Bibliographic Information:
Title: All We Can Save
Editors: Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson
ISBN: 9780593237069
Publisher: One World/ Penguin Random House
Copyright Date: 2020
Genre: nonfiction, climate change, environmental science, women and feminism
Format: print book
Awards or Honors: Named one of the best books of the year by Smithsonian magazine
Reading Level/Interest Level: 14+
Plot Summary: This anthology of essays and poetry about the climate crisis is all written by women, ranging from Naomi Klein to Gina McCarthy to Mary Oliver. Women are more likely to be impacted by climate change and less likely to be making decisions about it (Johnson and Wilkinson, 2020). This book tries to change that. Some of those featured work on policy for the US government; some run nonprofits drawing attention to the climate crisis; some are activists, others writers. But all are women focused on this terribly important topic. Organized into sections like Advocate, Reframe, Persist, Nourish and Rise, writings about policy mix with indigenous approaches to protest, poems about this beautiful planet we live on and how to love it, and the importance of community. It finishes with a list of solutions humans need to tackle to achieve “drawdown,” where greenhouse gas levels start to decline instead of increase (p. 377). This anthology gives readers a history lesson, a policy lesson, and the tools to be hopeful.
Editor Backgrounds: Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist who has Harvard University and Scripps Institution of Oceanography on her resume. She co-founded Urban Ocean Lab, co-created and for a time co-hosted the podcast How to Save a Planet, and was named one of times 100 Climate Leaders for 2021. Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is a former Rhodes scholar and holds a doctorate in philosophy in geography and environment from Oxford. She is a writer, teacher, and co-host of the podcast A Matter of Degrees.
Critical Evaluation for Books: Practical advice alternates with musings on our place in the world, and including poetry is a masterstroke. (It adds a creative touch for those who care about climate change but are less inclined towards science as well as offering exposure to poetry for those who might not otherwise seek it out.) The variety of types of essays is broad and interesting, and the focus on women and BIPOC authors gives voices to those who are often not consulted on this topic.
Creative Use for a Library Program: Poetry writing workshop! Have teens write poems about climate change. Poetry anthologies (as well as All We Can Save) can be on hand for inspiration.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Stopping climate change will require all of us working together. This collection of essays gives us the tools to make change—and the poetry to lift our spirits.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: I’m not aware of any challenges, although the topic has sadly been politicized. I would argue that climate change is an important topic and that teens deserve to hear from a variety of voices about it.
Reason for Inclusion: I love that this book covers an important topic for teens, includes teen writers, focuses on women, and best of all, includes poetry! The title itself is taken from an Adrienne Rich poem.
Want more? Dr. Wilkinson’s TED talk on climate change and empowering women has two million views!
Dr. Johnson talks about the importance of the oceans in the fight to save the planet:
References
All We Can Save (n.d.). Team. Retrieved from https://www.allwecansave.earth/team.
Lallensack, R., Spring, J. and Wetzel, C. (November 27, 2020). Ten best science books of 2020. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-best-science-books-2020-180976414/
Kirkus (June 30, 2020). All we can save [review]. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews//all-we-can-save/
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