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Global Warning: A Middle Grade Adventure of Friendship, Constitutional Activism, and Fighting Climate Change for Kids
A group of 12-year-old friends concerned about climate change proposes a new way to save the earth: amending the U.S. Constitution. Their project propels these activists on an amazing journey across America-and all the way to Norway--with plenty of outside-the-box hijinks and civil disobedience, as they work to save the planet and their futures on it.
For sixth grader Sam Warren and his friends Catalina, Alistair, Jaesang, and Zoe, the effects of climate change are too pressing to ignore. Adults don't seem to be up to the challenge of taking action to make real change, but kids know it's their futures on the line. If their parents, teachers, and government officials won't step up well, then, they will!
And these young people will stop at nothing to save the planet and their futures on it. With a little help from a retired kids' rights lawyer and a grandma who knows how to march, they are ready to think big: Constitutional amendment big. But can a bunch of 12-year-olds really draft an amendment that protects the planet, get it to pass in Congress, and change enough hearts and minds across the country to get it ratified before the clock runs out?
Steve Frank crafts another funny and fast-paced story of heightened-reality wish-fulfillment, loaded with the witty patter of smart kids, in this book that reads like Aaron Sorkin for middle grade and plumbs the complexities of the Constitution and the critical turning point of global climate change.
For sixth grader Sam Warren and his friends Catalina, Alistair, Jaesang, and Zoe, the effects of climate change are too pressing to ignore. Adults don't seem to be up to the challenge of taking action to make real change, but kids know it's their futures on the line. If their parents, teachers, and government officials won't step up well, then, they will!
And these young people will stop at nothing to save the planet and their futures on it. With a little help from a retired kids' rights lawyer and a grandma who knows how to march, they are ready to think big: Constitutional amendment big. But can a bunch of 12-year-olds really draft an amendment that protects the planet, get it to pass in Congress, and change enough hearts and minds across the country to get it ratified before the clock runs out?
Steve Frank crafts another funny and fast-paced story of heightened-reality wish-fulfillment, loaded with the witty patter of smart kids, in this book that reads like Aaron Sorkin for middle grade and plumbs the complexities of the Constitution and the critical turning point of global climate change.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published March 21, 2023
2651 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 3, 2024
Last year, I learned about a new genre. It's called climate fiction or cli-fi for short. This book about Sam and his friends who decide to go before the United States Congress to propose the addition of an amendment to protect the environment for the benefit and future of mankind is exactly that. Will this group of teens succeed in proposing and adding an amendment to the United States Constitution? Find out in this book which is also a great civics lesson.
Along with young environmentalists and activists, thisi book which is companion/sequel to Class Action (which was about the Supreme Court) is great for any tween or teen who is fascinated by how the United States government works or wants to learn more about it.
Along with young environmentalists and activists, thisi book which is companion/sequel to Class Action (which was about the Supreme Court) is great for any tween or teen who is fascinated by how the United States government works or wants to learn more about it.
January 20, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this sequel to Class Action, we return to the world of middle grade oriented legal disputes, this time with more serious concerns. Sam is settling back into a routine and getting used to the fact that Mr. Kalman has moved to the NoHo senior living facility and his sister Sadie is off at college. Catalina and Jaesang are still around, and Alistair, while he's not busy cooking, is terribly worried about the environment. While visiting Mr. Kalman at NoHo, Sam meets Zoe, whose parents have passed away, so she's living with her grandmother. NoHo is a hopping place, and Mr. Kalman, reinvigorated by his reentry into law and politics, convinces Sam and the rest that they can use their notoriety to try to put through a court case suing the government for the problems in the environment. Since Alistair has a bit of a crush on Greta Thunberg, it's not hard to get everyone on board. Soon, they are traveling to Washington, getting legislation started, and even going to Norway. There, they attempt to take the international seed bank hostage in order to have the leverage to get their bill passed in the US. The group also works on every day things they can do to save the planet. Will it be enough?
Strengths: I love that there is a good amount of description about the fate of the ERA, although it broke my heart that there was a grandmother in a senior facility still wearing an ERA ball cap! Most middle school students have no idea what that is. Mr. Kalman really comes into his own in this book, really leading the charge and pushing the kids to take legal action. Sam is a character who struggles a bit with anxiety, but has coping mechanisms (an app on his phone, breathing exercises, etc.) and powers through his negative thoughts, which I would like to see in more #MGLit. This was sort of the legally motivated equivalent to Ben Ripley's antics in Gibbs' Spy School books.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of details about the science and legal ramifications of climate change that, combined with the number of characters, occasionally made the story hard to follow. I was also a little personally uncomfortable with the seed bank plot.
What I really think: It's good to see a growing number of books investigating environmental issues, like Gratz' Two Degrees, Firestone's The First Rule of Climate Club, Dee's Haven Jacob's Saves the Planet, Dimopoulos' Turn the Tide, and Guillory's Nowhere Better Than Here, and Global Warning certainly has a lot of legal information that budding lawyers will find interesting. It's one of those stories that I would totally have believed as a twelve year old, but which gives me pause as an adult, in the same way that Class Action did. I applaud Mr. Frank for being able to stay true to the middle school mind set more than I have been able! (He's a middle school teacher, which always gives a fresh perspective to middle grade novels.)
