the book cover lots of ground in answering that question—water infrastructure, industrial pollution, Indigenous rights and treaties, lead in Flint, MI, fracking, relocation, aquifers, and more—Castaldo’s case studies highlight the activism of youth who are effecting change within systems. |  |
And that is perhaps the most hopeful thing about the rise of YA nonfiction on climate. It is a publishing trend driven by youth activism.
As youth activists have challenged oil and gas powerhouses on the world stage, demand for climate-related books on the children’s and young adult market has skyrocketed. “The Greta Effect,” as reported by The Guardian (Ferguson, 2021), is real. Described by Rachel Kellehar, head of nonfiction at Nosy Crow, the Greta Effect means, “She [Swedish youth activist Greta Thumberg] has galvanised the appetite of young people for change, and that has galvanised our appetite, as publishers, for stories that empower our readers to make those changes” (para. 6). While Greta Thumberg tends to be a household name in the discussion about youth activism, even a “messianic-like face for the climate movement” (Muhammad, 2019, para. 2), young people of color have always been on the frontlines in the fight against global warming, powerfully foregrounding the role of colonialism, imperialism, and racism in climate disasters around the world (Janfaza, 2020). YA publishing is paying attention.
As youth activists have challenged oil and gas powerhouses on the world stage, demand for climate-related books on the children’s and young adult market has skyrocketed. “The Greta Effect,” as reported by The Guardian (Ferguson, 2021), is real. Described by Rachel Kellehar, head of nonfiction at Nosy Crow, the Greta Effect means, “She [Swedish youth activist Greta Thumberg] has galvanised the appetite of young people for change, and that has galvanised our appetite, as publishers, for stories that empower our readers to make those changes” (para. 6). While Greta Thumberg tends to be a household name in the discussion about youth activism, even a “messianic-like face for the climate movement” (Muhammad, 2019, para. 2), young people of color have always been on the frontlines in the fight against global warming, powerfully foregrounding the role of colonialism, imperialism, and racism in climate disasters around the world (Janfaza, 2020). YA publishing is paying attention.
Examples
Confession #1: We love this. It’s amazing. We are cheerleaders for this YA publishing trend.
Confession #2: YA publishing trends give us pause.
Here’s some context. I (Mark) have been interested in YA nonfiction for some time. And that interest is predicated on the idea that nonfiction is not a monolithic category, but an “aesthetic object” (Kiefer & Wilson, 2011, p. 294) full of authorial decisions about how best to tell the story of a topic, event, or person (Colman, 2007). With those ideas in mind, a certain type of YA nonfiction is particularly interesting: youth adaptations. So that includes anything with “young reader’s edition” or “adapted for young adults” or something similar on the cover. Youth adaptations are essentially a version of another book that is revised, repackaged, and rebranded as YA literature. Why are youth adaptations interesting? If we look at youth adaptations, we can better understand how the YA publishing industry—the imprints, editors, authors, ghostwriters, and artists—produce content specifically for young people. I’ve written about youth adaptations in the past, and here are a couple of things I’ve learned:
Confession #2: YA publishing trends give us pause.
Here’s some context. I (Mark) have been interested in YA nonfiction for some time. And that interest is predicated on the idea that nonfiction is not a monolithic category, but an “aesthetic object” (Kiefer & Wilson, 2011, p. 294) full of authorial decisions about how best to tell the story of a topic, event, or person (Colman, 2007). With those ideas in mind, a certain type of YA nonfiction is particularly interesting: youth adaptations. So that includes anything with “young reader’s edition” or “adapted for young adults” or something similar on the cover. Youth adaptations are essentially a version of another book that is revised, repackaged, and rebranded as YA literature. Why are youth adaptations interesting? If we look at youth adaptations, we can better understand how the YA publishing industry—the imprints, editors, authors, ghostwriters, and artists—produce content specifically for young people. I’ve written about youth adaptations in the past, and here are a couple of things I’ve learned:
1. Youth adaptations go beyond just making the language more accessible, although that’s part of what they do.
2. Youth adaptations are not all the same. They’re made in all sorts of ways. Some are written by the original author(s). Some are ghostwritten. Some have distinctly different emphases and themes. Some rearrange content. Some sanitize content. Some omit topics that might be perceived as controversial. Some take on an authoritarian tone, directly telling youth readers what meaning they should make of a person, action, event, or topic. And on the other side, some youth adaptations invite youth into complex conversations about complex topics, closely approximating their original versions. The variation in youth adaptations is extremely wide, and it’s hard to discern the nature of the adaptation without fully reading it. But generally, through youth adaptations, the YA publishing industry “talks to” young people differently and, oftentimes, in not-so-generous ways. (If you would like more thoughts on this, I’ve provided some references below to articles about youth adaptations of nonfiction texts.)
2. Youth adaptations are not all the same. They’re made in all sorts of ways. Some are written by the original author(s). Some are ghostwritten. Some have distinctly different emphases and themes. Some rearrange content. Some sanitize content. Some omit topics that might be perceived as controversial. Some take on an authoritarian tone, directly telling youth readers what meaning they should make of a person, action, event, or topic. And on the other side, some youth adaptations invite youth into complex conversations about complex topics, closely approximating their original versions. The variation in youth adaptations is extremely wide, and it’s hard to discern the nature of the adaptation without fully reading it. But generally, through youth adaptations, the YA publishing industry “talks to” young people differently and, oftentimes, in not-so-generous ways. (If you would like more thoughts on this, I’ve provided some references below to articles about youth adaptations of nonfiction texts.)
When it comes to youth adaptations of books on climate, we’re mindful that notions about what is deemed appropriate for youth are often based on stereotypes about who youth are as readers and thinkers in the world (Lesko, 2012). Therefore, when thinking about youth adaptations of nonfiction books on climate, we had this question:
How do youth adaptations of climate-related nonfiction books differ from the original versions of those books?
To explore this question, we did some reading. Here are four sets of books, each book originally published on the general nonfiction market and then revised and republished as a youth adaptation on the YA nonfiction market:
How do youth adaptations of climate-related nonfiction books differ from the original versions of those books?
To explore this question, we did some reading. Here are four sets of books, each book originally published on the general nonfiction market and then revised and republished as a youth adaptation on the YA nonfiction market:
 Original |  YA Version | The Weather Makersamzn.to/3QS4poV (Flannery, 2001, 2009) provides a comprehensive overview of what climate change is, why it is happening, and what can and should be done in response. The youth adaptation dives into the history and science behind climate change, why that matters, and which actions should be taken to address the issue using more accessible language than the original text. This version also includes specific “Call to Action” sections between chapters that offer suggestions on how readers can combat climate change. |
 Original |  YA Version | Fashionopolis (Thomas, 2020, 2024) focuses on the fashion industry’s impact on climate change, exploring the history of fast fashion, social justice issues, and sustainable fashion. The youth adaptation closely follows the original text using more accessible language and weaving various key term definitions into the narrative. |
 Original |  YA Version | The Omnivore's Dilemma (Pollan, 2006, 2015) explores the cultural, ethical, economic, and political factors that influence what and how we eat, exploring fast food, factory farms, large-scale organic farms, and small sustainable farms, as well as hunting, gathering, and foraging. The youth adaptation utilizes a detective-like narrative to investigate how food gets made and offers readers suggestions on what they can do to look at and potentially change their food-eating habits. |
 Original |  YA Version | The Story of More (Jahren, 2020, 2022) focuses on how and why the inventions we use to make life easier impact climate change and offers suggestions of how we can do more for the planet by consuming less. The youth adaptation closely follows the original text’s narrative structure using a conversational tone. The adaptation also offers calls to action and detailed summary of the global impacts of climate change. |
So, a throwback to Confession #1, we love this trend. These books provide such compelling pathways into understanding our climate. Across these books, we have beautiful writing about climate science, frameworks for thinking about the health of our planet in terms of what we wear and what we eat, and engagement with the most pertinent social, cultural, historical, political, and critical questions related to our collective future.
