Gr 5 Up--Mary Kate Murphy and her classmates in the eighth grade climate science pilot program at Fisher Middle School, with the guidance of their teacher Mr. Lu, set out to create a composting program. When their attempt to apply for a town grant to pay for the program goes awry because of the mayor's racism, Mary Kate and her classmates, family, and friends must find another way to raise funds. Meanwhile, Mary Kate's best friend Lucy is really sick, and Mary Kate works hard to find out what's wrong while juggling activism, her efforts to get teacher Ms. Lane elected mayor, and her frustrations with the current mayor's lies and prejudices. But with the help of school faculty, the ingenuity of her classmates, and her sister's advice, Mary Kate just might find a way to accomplish her goals. Told through short chapters, podcast scripts, flyers, letters, and lists, this book shares with readers the power of determination and unity. VERDICT A great choice for middle grade readers interested in climate change, social justice, and student activism.--Heidi Grange

Eager to address climate change, Connecticut eighth graders also confront economic inequality, racism, and politics. Bearsville Climate Club is an innovative pilot program: Its students will study climate science and develop community-based initiatives to address environmental concerns. Observant young naturalist Mary Kate Murphy applied along with her bat-loving BFF, Lucy Perlman (both are White), but Lucy is now kept home by a mysterious illness. Initially lost by herself, Mary Kate warms to Mr. Lu, the club's charismatic Chinese American teacher, who pairs her with composting enthusiast Shawn Hill, a Black student who commutes from Hartford to their better-resourced suburban school. As the students explore their priorities--for example, growing hemp, eliminating leaf blowers, addressing disposable fashion, ending meat consumption--they also learn about and discuss racism's toxic legacy in their towns and families. Mary Kate is chagrined to learn that wealthier, predominantly White communities, including hers, outsource their trash to the incinerator polluting Shawn's neighborhood. When the longtime mayor makes Shawn's out-of-district address an excuse to invalidate the club's application for a community grant, the students take action, which proves an energizing antidote to feeling helpless about the future. Fast-paced and often funny, this stand-alone companion to Dress Coded (2020) has a similar mosaic structure. Podcast transcripts, checklists, school assignments, and short vignettes showcase Firestone's gift for illustrating how apparently unrelated issues intersect--or collide--while realistically portraying the voices of middle schoolers. A passionate novel uplifting young activists. (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Mary Kate Murphy is 1 of 10 incoming eighth-graders at Fisher Middle School chosen to participate in a climate-change pilot project. Warned that this will be a "non--traditional" commitment, the group begins investigating ways within their community to help save the planet. Initially, the students struggle to find their niches but eventually realize they can be more effective when they work cooperatively. Unfortunately, the group encounters an obstacle in the form of the town's mayor, who is resistant to its ideas. Meanwhile, Mary Kate's BFF is suffering from an undiagnosed illness. Applying her abundant pluck and drive, Mary Kate spearheads efforts to help her friend regain her health. Firestone has created a lively and inspiring companion to her successful Dress Coded (2020). Using podcasts, letters, and a variety of other devices, she covers a broad range of ills with realistic energy. This novel addresses more than climate change, also touching on equity and inclusion as well as traditional and natural healing methods. Readers will cheer as the students' actions bring about positive change.