Environmental activism is high on the agenda at the moment, with young people in particular campaigning to take care of our planet before it’s too late.

There’s a rich seam of books being published at the moment which contain useful tips to help you make a difference and plenty of fiction books around environmental themes to promote discussion with children.

Book Boy and I have been using ‘Kids Fight Plastic’ by Martin Dorey, illustrated by Tim Wesson (Walker Books) to discover ways to be a #2MinuteSuperhero and reduce our plastic consumption. It’s full of easy actions to implement at home, at school and when you’re out and about. They’re all presented in a highly-illustrated and engaging manner, perfect for dipping in and out of.

Here’s how we all got on:

Book Boy Jr. did an excellent job of helping to clean up the rubbish at our local football pitches.

Next we made sure we took a reusable shopping bag with us (and a coffee cup for me!) when we popped into town. Putting all my book totes to good use!

This one was achieved by a quick visit to Lush to purchase one of their delicious-smelling solid shampoo bars. Missions accomplished!

To win a copy of this book and a rather fabulous metal straw for yourself, comment with your best plastic-reducing tip. (U.K. only, entries in by 23rd August)

You may also like ‘Be Green’ by Mandy Archer and illustrated by Katie Abey (Studio Press). A ‘Mindful Kids’ activity book packed with creative ways for children to explore some of the environmental issues faced by the Earth. You’ll also discover how to live more sustainably and help protect the  planet for future generations.

The new ‘Eco Rangers’ series by Candice Lemon-Scott, illustrated by Aśka (New Frontier Publishing) is a new action-packed first chapter book series centred around two friends, Ebony and Jay. They love looking after the environment and helping others, which is a good job because in these two adventures they’ll find themselves rescuing a sludge-stricken pelican from the sea and saving some abandoned baby bats and their friends who are living in a derelict rollercoaster.

Very readable with a hint of mystery and a strong environmental heart, I’d recommend this series for those aged 6+

My final choice is a fantastic collaboration between dyslexia-friendly publisher Barrington Stoke and author extraordinaire, Jeremy Strong. ‘Nellie Choc-Ice and the Plastic Island’ (illustrated by Jamie Smith) features penguin explorer at large, Nellie Choc-Ice, is heading home to the South Pole on Captain Beardy-Beard’s submarine and is very excited at the prospect of seeing her family.

Imagine her disappointment when the trip grinds to a halt as the submarine gets tangled up in a floating patch of plastic waste. And they aren’t the only ones. Nellie has to untangle everyone else from the mess before they can carry on.

Nellie and Captain Beardy-Beard call a meeting with some VIPs from across the world, demanding that they Get the mess cleaned up. 5+

Plenty of food for thought and discussion there. Hopefully we can all work together to reverse some of the damage already done to the planet.

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to all the publishers featured for sending me these titles to review*