Review: Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dávila

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Change is in the air. Power outages are increasing, and gas prices are soaring. At first, 12-year-old Luz balks, hardly thrilled by the prospect of actually having to walk to the mall. But Luz doesn't mope for long. After all, her name -- pronounced "loose" -- means "light." Soon, this intelligent and spirited chica begins to understand that she must change with the times. As food prices rise, Luz decides to help create a more self-sustainable community by transforming a run-down city lot into a garden where she and her neighbors can grow their own fruits and vegetables. But when she solicits help from her friends -- boy-crazy Anika and computer-whiz Robby -- they think she's a little loco. Luz pedals her idea on the street, but the community is equally dismissive. Can Luz pull off her plan and help change her world alone? This graphic novel is a kid-friendly take on sustainable living in a fossil fuel?dependent world. Preteens will love the fearless, fiery and resourceful heroine and will find inspiration in her efforts to steer her society toward self-sustainable living. Hip and energetic illustrations bring Luz and her world to life in a jazzy, appealing fashion, and a bonus chapter teaches kids how to make garden compost.

MY TAKE:
I am all for the idea of gardening for food, so this book got me really excited.

Luz, the heroine of Luz Sees The Light, is a young girl who at first is not too interested in doing practical and Earth-friendly things as she finds them inconvenient. However, she soon warms up to the idea of creating a self-sustaining community.

At first, I found Luz annoying since she seemed really lazy and unreasonable. Now that I think about it, though, a lot of the younger generation of kids are so used to just riding a car everywhere even when they can just walk or ride a bus to get somewhere. I liked Luz much better when she decided to have a greener lifestyle.

Some people may find the book a little bit preachy, but the thing is, I think the approach is just right. That is, I think this would work as an informative book, the kind of book that you use to teach your child something that he or she normally wouldn't care about or would be bored by easily. I find Luz's community project quite inspiring and I think a lot of kids would find this book quite interesting

Thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. It encourages kids to do their part to help the environment.
2. It's a great way to teach kids about community gardens.
3. It may inspire kids to live a greener lifestyle.

THE BAD:

1. The book's colors are black, white and orange only.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

So we should buy from local farms and businesses and produce our own stuff.

READ IT IF:

1. You like the idea of being self-sustaining.
2. You want to encourage your kid to become more enthusiastic about doing Earth-friendly activities.
3. You like community parks.

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?