{"id":33181,"date":"2025-05-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/?p=33181"},"modified":"2025-05-15T18:00:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T22:00:58","slug":"kids-and-ecoanxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/2025\/05\/kids-and-ecoanxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"Kids and ecoanxiety"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wild at Heart<\/em> – taken from Sleeping Bear Press<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Just about any librarian who works with children knows that kids have real concerns about the future – both for themselves and for the planet. We often hear even very young children express fears about climate change.\u00a0 A few ways we try to help our community deal with ecoanxiety are by offering hands-on programming, modeling and talking about conservation efforts, and providing information, reassurance, and hope through especially engaging books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Programming<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We try to teach kids that they\u2019re not powerless, and that they can effect transformation. We\u2019ve found that programs that provide opportunities for participants to engage in hands-on solutions (planting trees, creating pollinator gardens, caring for pets, respecting wildlife, repurposing found art materials) foster agency and stewardship. Positive feedback tells us it\u2019s appreciated when we offer these activities throughout the year, and not just for Earth Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modeling interventions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As far as modeling interventions, we do offer recycling and water bottle refill stations, but people also respond to our extended conservation efforts. We\u2019ve tried moving away from plastic garbage bags and table protectors and going with biodegradable materials; digging out old chalkboards to cut down on paper waste, and acquiring decorations that can be reused (disco balls, cloth flags, electronic displays) instead of using balloons and one-use disposables. We always try to share the reasoning behind these conscious decisions through signage and everyday conversations. Kids need to see that adults do care, and realize that everyone can pitch in, even with small gestures that add up and make big differences.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Gifts from the Garbage Truck<\/em> – taken from Sourcebooks<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Resources to share<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are lots of resources, both fiction and nonfiction, that address ecoanxiety. We\u2019ve found it easy to locate reassuring titles and routinely integrate them into story times, book talks, and reading lists. We also use passive programming (eco-centers, book displays) to offer ever-changing series of thoughtful, encouraging, and funny stories that can offset persuasive and upsetting climate angst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few recent noteworthy titles for the picture book crowd include Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert<\/em> by Sara Andrea Fajardo (2025,\u00a0Roaring Brook), Gifts from the Garbage Truck <\/em>by Andrew Larsen (2024,\u00a0Sourcebooks\/eXplore), and especially How to Explain Climate Science to a Grown-Up<\/em> by Ruth Spiro (2025,\u00a0Charlesbridge). For middle grade and independent readers consider Kate Messner\u2019s History Smasher<\/em> offering, Earth Day and the Environment <\/em>(2025, Random), the wonderfully inventive Future Vision: Stories of Our Brilliant Tomorrow<\/em> by Cathy Rogers (2025, Button), and Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature<\/em> by Evan Griffith (2024, Sleeping Bear).<\/p>\n\n\n

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Climate Is Just the Start<\/em> – taken from Penguin Random House<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And then for middle school and up, there\u2019s Climate Is Just the Start<\/em> by Mikaela Loach (2025,\u00a0Random\/Bright Matter), Take a Hike!<\/em> And Other Ways to De-Stress and Relax in Nature<\/em> by Kate Chynoweth (2025,\u00a0Magination), and The Twenty-One:<\/em> The True Story of the Youth Who Sued the U.S. Government over Climate Change<\/em> by Elizabeth Rusch (2023, Greenwillow). We\u2019ve also put out titles for parents. Parenting in a Climate Crisis: A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action <\/em>by Bridget Shirvell (2025,\u00a0Workman) seemed especially helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecoanxiety is a real issue for our kids. We need to be proactive and help them cope through action-oriented solutions. We need to offer facts and reassurance. Mostly we need to let children know we do care, and that we\u2019re willing to work with them to make a better future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kathleen McBroom is the School Library Media Practicum Coordinator with the School of Information Sciences at Wayne State University in Detroit. She has worked in both public and school libraries.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post addresses the following ALSC Core Competencies: I. Commitment to Client Group, III. Programming, and IV. Collection Knowledge and Management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just about any librarian who works with children knows that kids have real concerns about the future – both for themselves and for the planet. We often hear even very young children express fears about climate change.\u00a0 A few ways we try to help our community deal with ecoanxiety are by offering hands-on programming, modeling and talking about conservation efforts, and providing information, reassurance, and hope through especially engaging books. Programming We try to teach kids that they\u2019re not powerless, and that they can effect transformation. We\u2019ve found that programs that provide opportunities for participants to engage in hands-on solutions (planting trees, creating pollinator gardens, caring for pets, respecting wildlife, repurposing found art materials) foster agency and stewardship. Positive feedback tells us it\u2019s appreciated when we offer these activities throughout the year, and not just for Earth Day. Modeling interventions As far as modeling interventions, we do offer recycling and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[287],"tags":[1683,1266,219,2131],"class_list":["post-33181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogger-school-age-programs-and-services-committee","tag-anxiety","tag-climate-change","tag-environment","tag-mental-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}