But, a throwback to Confession #2, while we’re still working on a more in-depth analysis, we did notice something:
But, a throwback to Confession #2, while we’re still working on a more in-depth analysis, we did notice something:
The youth adaptations tend to prioritize content about individual action over policy action. That is, the adaptations tend to feature content about what you individually can do right now, such as recycling, making a garden, eating less meat, and avoiding fast fashion. These actions are super important, absolutely. Everything counts in the fight to save the planet. However, this change in emphasis tends to leave less space, proportionally, for content about what climate-friendly policies look like, the role of government in the fight against global warming, and the levers that citizens might wield if they band together in concerted efforts to control the behavior of elected officials and corporate entities.
Let’s walk that observation back for a moment. The youth adaptations of the set of books we examined, while they do emphasize individual action to reduce carbon emissions, often also put those individual actions in the context of larger forces in play. That, in our estimation, is great!
We agree with Beach’s (2023) view that climate education should go beyond an emphasis on individual, solo acts of conservation to critical inquiry about the objects, outcomes, roles, tools, rules, norms, beliefs, and discourses that shape our relationship to the environment and our agency in saving it. In short, climate education should involve systems thinking.
Let’s walk that observation back for a moment. The youth adaptations of the set of books we examined, while they do emphasize individual action to reduce carbon emissions, often also put those individual actions in the context of larger forces in play. That, in our estimation, is great!
We agree with Beach’s (2023) view that climate education should go beyond an emphasis on individual, solo acts of conservation to critical inquiry about the objects, outcomes, roles, tools, rules, norms, beliefs, and discourses that shape our relationship to the environment and our agency in saving it. In short, climate education should involve systems thinking.
These books set the stage for that type of thinking. And yes, while we did notice a shift in the youth adaptations to a greater emphasis on individual actions youth readers can take, it’s not like systems thinking went out the window. In particular, the youth adaptation of Hope Jahren’s (2022) The Story of More very closely aligns with the original version, beautifully demonstrating how our individual decisions and values matter in the larger systems in play and vice versa. We Are the Weather Makers (2009), the youth adaptation of Tim Flannery’s book, has similar connections, although many of the added “Call to Action” chapters could be more explicit about those connections. The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2015) and Fashionopolis (2024) are less explicit still, offering specific advice to youth readers in terms of individual decisions in the final pages (e.g., “Eat real food,” “Buy real food,” “Eat real meals,” in The Ominvore’s Dilemma and “Launder your clothes less frequently,” “Skip the plastic bags,” “Repair and re-wear” in Fashionopolis). The risk here would be that individual actions become the main takeaway from these books and systems thinking is left at a distance, something to get to if we happen to have time, or maybe when the youth reader grows up.
On the one hand, of course, it’s essential to implicate ourselves in the fight against global warming and make personal decisions in alignment with our values. On the other hand, we can’t downplay the role of the machinery behind the curtain, which pollutes at many, many, many orders of magnitude greater than any individual and in fact sets the parameters through which individuals make decisions in the first place. Hope Jahren makes this point in both the original and youth adapted versions of The Story of More (2020, 2022), observing individual choices to go green can be somewhat of an illusion when considering the larger system in play. Example: electric vehicles. If the energy grid is largely driven by fossil fuels, then “an electric vehicle emits its smog on the other side of town” (original, p. 123; adaptation, p. 116). Not only does this turn of phrase invite systems thinking into the conversation, it also demonstrates—because examples such as these are in original and youth adapted books on climate, especially The Story of More—that youth adaptations provide opportunities to read, think, and teach in that direction.
On the one hand, of course, it’s essential to implicate ourselves in the fight against global warming and make personal decisions in alignment with our values. On the other hand, we can’t downplay the role of the machinery behind the curtain, which pollutes at many, many, many orders of magnitude greater than any individual and in fact sets the parameters through which individuals make decisions in the first place. Hope Jahren makes this point in both the original and youth adapted versions of The Story of More (2020, 2022), observing individual choices to go green can be somewhat of an illusion when considering the larger system in play. Example: electric vehicles. If the energy grid is largely driven by fossil fuels, then “an electric vehicle emits its smog on the other side of town” (original, p. 123; adaptation, p. 116). Not only does this turn of phrase invite systems thinking into the conversation, it also demonstrates—because examples such as these are in original and youth adapted books on climate, especially The Story of More—that youth adaptations provide opportunities to read, think, and teach in that direction.