In this sequel to Class Action, we return to the world of middle grade oriented legal disputes, this time with more serious concerns. Sam is settling back into a routine and getting used to the fact that Mr. Kalman has moved to the NoHo senior living facility and his sister Sadie is off at college. Catalina and Jaesang are still around, and Alistair, while he's not busy cooking, is terribly worried about the environment. While visiting Mr. Kalman at NoHo, Sam meets Zoe, whose parents have passed away, so she's living with her grandmother. NoHo is a hopping place, and Mr. Kalman, reinvigorated by his reentry into law and politics, convinces Sam and the rest that they can use their notoriety to try to put through a court case suing the government for the problems in the environment. Since Alistair has a bit of a crush on Greta Thunberg, it's not hard to get everyone on board. Soon, they are traveling to Washington, getting legislation started, and even going to Norway. There, they attempt to take the international seed bank hostage in order to have the leverage to get their bill passed in the US. The group also works on every day things they can do to save the planet. Will it be enough?
Strengths: I love that there is a good amount of description about the fate of the ERA, although it broke my heart that there was a grandmother in a senior facility still wearing an ERA ball cap! Most middle school students have no idea what that is. Mr. Kalman really comes into his own in this book, really leading the charge and pushing the kids to take legal action. Sam is a character who struggles a bit with anxiety, but has coping mechanisms (an app on his phone, breathing exercises, etc.) and powers through his negative thoughts, which I would like to see in more #MGLit. This was sort of the legally motivated equivalent to Ben Ripley's antics in Gibbs' Spy School books.
Weaknesses: There were a lot of details about the science and legal ramifications of climate change that, combined with the number of characters, occasionally made the story hard to follow. I was also a little personally uncomfortable with the seed bank plot.
What I really think: It's good to see a growing number of books investigating environmental issues, like Gratz' Two Degrees, Firestone's The First Rule of Climate Club, Dee's Haven Jacob's Saves the Planet, Dimopoulos' Turn the Tide, and Guillory's Nowhere Better Than Here, and Global Warning certainly has a lot of legal information that budding lawyers will find interesting. It's one of those stories that I would totally have believed as a twelve year old, but which gives me pause as an adult, in the same way that Class Action did. I applaud Mr. Frank for being able to stay true to the middle school mind set more than I have been able! (He's a middle school teacher, which always gives a fresh perspective to middle grade novels.)
July 3, 2023
the idea of this book was so much better than the execution. i like that it had a lot of real facts about climate change and real examples of climate action, but everything in the actual plot didn’t make any sense logistically, with visiting congress and the seed bank plot and the constitutional amendment - i almost felt like it was giving false hope and making this stuff seem easy, because it all went so smoothly in the book. i did think parts of it were very funny, especially the just barely fake names for politicians and the master chef junior plot
March 20, 2023
Sam Warren, the character I loved so much in Class Action, is back with his crew of thoughtful, sensitive, and hilarious middle school friends. This time, instead of taking on the onslaught of homework they received in sixth grade, they're seventh graders standing up for the planet.
The opening pages of this book had my heart beating just as fast as protagonist Sam's as Steven B. Frank sums up the sad state of the climate crisis. But my anxiety soon turned to cautious hope as the kids came up with a plan to convince the grown-ups to actually do something--in this case, to amend the constitution so as to protect the futures of our planet and our youngest citizens.
I breezed through this book, unable to walk away from its characters who are so full of humor and of heart. I can only hope that Sam's crew will be back again in their eighth grade year to fight for another compelling cause.
Global Warning will inspire a new generation of activists to intervene in the climate crisis, the most pressing issue of our time. Every classroom, library, or home with a middle schooler needs a copy of this book.
The opening pages of this book had my heart beating just as fast as protagonist Sam's as Steven B. Frank sums up the sad state of the climate crisis. But my anxiety soon turned to cautious hope as the kids came up with a plan to convince the grown-ups to actually do something--in this case, to amend the constitution so as to protect the futures of our planet and our youngest citizens.
I breezed through this book, unable to walk away from its characters who are so full of humor and of heart. I can only hope that Sam's crew will be back again in their eighth grade year to fight for another compelling cause.
Global Warning will inspire a new generation of activists to intervene in the climate crisis, the most pressing issue of our time. Every classroom, library, or home with a middle schooler needs a copy of this book.
June 6, 2023
Funniest part were the fake yet transparent names given to the congresspeople. Best part was Greta Thunberg stating her Asperger’s syndrome is a superpower. I wish the amendment stated in the book could be ratified. And I wish Catalina had been better developed. Again, I am rounding up. Children should not risk getting in trouble with the law in order to make our planet a healthier place for everyone- that is the one thing I did not like about the book. I did like the appendix explaining all the amendments- especially useful for immigrants or ESL students not very familiar with the US Constitution.
November 26, 2025
This book is about a group of kids that decided to try to add an amendment to the us constitution that will stop climate change a stable climate being necessary for the survival of life on earth the right of the people to inhabit a planet free from pollution and unnatural warning shall not be infringed (the amendment
with the help of there lawyer neighbor Sam and his friends take the amendment all the way to the stage where states have to vote they need 36 votes to win the last state left is West Virginia a state big on coal but also big on wildlife what will they choose aye or nay
with the help of there lawyer neighbor Sam and his friends take the amendment all the way to the stage where states have to vote they need 36 votes to win the last state left is West Virginia a state big on coal but also big on wildlife what will they choose aye or nay
July 27, 2023
Over the top. It was like they had a list of things they wanted to cram into the book that they were checking off at times. Unrealistic story overall, but could still be a fair conversation starter for some important topics and motivate readers to become more politically active. I’m sure there are better books out there for kids interested in making good trouble, but I did learn some history!
August 10, 2023
The premise of this book is great - kids taking action- doing research and working together towards legal action.
The reason I gave it only 2 stars was it was very usa oriented and detailed with a few mentions of Sweden & Greta so I’m not seeing how kids outside of the USA
It’s also very optimistic about how easily all this will unfold.
The reason I gave it only 2 stars was it was very usa oriented and detailed with a few mentions of Sweden & Greta so I’m not seeing how kids outside of the USA
It’s also very optimistic about how easily all this will unfold.
January 19, 2024
Hugely unrealistic, possibly inaccurate about some things, but this is a fun romp! Don't we need a fun, encouraging romp about how to reverse climate change? I think we all do. Besides, this is fiction, right? For kids. If it helps them dream of solutions, it has done its job. Give this book to as many kids as you can.
April 19, 2023
While far-fetched in most of its events, it is a nice introduction for students on constitutional rights, amendments, legislature, and will likely inspire children who have a care about our planet.
June 23, 2023
While I liked the informative parts discussing how laws and amendments are put together, the way the students went about what they did made this book that I cannot recommend to my students.
July 12, 2023
Global Warning
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ :halfstar:(3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 7
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ :halfstar:(3.5/5) or 7.28/10 overall
Characters - 6
Atmosphere - 7
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 7
January 5, 2023
Answer: No, they can't.
Because in the time that it's taken to read the synopsis, China has already built yet another coal fired power plant. One of thousands. Compared to our scant hundred. A constitutional amendment -- even one that would prohibit any entity on US soil from ever using our abundant supplies of clean burning natural gas, or even coal, and would make us beholden to pixie dust and unicorn pee for fuel -- would do nothing to reduce the earth's temperature.
How do I know this? Ah. Just now China built yet ANOTHER coal plant. They laugh as we bankrupt ourselves buying Chinese-made solar panels and windmills and tying ourselves to their materials so they can extort more later. They also use the money we pay them to build new aircraft carriers and nuclear-tipped ICBM's to destabilize the world and kill us.
Sorry, kids. Sometimes it takes an adult to tell the truth.
You have to live, if you want to save the earth. Start by getting your energy at home instead of buying it from dictatorships all over the world and burning fuel to get it here. Preferably, just thinking out loud, maybe build a pipeline so the fuels could be sent with no carbon footprint at all. And, yes, obviously continue to research solar and wind and other methods of renewable power. Fund that research onshore, and fairly, not as a handout to political cronies. By no means do you paint yourself into a corner by putting the heavy boot of the government on the scale and locking us in to a solution sold only by people who don't care anything about the earth besides conquering it.
Because in the time that it's taken to read the synopsis, China has already built yet another coal fired power plant. One of thousands. Compared to our scant hundred. A constitutional amendment -- even one that would prohibit any entity on US soil from ever using our abundant supplies of clean burning natural gas, or even coal, and would make us beholden to pixie dust and unicorn pee for fuel -- would do nothing to reduce the earth's temperature.
How do I know this? Ah. Just now China built yet ANOTHER coal plant. They laugh as we bankrupt ourselves buying Chinese-made solar panels and windmills and tying ourselves to their materials so they can extort more later. They also use the money we pay them to build new aircraft carriers and nuclear-tipped ICBM's to destabilize the world and kill us.
Sorry, kids. Sometimes it takes an adult to tell the truth.
You have to live, if you want to save the earth. Start by getting your energy at home instead of buying it from dictatorships all over the world and burning fuel to get it here. Preferably, just thinking out loud, maybe build a pipeline so the fuels could be sent with no carbon footprint at all. And, yes, obviously continue to research solar and wind and other methods of renewable power. Fund that research onshore, and fairly, not as a handout to political cronies. By no means do you paint yourself into a corner by putting the heavy boot of the government on the scale and locking us in to a solution sold only by people who don't care anything about the earth besides conquering it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews