Frozen in time: What ice cores can tell us about climate change by Carmella Van Vleet

 I was wary of the concept of Holiday House's "Books for a Better Earth" imprint because it started with a book solely focused on plastic straws and I have... some feelings about that whole Thing. I liked some of the later titles, including Breaking the mold: Changing the face of climate science, and purchased Restoring Prairie as it was Wisconsin-focused, but it wasn't until I sat down to skim and ended up reading cover to cover Frozen in Time that I fell in love with the concept.

This is exactly what I want from books about environmental science and climate change. The book is short, just over one hundred pages. It's simply and clearly written, broken up into short chapters that explain the steps in studying ice cores from start to finish, along with how these studies are used. The chapters are broken up by a glossary for each chapter, step-by-step science experiments, and break-out explanations of mathematical and scientific concepts needed to understand the book. There are additional photographs and basic back matter. Most importantly, the book is perfectly suited to its audience and there are no sweeping statements of how kids can save the environment by changing things in their daily lives they have no control over.

Verdict: This book is the best I've seen in communicating science concepts and the current state of climate change in an age-appropriate and realistic way for young readers. I hope to see many classes and families working their way through the experiments, discussing the concepts, and getting kids inspired to learn more about the world and careers in science.

ISBN: 9780823453986; Published February 2024 by Holiday House; Added to the library order list