The caveat is that across the original and youth adapted texts we’re reviewing here, a systems thinking approach is taken up in the original versions at length, and while that content tends to be still present in the youth adaptations to varying degrees, the overall vibe of youth adapted books is more about what you, as an individual, can do to curb your personal carbon emissions. This vibe is eerily similar to the “carbon footprint” discourse, a set of ideas pushed by the fossil fuel industry to shape public thinking about global warming (“How Big Oil Helped Push the Idea of a ‘carbon Footprint,’” 2023). The idea was that if people think about global warming in terms of their personal carbon footprint, then they’ll tend to conceptualize global warming as a matter of individual responsibility rather than the result of harmful energy systems running under the auspices of government support and corporate greed.
Suffice it to say, there is a certain irony if youth adaptations prioritize individual actions over systems thinking. The response of the YA publishing industry toward climate-related nonfiction is itself an artifact of youth activism, which is based in systems thinking through and through.
What does this mean? The youth adaptations we examined are still wonderful, complex texts. But we do think—from a conceptual standpoint, from a teaching standpoint, and from a standpoint of readers ourselves—we should be asking questions about nonfiction youth adaptations centered on climate change:
Suffice it to say, there is a certain irony if youth adaptations prioritize individual actions over systems thinking. The response of the YA publishing industry toward climate-related nonfiction is itself an artifact of youth activism, which is based in systems thinking through and through.
What does this mean? The youth adaptations we examined are still wonderful, complex texts. But we do think—from a conceptual standpoint, from a teaching standpoint, and from a standpoint of readers ourselves—we should be asking questions about nonfiction youth adaptations centered on climate change:
- To what extent does the book emphasize individual action?
- To what extent does the book emphasize larger forces in play?
- To what extent does the book invite critical reasoning about individual action in relationship to larger social, cultural, and economic forces? In other words, to what extent does the book invite systems thinking into the conversation?
If a youth adaptation seems a little light on systems thinking, that doesn’t imply we should forget about it. From our perspective, it simply means we should supplement the book with additional resources that encourage systems thinking. YA nonfiction books on climate already include systems thinking to some degree and are an invaluable resource for young readers—and everyone else—to learn about the climate and imagine better futures.
To that end, we’ll conclude this post with some resources we think set the conditions for systems thinking and could pair well with climate-related YA books. These resources, we believe, can highlight the systems thinking that is already present in these books, allowing us to set our imaginations beyond what we can do individually (still important!) to what we will need to do collectively. These resources involve questions, frameworks, simulations, facts, concepts, and teaching practices that put the content of the book into conversation with, as Beach, Share, and Webb (2017) put it, “the social, historical, ethical, and human realities that are critical to the problem” (p. 7).
We offer these resources as a window into our thinking, but at the same time, we know there are lots of great resources out there. We’d love to hear from you in the comments about what resources you find helpful – let’s keep the conversation going!
To that end, we’ll conclude this post with some resources we think set the conditions for systems thinking and could pair well with climate-related YA books. These resources, we believe, can highlight the systems thinking that is already present in these books, allowing us to set our imaginations beyond what we can do individually (still important!) to what we will need to do collectively. These resources involve questions, frameworks, simulations, facts, concepts, and teaching practices that put the content of the book into conversation with, as Beach, Share, and Webb (2017) put it, “the social, historical, ethical, and human realities that are critical to the problem” (p. 7).
We offer these resources as a window into our thinking, but at the same time, we know there are lots of great resources out there. We’d love to hear from you in the comments about what resources you find helpful – let’s keep the conversation going!
Batch, B., & Sulzer, M. A. (2023). Additional teaching resources for a unit on Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TcxHbqf4UKA5KBSD5bDu4B1eC7igPhW9/edit
This document compiles a list of supplemental resources to be used in a unit based on Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas and includes various classroom activities, suggestions for a unit side quest (in which students would do individual exploration on a person, event, topic, or issue that interests them), additional readings on fast fashion and climate change, and videos on fast fashion and sustainable fashion.
En-ROADS climate scenario. (n.d.). https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=24.5.0&p47=1.8
This interactive scenario allows users to adjust various factors, such as energy supply and transport, to see how these levels influence greenhouse gas net emissions and temperature increases.
Food Systems Dashboard. (n.d.). https://www.foodsystemsdashboard.org/
This dashboard allows users to explore how food systems work by adjusting various factors such as food system drivers and food environments, among others. The site also links to the food system profiles of specific countries as well as food-related policies and actions.
Sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. (n.d.). Sea Level Rise Viewer. https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/
This sea level rise viewer allows users to manipulate variables and see how these actions affect sea levels.
Toronto Outdoor Education Schools TDSB. (2020, April 23). Fast fashion & Sustainability. ArcGIS StoryMaps. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/66ea7714178741b4aecbf53b44fb8710
This interactive site invites users to explore fast fashion and sustainability through thought-provoking questions, videos, maps, a real-time survey, activities, calls to action, and more.
This document compiles a list of supplemental resources to be used in a unit based on Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas and includes various classroom activities, suggestions for a unit side quest (in which students would do individual exploration on a person, event, topic, or issue that interests them), additional readings on fast fashion and climate change, and videos on fast fashion and sustainable fashion.
En-ROADS climate scenario. (n.d.). https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=24.5.0&p47=1.8
This interactive scenario allows users to adjust various factors, such as energy supply and transport, to see how these levels influence greenhouse gas net emissions and temperature increases.
Food Systems Dashboard. (n.d.). https://www.foodsystemsdashboard.org/
This dashboard allows users to explore how food systems work by adjusting various factors such as food system drivers and food environments, among others. The site also links to the food system profiles of specific countries as well as food-related policies and actions.
Sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. (n.d.). Sea Level Rise Viewer. https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/
This sea level rise viewer allows users to manipulate variables and see how these actions affect sea levels.
Toronto Outdoor Education Schools TDSB. (2020, April 23). Fast fashion & Sustainability. ArcGIS StoryMaps. https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/66ea7714178741b4aecbf53b44fb8710
This interactive site invites users to explore fast fashion and sustainability through thought-provoking questions, videos, maps, a real-time survey, activities, calls to action, and more.
References
Assessing the global climate in 2023. (2024, March 25). National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202312
Beach, R. (2023). Literacy research, systems thinking, and climate change. Research in the Teaching of English, 58(1), 105-122.
Beach, R., Share, J., & Webb, A. (2017). Teaching climate change to adolescents: Reading, writing, and making a difference. Routledge and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Bilefsky, D. (2023, June 28). What to Know About Canadian Wildfires and U.S. Air Quality. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/canada/canada-wildfires-smoke-us-air-quality.html
Castaldo, N. F. (2022). When the world runs dry: Earth’s water in crisis. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers.
Colman, P. (2007). A new way to look at literature: A visual model for analyzing fiction and nonfiction texts. Language Arts, 84(3), 257-268.
Ferguson, D. (2021, August 25). ‘Greta effect’ leads to boom in children’s environmental books. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/11/greta-thunberg-leads-to-boom-in-books-aimed-at-empowering-children-to-save-planet
Fleischer, J. (2021). A hot mess: How the climate crisis is changing our world. Minneapolis, MN: Zest Books.
How Big Oil helped push the idea of a “carbon footprint.” (2023, December 19). NPR Illinois. https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-12-18/how-big-oil-helped-push-the-idea-of-a-carbon-footprint
Janfaza, R. (2020, January 3). 9 Climate activists of color you should know. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/youth-climate-activists-of-color
Kiefer, B., & Wilson, M. I. (2011). Nonfiction literature for children: Old assumptions and new directions. In S. A. Wolf, K. Coats, P. Enciso, & C. A. Jenkins (Eds.), Handbook of research on children’s and young adult literature (pp. 302-313). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kolbert, E. (2014). The sixth extinction: An unnatural history. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.
Kolbert, E. (2024). H is for hope: Climate change from A to Z. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Lesko, N. (2012). Act your age!: A cultural construction of adolescence. New York, NY: Routledge.
Martinez, X., & Lukashevsky, A. (2020). Imaginary borders. New York, NY: Penguin Workshop.
Muhammad, N. I. (2019, October 11). The young activists of color who are leading the climate charge. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/11/20904791/young-climate-activists-of-color
Nakate, V. (2021). A bigger picture: My fight to bring a new African voice to the climate crisis. Boston, MA: Mariner Books.
Rao, A. S. (2020). One earth: People of color protecting our planet. Ferndale, WA: Orca Book Publishers.
Ridge, Y., & Thebeault, D. (2023). Evolution under pressure: How we change nature and how nature changes us. Toronto, CA: Annick Press.
Rusch, E. (2023). The twenty-one: The true story of the youth who sued the U.S. government over climate change. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
Assessing the global climate in 2023. (2024, March 25). National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/global-climate-202312
Beach, R. (2023). Literacy research, systems thinking, and climate change. Research in the Teaching of English, 58(1), 105-122.
Beach, R., Share, J., & Webb, A. (2017). Teaching climate change to adolescents: Reading, writing, and making a difference. Routledge and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Bilefsky, D. (2023, June 28). What to Know About Canadian Wildfires and U.S. Air Quality. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/world/canada/canada-wildfires-smoke-us-air-quality.html
Castaldo, N. F. (2022). When the world runs dry: Earth’s water in crisis. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Young Readers.
Colman, P. (2007). A new way to look at literature: A visual model for analyzing fiction and nonfiction texts. Language Arts, 84(3), 257-268.
Ferguson, D. (2021, August 25). ‘Greta effect’ leads to boom in children’s environmental books. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/11/greta-thunberg-leads-to-boom-in-books-aimed-at-empowering-children-to-save-planet
Fleischer, J. (2021). A hot mess: How the climate crisis is changing our world. Minneapolis, MN: Zest Books.
How Big Oil helped push the idea of a “carbon footprint.” (2023, December 19). NPR Illinois. https://www.nprillinois.org/2023-12-18/how-big-oil-helped-push-the-idea-of-a-carbon-footprint
Janfaza, R. (2020, January 3). 9 Climate activists of color you should know. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/youth-climate-activists-of-color
Kiefer, B., & Wilson, M. I. (2011). Nonfiction literature for children: Old assumptions and new directions. In S. A. Wolf, K. Coats, P. Enciso, & C. A. Jenkins (Eds.), Handbook of research on children’s and young adult literature (pp. 302-313). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kolbert, E. (2014). The sixth extinction: An unnatural history. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.
Kolbert, E. (2024). H is for hope: Climate change from A to Z. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Lesko, N. (2012). Act your age!: A cultural construction of adolescence. New York, NY: Routledge.
Martinez, X., & Lukashevsky, A. (2020). Imaginary borders. New York, NY: Penguin Workshop.
Muhammad, N. I. (2019, October 11). The young activists of color who are leading the climate charge. Vox. https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/11/20904791/young-climate-activists-of-color
Nakate, V. (2021). A bigger picture: My fight to bring a new African voice to the climate crisis. Boston, MA: Mariner Books.
Rao, A. S. (2020). One earth: People of color protecting our planet. Ferndale, WA: Orca Book Publishers.
Ridge, Y., & Thebeault, D. (2023). Evolution under pressure: How we change nature and how nature changes us. Toronto, CA: Annick Press.
Rusch, E. (2023). The twenty-one: The true story of the youth who sued the U.S. government over climate change. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
References about Youth Adaptations of Nonfiction Texts
Sulzer, M. A. (2020). Border crossing from literature to young adult literature: A critical comparative content analysis of Enrique’s Journey (original version) and Enrique’s Journey (adapted for youth). The ALAN Review, 47(2), 12-24.
Sulzer, M. A., Colley, L. M., Hellmann, M. C., & Lynch, T. L. (2021). Doctors, drugs, and danger: Disentangling discourses of adolescence/ts in Dreamland (original version) and Dreamland (young adult adaptation) with critical comparative content analysis. Study and Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature 5(1), 1-39.
Sulzer, M. A., Thein, A. H., & Schmidt, R. R. (2018). What is adapted in youth adaptations?: A critical comparative content analysis of military memoirs repackaged as young adult literature. Journal of Language & Literacy Education, 14(1), 1-27.
Thein, A. H., Sulzer, M. A., & Schmidt, R. R. (2013). Evaluating the democratic merit of young adult literature: Lessons from two versions of Wes Moore’s Memoir. English Journal, 103(2), 57–64.
Thein, A. H., Sulzer, M. A., & Schmidt, R. R. (2019). Critical comparative content analysis: Examining race, politics, and violence in two versions of I am Malala. In Ginsberg, R., & Glenn, W. (Eds.), Engaging critically with multicultural literature in the secondary classroom (pp. 153-161). New York, NY: Routledge.
Sulzer, M. A. (2020). Border crossing from literature to young adult literature: A critical comparative content analysis of Enrique’s Journey (original version) and Enrique’s Journey (adapted for youth). The ALAN Review, 47(2), 12-24.
Sulzer, M. A., Colley, L. M., Hellmann, M. C., & Lynch, T. L. (2021). Doctors, drugs, and danger: Disentangling discourses of adolescence/ts in Dreamland (original version) and Dreamland (young adult adaptation) with critical comparative content analysis. Study and Scrutiny: Research on Young Adult Literature 5(1), 1-39.
Sulzer, M. A., Thein, A. H., & Schmidt, R. R. (2018). What is adapted in youth adaptations?: A critical comparative content analysis of military memoirs repackaged as young adult literature. Journal of Language & Literacy Education, 14(1), 1-27.
Thein, A. H., Sulzer, M. A., & Schmidt, R. R. (2013). Evaluating the democratic merit of young adult literature: Lessons from two versions of Wes Moore’s Memoir. English Journal, 103(2), 57–64.
Thein, A. H., Sulzer, M. A., & Schmidt, R. R. (2019). Critical comparative content analysis: Examining race, politics, and violence in two versions of I am Malala. In Ginsberg, R., & Glenn, W. (Eds.), Engaging critically with multicultural literature in the secondary classroom (pp. 153-161). New York, NY: Routledge.
Original and Youth Adapted Books on Climate
Flannery, T. (2001). The weather makers: How man is changing the climate and what it means for life on Earth. New York, NY: Grove Press.
Flannery, T. (adapted by Sally M. Walker) (2009). We are the weather makers: The history of climate change. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Jahren, H. (2020). The story of more: How we got to climate change and where to go from here. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
Jahren, H. (2022). The story of more (adapted for young adults): How we got to climate change and where to go from here. New York, NY: Delecorte Press.
Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivore's dilemma: A natural history of four meals. New York, NY: Penguin.
Pollan, M. (adapted by Richie Chevat). (2015). The omnivore’s dilemma: Young readers edition. New York, NY: Rocky Pond Books.
Thomas, D. (2020). Fashionopolis: Why what we wear matters. New York, NY: Penguin.
Thomas, D. (2024). Fashionopolis (young readers edition): The secrets behind the clothes we wear. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Flannery, T. (2001). The weather makers: How man is changing the climate and what it means for life on Earth. New York, NY: Grove Press.
Flannery, T. (adapted by Sally M. Walker) (2009). We are the weather makers: The history of climate change. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Jahren, H. (2020). The story of more: How we got to climate change and where to go from here. New York, NY: Vintage Books.
Jahren, H. (2022). The story of more (adapted for young adults): How we got to climate change and where to go from here. New York, NY: Delecorte Press.
Pollan, M. (2006). The omnivore's dilemma: A natural history of four meals. New York, NY: Penguin.
Pollan, M. (adapted by Richie Chevat). (2015). The omnivore’s dilemma: Young readers edition. New York, NY: Rocky Pond Books.
Thomas, D. (2020). Fashionopolis: Why what we wear matters. New York, NY: Penguin.
Thomas, D. (2024). Fashionopolis (young readers edition): The secrets behind the clothes we wear. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.
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