Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home

Gr 4–6—Mulder's latest addition to her solid repertoire of environmentally conscious books addresses the crises (pollution, shortages, etc.) of the global water supply. Her conversational style keeps the material from being too clinical or gloom-and-doom, without ever seeming superficial. Ideal for reports, the book is packed with great information on everything from the way civilizations have collected and used water throughout history, sobering assessments of the present and future availability of clean water, and intriguing solutions already employed, such as fog catchers, or that are still in their experimental stages. Worthwhile factoids, sidebars, and interesting photographs accompanied by instructive captions add to the abundance of meaningful material. Mulder is honest about the emergency unfolding around this precious resource, and though the situation is fairly dire, she empowers her readers by offering feasible suggestions that individuals can use to improve things. And like raindrops falling into a collection barrel, each and every single conscientious action adds up. An excellent resource on the topic.—Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR