Save the People!: Halting Human Extinction

by Stacy McAnulty, Nicole Miles (Illustrator)

Stacy McAnulty, the bestselling author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl and the Our Universe series delivers an action-packed look at past extinction and current threats to humanity's survival -- with the ultimately reassuring message that humans probably have a few more millennia in us.

Scientists estimate that 99% of all species that have ever existed are now extinct. Whoa. So, it's not unreasonable to predict humans are doomed to become fossil records as well. But what could lead to our demise? Supervolcanos? Asteroids? The sun going dark? Climate change? All the above?!

Humans—with our big brains, opposable thumbs, and speedy Wi-Fi—may be capable of avoiding most of these nightmares. (The T. rex would be super jealous of our satellites.) But we're also capable of triggering world-ending events. Learning from past catastrophes may be the best way to avoid future disasters.

Packed with science, jokes, and black and white illustrations, Save the People! examines the worst-case scenarios that could (but hopefully won’t) cause the greatest mass extinction—our own!

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Science, Activism, History, Humor, Childrens

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2022

About the author

Stacy McAnulty is a children’s book author, who used to be a mechanical engineer, who’s also qualified to be a paleontologist (NOT REALLY), a correspondent for The Daily Show (why not), and a Green Bay Packer coach (totally!). She is the 2017 Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor Recipient for Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach. Her other picture books include Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years, illustrated by David Litchfield; Brave and Beautiful, both illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He’s the Favorite, illustrated by Edward Hemingway; and 101 Reasons Why I’m Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. She’s also authored the chapter book series Goldie Blox, based on the award-winning toys, and The Dino Files. Her debut middle grade novel, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl, will publish in 2018. When not writing, Stacy likes to listen to NPR, bake triple-chocolate cupcakes, and eat triple-chocolate cupcakes. Originally from upstate NY, she now lives in Kernersville, NC with her 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 1 husband.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human induced climate change is happening all over the world, but what can we do? Save the People!: Halting Human Extinction aims to answer that question by approaching climate change from a very selfish point of view that all humans should care about- our own survival. Aimed at young adults, but definitely a good read for literally any human, Save the People! uses scientific facts written in a way anyone can understand mixed with humor, pictures and a good dose of reality to help you understand the big picture.

Save the People! begins with a brief history of the Earth and an overview of past extinction events along with their causes (spoiler alert: it's climate change!) then moves to potential and unlikely threats to humans before digging into what climate change is, how it happens and the possible solutions. I have to say that this is a climate change book that I enjoyed reading. The information is scientifically accurate and as up to date as possible, it is also easy to read. Even though some of the content is depressing and scary (there are trigger warnings), the very real doom and gloom situations were turned into realistic action based solutions focused on our own extinction to help motivate behavior change and action for a future on planet Earth.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it weird that I really enjoy talking about potential end of the of the world scenarios with middle schoolers?

I thoroughly enjoyed talking through all the ways humans could meet our demise with kids. Kids who might not have been into a more literary book were really tuned in when we started talking about how the sun is going to explode. Heck, my very own personal 7th grader can rant about that with the best of them.

You can basically see what to expect from the title and cover.
McAnulty goes through various major extinctions from before human times (how did the dinos die, etc.), and then goes into chapters focusing on 7 potential apocalypse scenarios. I tried to make them into a mnemonic, but failed. Please tell me if you've got a good one!
The chapter topics as she titles them are: Asteroids, Supervolcanoes, Disease, Overpopulation, War, Sun, Outerspace: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, Aliens
Ok, all the chapters have subtitles, but I feel like that last one needs to be included.
The book then closes out with particularly bad threats right now and things we can do to help. There are LOTS of source notes. And end matter in general.
The tone is light, made me laugh a few times, but also matter of fact and real about it all.

Great, good. Important.

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this!

Perfect for our homeschool discussion on climate change (and other disasters that could befall humans), this struck a lovely balance between being full of information and keeping a fun tone that was enjoyable to read. My horror loving kids loved this, though they were alarmed at how many ways humans could potentially be wiped out, and as an adult I still found interesting information I wasn’t aware of and enjoyed reading it. Perfect for young horror fans trying to dip their toes into more non-fiction, anyone who needs a beginner course in climate change, and those who like a conversational, somewhat snarky tone to their non-fiction!

[Sammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Rockstar Book Tours for an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Overall

Confession: I’m absolutely addicted to apocalyptic things. The more likely to happen, the better. I absolutely love reading about natural disasters. It’s like a little slice of humble pie in the form of a reminder that Mother Nature can mess you up any time she decides! So obviously a title like Save the People! grabbed my attention because, one, whyyyyy? To heck with the people. Save the dragons! But two, okay, yes, tell me more about upcoming natural disasters.

Save the People! is a humor non-fiction book that focuses on the things that could go wrong and ultimately doom humanity. It’s filled with easily digestible, bite-sized science; cute illustrations; and lots of really interesting facts. Also, explosions. And who doesn’t like explosions?!

This book was super fun. I read part of it with Minion, who’s 11 now, and even though she’s not a sciencey kid (we’re still wondering exactly how she missed the reading and science genes and somehow picked up math?!), she enjoyed the parts we read together. As did I! While this book does delve into some science principles that are likely to be a bit over children’s heads, most of it is pretty well boiled down and easy to grasp, and the humor mixed in meant that it wasn’t at all a bummer of a book, despite the somewhat dark subject matter.

My Thoughts:

- Sooo . . . why save the humans, again? And just who are these “humans” that we’re saving? Fear not, McAnulty will tell you. I mean, short answer is: we’re the humans, and since “we” are part of that statistic, we should probably be concerned with saving ourselves. If nothing else, out of pure self-interest, right?

I took an anthropology class in college, so I was already fairly familiar with a brief look at early human evolution. For those who don’t know, though, McAnulty lays the groundwork for humanity, from the very earliest throes of the universe through human evolution. Readers will be introduced to Lucy, the Australopithecus afarensis, and our more modern ancestors, Homo erectus and Neanderthals.

Going into this book, I expected just a sort of laundry list of things that can destroy humans (spoiler alert: it’s everything, basically). I was pleasantly surprised to see that’s not the case. McAnulty lays the groundwork of history first, including the evolution of our species and some early disasters that have happened along the way before we even graced the scene.

Now, I’m not a huge history buff, but I do love archaeology, paleontology, and examinations of prehistoric life on Earth, so this was not only fascinating for me, but I also learned quite a bit!

- Despite being chock full of science, Save The People! is written in an easily understandable way that almost every reader will be able to walk away having learned something new. Being the fan that I am of all things disaster, I’ve read my fair share of disaster books and watched the documentaries and YouTube shows. Plus, it may come as a surprise because I know I hide it so well, but I am extremely nerdy. Yet, there were still plenty of things I learned from this book, and I had a ton of fun doing it, too!

The concepts, even the hard ones, are presented in a way that’s very easy for young readers to understand, which I appreciated. While I enjoy science, I’m not very science-minded and my brain tends to overheat easily. I had no trouble following the science terms and logic in this book, though.

- Save The People! is written in a humorous tone with analogies and lingo that middle grade readers will likely relate to. So even though it has some dark content, it’s a pretty funny book. Which, in my opinion, is the best way to write a book with somewhat dark content! There’s a very tongue-in-cheek narration style filled with sarcasm and light humor that made me chuckle repeatedly. It made the reading quite enjoyable and distracted from the idea that we’re considering the extinction of our species. Plus, the author incorporates certain lingo like “IMHO” and things that will be very relatable to young readers.

- While McAnulty raises a lot of potentially fatal disasters, she doesn’t completely leave the reader hanging in terms of what can be done to avoid these outcomes. Well, to be fair, some outcomes are unavoidable, as the author admits. For example, the sun will definitely hit the point where it’s no longer optimal for human survival. Luckily for us, none of us will be alive to see it . . . unless one of you has already cracked the secret to immortality. In which case, I fully expect you to share!

Despite some potentially grim outlooks for our many-times-great descendants, McAnulty mentions ways that humans can work to either mostly avoid or help mitigate some of these outcomes, including disaster preparedness, controlling CO2 emissions, and being better stewards of the planet in general. While I do love straight-up disaster books, given the target audience is middle grade, I like this more hopeful approach and the idea of leaving readers with the idea that they can work toward a better future.

- This book isn’t necessarily for the faint of heart, and I would caution those with severe anxiety. The author even includes a warning in the opening for readers going into the book. While the book itself tends not to be graphic, it does discuss a lot of negative what-if scenarios that may be highly triggering to people with severe anxiety. There are also mentions of illness and sometimes detailed (ish) descriptions of side effects from illnesses, which may not be for people whose stomach turns easily. As I said, it isn’t graphic, but it is a bit detailed. While none of this bothered me at all, I just wanted to include a general warning (as the author does, too) for anyone who may be bothered by this content!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade non-fiction is not an easy read. Not in its readability but in its topic and the author says as much in its introduction. I would not give this book to an overly anxious person but with all that being said I also wouldn't pass on this book just because you don't want to face the facts. A definite read for 6th graders and up. I appreciated her tone and the weighing of the good news with the bad as well as the sprinkling of humor here and there.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

McAnulty comes right out with the fact that this is nonfiction horror. Even as a fully grown adult, who knew most of this information goin in, seeing it all in one place was both overwhelming and gave me the creeping heebie-jeebies.

Basically any possibility of human extinction is laid out for the reader. So you have to be prepared to go far beyond your own mortality. It’s a feeling to be sure.

But she does a great job tackling the horror with frankness and humor.

My only complaint is that natural disasters (asteroids, volcanoes, viruses, dying sun) should not have been interrupted by human disasters (nuclear arrogance), and all the human stuff should have been grouped together in one pile of self-destructive ooze.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

McAnulty frames saving the planet as how to avoid extinction. She starts with an overview of previous mass extinctions. Did you know the dinosaurs weren’t wiped out until Earth’s fifth mass extinction? While including information on various threats to our existence – the sun eventually dying, the threat of nuclear war, and diseases like Covid-19 – clearly the biggest threat to mass extinction is global warming and climate change. This is non-fiction at its best – readable and funny. Hopefully this will find many readers who will take up the call for action.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humor and the Truth! Just what you need when you face climate change! Ms. McAnulty (The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl as well as the Our Universe picture books for kids) forges new territory here – telling kids truthfully all about the history of the earth and its 5 previous mass extinctions, the possibilities of humans dying from SuperVolcanos, diseases, the death of our sun and finally much more pressingly - from climate change. All the while she’s making fun plays on words, cracking silly jokes and still, telling the truth and sharing complicated science in an extraordinarily accessible way. Bravo!

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book about mass extinction and the end of the world, this is a surprisingly pleasant read. It's packed with tons of great information and makes eons of complicated earth science accessible and fascinating. It doesn't sugarcoat the dire situation we're in or the horrid things we're capable of, but it does try to maintain a hopeful tone that we could slow or stop the damage.

The text is broken up into manageable sections. Multiple formats (lists, boxes, etc.) are used to separate key points. This would be a great book for middle grades and up (plenty of adults would benefit from reading it too!) and could spark some great conversations and positive actions.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book starts off with the bleak fact that 99% of all life that has ever existed on Earth is now extinct. Yikes!! BUT…with interesting timelines and even more detailed scientific facts/graphics…the author outlines why this has happened (it’s not all Aqua Net’s fault) and what it means for humanity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as it was a quick and informative read. I literally devoured it in one sitting and would highly recommend it to any science lover! The writing is informal and easy to understand (for younger readers) and the graphics are fun, too. The fact that it's humorous AND packed full of knowledge makes it an important addition to any library!

[Wes Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Save The People! By Stacy Mcanulty was a great book. It is chock full of tons of useful information about everything that can end the world. From the extinction of the dinosaurs to the growing problem of climate change today, It contains everything you need to know about saving the people. First, the book goes back in time to the first Mass extinction, the Ordovician-Silurian extinction, where 85% of all life on earth died, all the way through the last mass extinction, the one that took out the dinosaurs. Almost all of these extinctions took place because of changes in temperature and in the gasses in the atmosphere.It then details every single possible element that could potentially wipe out humanity. Things that have happened in the past and caused mass extinctions can happen again, like asteroids, which ended the dinosaurs reign, and supervolcanoes, which have caused mass extinctions in the past. One supervolcano, the volcano that sits underneath yellowstone, could potentially erupt in the future and maybe even destroy the United States. Another possibly world ending scenario would be nuclear war, something that I am sure we all want to avoid. We just might be able to wipe humans off the face of the earth with every single one of our nukes, Which is a scary thought. It also talks about threats from space, such as CME’s or coronal mass ejections, which are supercharged solar flares that can cause power outages across the globe. The Sun is also, no matter what, going to eventually explode and even before that Earth will become hotter than most life can handle as the Sun grows. GRB’s or gamma ray bursts also pose a threat to life on Earth, except a much lesser one. GRB’s can be caused by dying stars and the supercharged gamma rays that follow might be able to destroy life on Earth. And it also talks about climate change, which is the single biggest threat to all of us right now. The biggest threat to life on Earth is a result of the carelessness of Humans. In our past we have made many animals go extinct, but if we do not stop our careless ways, humans will be the last species we kill off. Co2 and other greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere by way of cars, planes, factories, and energy plants. All these greenhouse gasses rise into the atmosphere and trap in the sun’s heat. Since pre-industrial times, we as humans have heated the world by approximately 1 degree celsius. This number will continue to grow if we do nothing to reduce our emissions, and before long, we will cross the point of no return. All of Earth’s species will die at our hands, including ourselves. And that is not something I would like to see happen. Summing it up, this was an altogether great book. It really made me much more aware of climate change than I already was and it was always engaging, with funny pictures and some fart jokes. It was truly a page turner, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to Save The People!

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information about Earth’s mass extinctions and theories on causes.

A section subtitled A Few of My Favorite Threats discussed the likelihood of asteroids, super volcanoes, bacteria & viruses, war, and more causing another mass extinction.

Global warming was addressed in an understandable way that didn’t shy away from hard truths and included a Homo Sapiens To-Do List.

Heavy subject matter was sprinkled with humor throughout. Extensive research made for a well written & informative book.

I feel we need to have honest conversations with children about global warming and what we can do to reverse it before it’s too late. This book is a good place to start. However children who have issues with anxiety or just a tendency to worry might find the information a bit much and would benefit from reading and discussing it with an adult.

[Dyl Mil]

This book was great!

It was the first non-fiction book I read in awhile (let alone the first BOOK I've read in awhile... man did it take me long to finish cuz I'm so impatient) so I was a little caught off guard when there were so many pages of glossary and sources left when I had read all the content pages. Nonetheless, this book has a LOT of content, much of which I was really eager to tell my homies about (eg. a comprehensive list of ways individuals could try not to mess up the environment), and a fun tone and sense of humour throughout.

Would recommend!

[Jacqulyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, even humorous, look at ways Earth has encountered mass extinctions through its history and how things *could* go bad for humans. While nuclear weapons and global warming are terrifying, ignoring them doesn't help protect humanity and other life on Earth. Older children and teens, the general audiences for this book, should be able to comprehend and learn from this book without being overwhelmed with technical terms and high-level detail.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I know the intended audience was young people, this book was a great read for me as a 43 year old woman trying to make sense of this crazy world and get up to date on science lessons from youth and advances in research. While the last chapter covering climate change reviews facts I'm more familiar with as a politically engaged person-- the simplification of the topic is still helpful.

[Jackie Wynkoop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy McAnulty expertly weaves humor with some pretty scary scientific facts about our planet in this nonfiction read geared for middle schoolers. I’ve loved all of Stacy’s books, and this one certainly did not disappoint. I really admire her writing style and ability to appeal to a wide range of readers. Even adults will like this one!

[Suzy Tkacik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be a book intended for kids, but it is a book every person on the planet should read! McAnulty sums up human life (and the life of planet Earth) in a thorough, hysterical, and understandable way. I was fascinated by every paragraph and the illustrations helped me comprehend the concepts as well as brought comic relief to some difficult subjects. Thank you for this, Ms. McAnulty!

[Nate Hipple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book that tackles a lot of tough topics with a sense of humor. This one will definitely circulate like mad. Unfortunately, it is a bit basic so I didn’t learn anything new from it, but I’m not the target audience and it was still fun.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes a difficult subject as engaging, accessible, and even entertaining as possible. Kids hear bits about these topics constantly through many different sources. This lays it all out with a nice presentation and explanation, answering many questions they are sure to have. Well done.

[Anna Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

13 year old me would have absolutely devoured this book. Reading it now as a 40 year old, I devoured it all the same. The author is clever and informed and made the horrifying subject matter entertaining. Do not let your kiddo read if they lean towards high anxiety.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd probably give this 3.5 stars. This is a book that is geared more towards young adults and is an encouragement around being "greener" in regards to our lives on the earth.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus or Netgalley

[Claire Wrobel]

found from SLJ list: https://afuse8production.slj.com/2022...

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting through this book because it was on the boring side. It's well written (thus the 3 stars).

[Megan Bogert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is fantastic and a must-read for anyone and everyone concerned about the future of our planet and homo sapiens.

[Patti Sabik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stacy McAnulty adds to her wonderful body of work with a snarky, humorous, and very readable nonfiction look at how creatures get lost to history and what is happening right now to render human beings extinct. I think most middle schoolers will find this a fascinating read, but I predict that our horror fiction readers will be especially impressed with this work of nonfiction.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

DEAR POTENTIAL READER,
This book is not for everyone. That's a strange thing to admit when I'm hoping to sell a million copies... p. viii

OVER THE NEXT BILLION YEARS [4.5-3.5 BILLION YEARS AGO] - LAND AHOY! Large proto-continents (meaning: early continents) slowly appeared. Earth was not longer just H20 on the surface, but the land was barren and boring. The seas weren't exactly exciting either, thought scientists have discovered fossils from simple microscopic life that existed 3.5 billion years ago. (Sadly, no one was around to jot down the exact date life began on Earth. Go figure.) p. 7 (part of a graphic timeline that describes "a very brief history" of Earth)

BRILLIANT. McAnulty combines facts with conversational humor via the genre of "nonfiction horror" to describe previous mass extinctions and then current issues related to climate change. Thorughout the book, McAnulty and Miles, the illustrator, support readers by making comparisons to everyday objects, concepts, places. Miles' art and graphics are spot on, nurturing understanding of complicated concepts.

The background knowledge readers develop as they read McAnulty's descriptions of the previous mass extinctions really, really helps readers understand what is happening now and the possible impact we may be facing. I'm amazed at all the very dry books on climate change there are out there. In Save the People, McAnulty smartly and quickly draws readers in and then sustains their interest as she delves into some complicated topics.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND FOR 5th grade and up.

BOOK TALK TIP: Just read aloud the "Dear Potential Reader" letter on pages viii-ix (page and half)!