The Plastic Problem, written by Rachel Salt. A Firefly Book, 2019. $12.95 ages 10 and up

"Sea turtles love snacking on
jellyfish! Unfortunately, jellyfish
and plastic bags can look a lot
alike. This is bad news for turtles,
as ingesting a bag can result in a
stomach blockage. If a turtle has
too much plastic in its stomach, it
will have trouble digesting food,
causing it to be malnourished
or even to starve. If a turtle
isn't getting enough nutrition ... "

I sat on a committee in the spring that read and reviewed new Canadian nonfiction books for kids and teens. This was one of our starred books because of its design, its conversational tone, and the amount of relevant information it provides for a middle grade audience. We were impressed with the significance of the research done to fully inform readers about the amount of plastic that is in the world's environment, and the catastrophic effect plastic is having on natural resources and the world's human and animal populations.

Ms. Salt has some pretty impressive credentials. She is the head writer for the YouTube channel, AsapSCIENCE, a highly accessible science channel. It is worth your while to look for it. Though the book is only 79 pages, it covers many important topics for those wanting to know how to make a difference. There are 18 sections, including an introduction and a glossary and index. The rest of the book opens readers' eyes to all things plastic; what it is, how it's made, where you find it, and how much waste it generates. Each short section is very informative. Using graphs, contextual illustrations, side bars, startling and clearly captioned photographs, she describes a rubber duck's journey, a garbage patch, and shows how plastic moves through the food web.

Organization makes the text accessible, as does the amount of information shared. The author wants her readers to know that moving forward toward helping solve the plastic problem must be done sooner than later. There are things that can be done now. It is a major issue and it needs our attention and action. She suggests using the 6Rs: reduce, reuse, rethink, repair, refuse, and recycle. We can take the pledge, and we can do better. This book helps readers spring into action on a small scale: one person at a time.