Plasticus Maritimus, An Invasive Species | Best Science Book for Kids 12-16

PLASTICUS MARITIMUS 

This is a fabulous book for kids 10 and older and even for adults about plastic in our oceans, lakes, rivers and streams and everywhere in between. 

Inspired by biologist Ana Pego’s life's work, and filled with engaging science and colorful photographs, this foundational look at plastic pollution in the ocean explains why it is such an urgent contemporary issue.

When she was young, Ana Pego didn't play in a backyard, but on a beach. She walked along the shore, looked at tide pools, and collected fossils. As she grew older, Pego noticed a new species at the seaside: plastic. She decided to collect it, study it, and give it a Latin name--Plasticus maritimus--to warn people of its dangers to our planet.

Pego tells us how plastics end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, shares plastic's chemical composition and physical properties, and offers a field guide to help readers identify and understand this new invasive species in all its forms, from the obvious (fishing nets and water bottles) to the unfamiliar (tiny, clear particles called microplastics).

Finally, she offers a critical look at our current "solutions" to plastic contamination and in her most important proposal--REVOLUTIONIZE--calls for deep changes in our habits, motivating young and old alike to make a difference, together. An artificial and almost indestructible species, Plasticus maritimus deserves to have its days numbered! Together, we can send it packing.

DETAILS

• Plasticus Maritimus
• Written by Ana Pego and Isabel Minhos Martins and illustrated by Bernado Carvalho.
• Ages 12 to 16 years
• Published by Greystone Kids, August 24, 2021.
• 0.63" H x 8.19" L x 5.98" W (0.8 lbs) 176 pages
• Softcover