Water

 

Essential for life and seemingly abundant, water is in fact a precious limited resource. As the world’s supply of fresh water dwindles and pollution threatens our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans and the life they support, we must reconsider the ways we use water. The following widely-varied works will quench your thirst for engaging summer reading.

Titles

From the Bottom Up: One Man’s Crusade to Clean America’s Rivers
– Chad Pregracke with Jeff Barrow Armed with only gloves and a used boat, Pregracke set out to single-handedly clear the garbage from the Mississippi river, and ended up bringing national attention to the state of America’s largest rivers.

The Great Lakes Water Wars
–Peter Annin
A fast-paced look at the people and issues surrounding the tense dispute over water rights in the Great Lakes Region, and an invitation to join in the debate.

The Sea Around Us
– Rachel Carson
Winner of the 1952 National Book Award, Rachel Carson’s classic look at the lifecycle of the ocean and its inhabitants remains a beautiful and thought-provoking exploration of what Carson describes as “the last great frontier of Earth.”

Nature Girl ** – Carl Hiaasen
This hilarious suspense novel begins when impeccably correct Honey Santana takes a rude salesman and his girlfriend to the Florida wilderness to teach them some manners, little knowing that she’s being followed.

Fresh Water: Women Writing on the Great Lakes
– edited by Alison Swan
Beautiful, touching and flecked with humor, this collection about the Great Lakes evokes memories of family, of solitude, and of interconnectedness – between people and nature as well as between the lakes themselves.

The Last Fish Tale: The Fate of the Atlantic and Survival in Gloucester, America’s Oldest Fishing Port and Most Original Town
– Mark Kurlansky
A detailed and poignant look at the fourhundred- year-old fishing culture in one small New England town explores the impact of overfishing and climate change on the men and women who rely on fishing for their livelihoods.

The Chicago River: An Illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways
– David M. Solzman
This comprehensive and inviting book tells the history of the Chicago River alongside scientific tidbits about its animals and plants, points of interest along the its banks, and recommended trips for those wishing to experience the river firsthand.

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water – The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century
–Fred Pearce
In this sobering book, Pearce reviews the threats to rivers throughout the United States and the world, and investigates the social, political and environmental impact that the deaths of rivers will have on humanity.

 

**Breezy Reads: light, entertaining books for both adult and teen readers.