Green Your Teen
During the course of my studies while earning my master’s degree in teaching, I remember reading something about the developmental characteristics of the teen age years.
Something that stuck out to me was that teens have a strong sense of justice.
Isn’t that so true? Teens feel deeply about righteous causes, and the cause they identify with most closely during those formative years can impact the adult they will become.
I became a vegetarian when I was 15 years old, and I’m still going strong!
Jenn Savage has written a wonderfully informative book, The Green Teen.
This is a practical guide written in non-condescending teen speak to equip adolescents with the facts and ideas they need to be a knowledgeable advocate for living a greener lifestyle.
These are peppered with examples of real-life teens who decided to do something and have been able to effect positive change despite their youth and inexperience.
The Green Teen has advice about making wise choices as a consumer, including how to read labels and avoid being tricked by a product that only claims to be eco-friendly.
This is timely advice for the teen age years because many teens have lots of buying power with their part time jobs and zero personal expenses! The Green Teen encourages readers to examine their food, clothes, body products, charitable donations, and even the question of “Do I really need to buy this?”
Great food for thought at any age, but an especially compelling reason to talk your teen out of wasting money on an impulse purchase!
Energy waste is an important topic, and The Green Teen cites examples of ways that energy and water might be wasted and what to do about it.
The Green Teen also makes readers aware about wasting paper, how they can help to “green” their school, and start something really big by organizing a “green event” in their community.
The Green Teen is super inspiring and will no doubt compel many savvy readers to take action!
Do you know any green teens? Or a teen who might want to be greener? Encourage them!
Thank you, twitter moms, for this review opportunity!
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25 May 2009, 11:00 am
I agree that this book looks like a great idea! I never really thought about the whole “teens having a strong sense of justice”, but it’s true! And I think strong movements like going green are smart to target teens! And the buying suggestions that you mentioned from the book are all good ones, esp. the last one! (Is it a NEED or is it a WANT??)
25 May 2009, 1:20 pm
Thank you for stopping by my blog! Very nice to meet another B’ham girl. I don’t often yardsale in Mtn. Brook (Too many others out my direction), but I don’t mind checking in there too. Sometimes I find some good stuff & it’s not too expensive either. This one had decent prices, as you can see. Hope you’ll come back again!
25 May 2009, 1:34 pm
very intersted
25 May 2009, 1:34 pm
very interested
25 May 2009, 2:16 pm
[...] View original here: Help Your Teen Go Eco-Friendly with The Green Teen by Jenn Savedge … [...]
25 May 2009, 3:20 pm
Kudo’s for this information. Although I have not been the epitome of GREEN over the years, I have encouraged my TEENS ( NOW GROWN) to Respect the land, Clean up, Be Frugal, Save Money, from buying wisely, to Saving at least 10% of their income for later years. This book offers many practical ways to BE GREEN as a TEEN. I also found, in my own experience as a Father, that My Teens were socially concious and GREEN before the same was COOL.
25 May 2009, 3:26 pm
I don’t know any green teen’s at the moment, but I think this is a great idea and I want my kids to be aware and learn how to be eco-friendly.
25 May 2009, 3:32 pm
Thanks for a great review! Two of my three grandchildren are teens and this looks like a great way to make them (and us) more aware of the impact each of us has on the environment along with practical suggestions we can implement.
25 May 2009, 3:44 pm
Thank you for the review. This sounds like a great book for teens or anyone. This would be a nice addition to a school library or even as a must read book in class.
25 May 2009, 3:58 pm
I don’t have a teen, but if I did, this would be a great book.
25 May 2009, 3:58 pm
What a great review on this book. I am going to pick up some copies for my teen age babysitters. They seem to act like all our natural resources are going to last forever. Their attitude is…”I know we will have what we need for as long as I am alive…” I keep telling them that as they get older they will begin to think of their children and generations to follow. Maybe this book would open their eyes at a younger age!!
Thanks again for bringing another great product CanCan!!
25 May 2009, 4:06 pm
Very interesting and thoughtful review!
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25 May 2009, 4:10 pm
What a great idea for a book! I think my sister-in-law would love this!
25 May 2009, 4:10 pm
This looks like a great book I am going to have to subtly place on my teen’s dresser
25 May 2009, 9:18 pm
I would love to read this myself. Not so many books that are informative are written for teens.
25 May 2009, 10:03 pm
ditto to the max
26 May 2009, 12:07 am
Boy, I wish I had a “strong sense of justice” when I was a teenager. I think I was such a wallflower that nothing really got me excited. If I were raising teenagers, I would certainly want to invest in this book.
26 May 2009, 12:38 am
Sounds like a book I’d like to read for myself!
26 May 2009, 1:12 am
Very interesting and informative!!
26 May 2009, 4:40 am
Great review and I will be purchasing this book for my Grandaughter who is 12 years old. The secret to environmental awareness is to provide our children with education and tools for position action. Even one person can have a great impact!
26 May 2009, 4:50 am
I need to share this with my niece!
26 May 2009, 2:23 pm
This book expands the idea to help teens be green. The desire to help our planet starts before the teen years, but teens can do more. Giving them more info and ideas to implement is a great idea.
26 May 2009, 3:34 pm
I would have loved to have had access to this book as a teenager. I too started becoming more aware of the environment back then, and I remember winning an Earth Day poetry contest in 9th grade and getting a save the earth type of book. It was kind of lame when I think back on it, but it was a start! This book sounds much cooler.
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26 May 2009, 3:53 pm
Wow, this looks like a great book. Can’t wait to get my hands on it
26 May 2009, 4:31 pm
It looks practical and not like it’s just jumping on the “green bandwagon” so to speak. I bet adults could learn a lot from it, too.
26 May 2009, 6:02 pm
Great Idea for a teen book. Interesting. Would buy.
26 May 2009, 6:03 pm
As someone who is trying to lessen their carbon footprint, this book is great for helping teens to be responsible for their planet.
26 May 2009, 6:13 pm
I enjoyed your book review. It seems as if this would be a great book to use as an teen church study that is educational and helps to teach youth how to keep the earth God gave us and our bodies. I may try it. Thanks for introducing it to us.
26 May 2009, 7:38 pm
I think any agenda forgets that our children are our future and our teens are the ones taking deliberate action. This is a great book but what is great is I think that many teens are already more earth-conscious than us adults set in our ways
27 May 2009, 2:32 am
That looks like a great book! Wish it had been around when I was a teen, maybe a few trees would have been salvaged, lol. I’ll be sure and encourage the youth I know to check it out!
27 May 2009, 12:11 pm
I guess it is cool to have teens excited about something other than themselves.
27 May 2009, 6:15 pm
I agree, this is worth passing around! Maybe I will giveaway my copy to a worthy teen…
27 May 2009, 6:31 pm
Although I don’t have a teen yet, I’m thinking about purchasing this book. I am constantly trying to go greener but something always gets in the way. I’ve tried to go the vegetarian route, but the hubby and children like to have meat and it just makes it hard.
Thank you for the great review of the book. It makes to want to read it.
28 May 2009, 5:55 am
This sounds like a good book. I will have to tell my daughter about it. We are slowly turning green and she is learning all she can.
28 May 2009, 11:28 am
this might be a great book for me to recommend to our middle schoolers. We just had a major going green event. I’d love to continue to spur them on in the direction of responsibility with more materials.
28 May 2009, 12:14 pm
I have a teenage daughter who would love this book,shes beginning to start going green,thanks
28 May 2009, 1:06 pm
Awesome book idea.
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28 May 2009, 2:57 pm
Thanks for the review! I was a green teen before the green movement ever become popular. We are the future and without being conscious with our habitat, we are ruining it for everybody’s future.
28 May 2009, 3:56 pm
I wish I had been green back when I was a teen…glad to see a book out now to help teens out today
28 May 2009, 4:51 pm
This book sounds really great, not just a “greenwashed” title to sell books, but real tips!
28 May 2009, 5:02 pm
Can Can! What will you find next! Love you!
28 May 2009, 5:17 pm
Teens definitely need to channel their energy in a positive direction. For sure.
28 May 2009, 6:49 pm
I wonder what this book has to say about designer clothing.
28 May 2009, 7:05 pm
this book looks awesome if i had a teen id totally use it
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28 May 2009, 7:16 pm
This seems like a great book!!!
28 May 2009, 7:21 pm
Awesome idea for a book!!! I’m sure my tween nephews could learn so much from this
28 May 2009, 7:22 pm
Great information. Too bad I don’t have a teen but looks great!
28 May 2009, 7:23 pm
Great review. Thanks for sharing.
I remember being one of those driven teenagers. It really is a formative time.
28 May 2009, 7:58 pm
just might have to get this one and hold onto it for a few years!
28 May 2009, 8:04 pm
This is the book that I’d definitely love to buy for myself and all of my loved ones because I’m sure going green’s a great thing you can do for yourself and your planet earth, no matter how old you are
29 May 2009, 12:52 am
Any teen would would greatly benefit from this book. Well written, thanks!
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29 May 2009, 3:32 am
This sounds like a great book that will help guide teens toward advocating and living a more eco-conscious lifestyle. I’ve heard that many teens today are aware of and concerned about the environment. We need them to be! Thanks for letting us know about this book.
I will keep it in mind for the future years when my girls become teens. Heck, I will probably add this book soon to the others I’ve already shared with them on the topic.
29 May 2009, 5:00 am
Wow, this sounds like a great book!
I have desired a vegetarian lifestyle on a few occasions [yes, when I was in my teens mostly] but haven’t felt properly informed. This sounds like the key to my dilemma, and if I don’t change, at least I’ll have it on hand when my daughter makes the same attempts
31 May 2009, 9:46 pm
This sounds like a terrific book. I know some teens who could probably benefit from it. They want to be “green” but don’t see how many ways there are to do that. It’s more than sorting out the recyclables — although that’s an excellent start!
01 June 2009, 5:21 pm
My only opposing comment regarding this is that teens also have a very strong feeling of wanting to decide for themselves. So it would strongly depend on how this is presented to them and from whom. If it isn’t presented the right way it could easily backfire.
02 June 2009, 4:54 pm
I love to have this book as it has great informative to help us to learn healthy lifestyle by choosing product ingredients wisely,
03 June 2009, 2:33 am
teens need all the help they can get! Thanks for this.
03 June 2009, 2:47 am
Teens are/will be a key population in helping us avert the worst effects of climate change. This book will help encourage them to move in that direction. Thanks for this review!