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Global Warming

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Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon gives you a full-color photographic introduction to the causes and effects of global warming and climate change. Earth's climate has always varied, but it is now changing more rapidly than at any other time in recent centuries. The climate is very complex, and many factors play important roles in determining how it changes. Why is the climate changing? Could Earth be getting warmer by itself? Are people doing things that make the climate warmer? Supports the Common Core State Standards

32 pages, Library Binding

First published February 23, 2010

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About the author

Seymour Simon

323 books127 followers
Seymour Simon, whom the NY Times called "the dean of [children's science:] writers," is the author of more than 250 highly acclaimed science books (many of which have been named Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children by the National Science Teachers Association).

Seymour Simon uses his website, SeymourSimon.com, to provide free downloads of a wealth of materials for educators, homeschoolers and parents to use with his books, including 4-page Teacher Guides for all 26 of his Collins/Smithsonian photo essay books. The site provides multiple resources for kids writing book reports or wanting to explore the online Science Dictionary, and also features the Seymour Science blog highlighting current science news. Educators and families are encouraged to sign up to receive the monthly newsletter from SeymourSimon.com to stay abreast of the latest materials that Seymour Simon is introducing to enrich the reading experience.

He taught science and creative writing in elementary and secondary schools and was chair of the science department at a junior high school in the New York City public school system before leaving to become a full-time writer. "I haven't really given up teaching," he says, "and I suppose I never will, not as long as I keep writing and talking to kids around the country and the world."

Seymour Simon is also a creator and the author of a series of 3D books and a series of Glow-in-the-Dark Books for Scholastic Book Clubs, a series of leveled SEEMORE READERS for Chronicle Books, and the EINSTEIN ANDERSON, SCIENCE DETECTIVE series of fiction books. His books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and by making science fun. He has introduced tens of millions of children to a staggering array of subjects; one prominent science education specialist described Simon's books as "extraordinary examples of expository prose."

Seymour Simon has been honored with many awards for his work, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature; the New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature; the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library for his contribution to children's science literature; The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction; the Jeremiah Ludington Award for his outstanding contribution to children's nonfiction; the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people; and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Forum on Children's Science Books.

In a recent interview Simon was asked if he ever thinks of retiring. "I seem to be working faster and harder than ever. I absolutely don't feel any urge to sit back and look at what I've done. The only things that I'm thinking about are things I'd like to do in the future. I'm planning and doing and continuing to write. It's what I love to do. I remember a story about an anthropologist going to talk to a tribe and he asked them what was their word for "work." Their response was they have no word for work. Everybody does the things that they do in their life. I love that response. I don't differentiate between work and play. Everything I do is something that I enjoy doing - the writing, the research and everything else."

Seymour Simon writes and photographs nature from his hilltop home in Columbia County in upstate New York, where he lives with his wife Liz Nealon.

You can follow Seymour on Facebook and on Twitter, as well as on his website, which offers free, downloadable Teacher Guides to his books for educators, parents and homeschoolers, as well as the popular Seymour Science Daily Blo

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Manybooks.
3,835 reviews100 followers
October 26, 2023
Located and perused on Open Library, the publication date of 2010 for Global Warming of course also and naturally means that there is some to be expected datedness to be taken into account with regard to the climate change facts and data encountered in Seymour Simon’s presented text. But yes indeed, with non fiction and in particular with regard to science non fiction, this is bien sûr also the proverbial nature of the academic beast so to speak and can in fact only be mitigated and/or even avoided if one would actively and deliberately refuse to read, to take into consideration any science and technology based non fiction tomes with publication dates prior to say 2018 or so.

But be that as it may (and I actually do rather think that an updated for 2021 edition of Global Warming would be beneficial, since recently, the global mean temperatures have been setting increasingly problematic and frightening heat records, with more and more of the Arctic and Antarctic “permanent” ice covers, as well as many mountain glaciers both steadily and equally much too rapidly melting, not to mention the increasing occurrence of extreme weather scenarios) I have definitely found Seymour Simon’s introduction to global warming and climate change both enlighteningly informative and also penned in a straightforward, non overly scientific jargon heavy manner, leaving Global Warming as a nicely balanced (read non extreme and radicalised) account for older children from about the age of seven onwards (with the accompanying photographs providing an aesthetically realistic visual mirror to and for Seymour Simon’s printed words and me especially both enjoying and appreciating that the author also provides non cynical hope to and for his young readers/listeners as well as concrete and practical suggestions for reducing one’s individual carbon footprint).

And thankfully, appreciatively, Global Warming is also neither denying that the increased greenhouse effect and resulting ever higher average global temperatures are more than likely and primarily happening due to human engendered pollution, over population, increased trash piling up both on land and in the oceans, more and more travelling etc. nor claiming that ALL global warming is caused by us, with Seymour Simon pretty clearly and succinctly showing that some of the recent world-wide warming trends might also be naturally occurring but that the rate of the increase in global temperatures more than likely signifies and means a dangerous and rapidly reaching levels of no return combination of naturally and human caused and perhaps even irreversible climate change (if no decisive and globally collective action to reduce pollution and the like is not taken). Four stars for Global Warming, since the 2010 publication date does not really change the fact that Seymour Simon’s text is replete with information and does indeed provide a more than adequate introduction to climate change and one which also stays delightfully in the middle and is not ever annoyingly one sided either to the left or to the right, and with the included websites also providing a decent general start-up bibliography (although for me to be ranking Global Warming with five stars, the list of suggestions for further study and research would need to be considerably longer and to also include both websites and actual book titles).
22 reviews
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December 4, 2016
Title: Global Warming
Author: Seymour Simon
Illustrator: NA
Genre: photo essay
Theme(s): global warming, environment, nature, storms, oceans
Opening line/sentence: “Thousands of years ago, large parts of the land mass on Earth were covered by ice.”

Brief Book Summary: Global Warming explains what this problem with climate change is and why this problem is happening on Earth. This photo essay also goes into explaining what will happen if global warming continues to get worse. This photo essay ends by giving the people reading ways to help reduce this problem.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D. (Children's Literature) What exactly is global warming? What can you do to save the environment? Award-winning science writer, Seymour Simon, has written another outstanding volume in the Smithsonian series. Since the end of the last ice age, 11,000 years ago, the Earth has become warmer. In recent decades, there has been a dramatic rise in temperature. Why is the climate changing? Global warming is happening because of the greenhouse effect: heat is being trapped near the ground by carbon dioxide, water vapor, and greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. People cause global warming by cutting down trees, driving cars and trucks, and burning coal and oil. There is thirty percent more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than 150 years ago and every year the Arctic Ocean ice shrinks in size and depth. Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting. At the end of this book, the author provides guidelines for what nations, families, and individuals can do on a daily basis to halt rapid global warming. In this informative and well-written book, Seymour Simon takes readers on a journey through the root causes of global warming and provides practical tips for how young people can make a difference in the world.

Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 15, 2010 (Vol. 78, No. 2)) Striking a cautious tone and noting that the Earth has been both warmer and colder in its past, Simon nonetheless suggests that current signs hint at an uncommonly rapid shift in global climate possibly due to more than just human factors but nonetheless likely to cause disastrous near-future consequences. Though his moderation makes a refreshing change from the many strident calls to action clamoring for attention, it comes in a text that could use updating ("Greenland's enormous ice sheet will begin to melt") accompanied by generic photos of floods, lightning, smiling schoolchildren and autumn foliage that are at best only indirectly related to the topic at hand. Simon's huge (and deserved) fan base will ensure a wide readership for this clearly presented overview of the topic, but it has a slapdash feel and is not his best work.

Response to Two Professional Reviews: Although I think this photo essay is well written and informative, I do not agree with how Henshon believes this book is good for a young reader. The facts in this book are very heavy with a lot of detail and for a child trying to understand global warming I think they go into too much depth for them to be able to actually grasp; this book might be better suited for a middle school student. I do appreciate her glorification of the guidelines provided for families, nations and individuals, I think that this is a great talking point for a class to better understand how they can help. I agree with Kirkus when they note that this photographic essay could use some updating; there are a few parts with dates that could give an updated version for students to better understand what is going on now and how things have continued to change.

Evaluation of Literary Elements: This photo essay simply states fact after fact and becomes very hard to follow especially for an elementary school student. The plot revolves around global warming, but there is not much of a story to follow. This photo essay uses real photographs that could potentially get the children more engaged and evoke empathy allowing the children to better understand and relate to the problem at hand; otherwise it may be hard for the children reading or listening to relate because a lot discussed does not take place in neighborhoods like their own. Two things that I really liked and would utilize are the glossary and index the author provided in the back of the book; this would allow students to break down and better understand what the author is explaining on top of learning new vocabulary words.

Consideration of Instructional Application: The activity I would do with this photo essay would be teaching students about protecting the environment. Although children in younger grades might not completely understand what the concept of global warming is, we can discuss the importance of protecting our Earth. As a class we could brainstorm different and easy ways to protect our Earth, like recycling and turning off the lights when we are not in a room; we could use the examples in the book to guide us. After brainstorming, we could do this as a classroom project to promote protecting the Earth in our school.
Profile Image for Lauren Ritcey.
40 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2013
Genre: Non-Fiction
Awards:
Grade Level:3-4,5-6
Comments: I would use this book to talk to the kids about global warming during a science unit. I loved how this story gave such detail, but such a nice story with it. It would really show the kids what is going on the world right now, and how it compares to hundreds of years ago. The comparisons of the worlds would really promote a discussion with the students on how they feel about the issue. It can also get the kids to begin discussing what they feel they can do to help the planet one step at a time.
Profile Image for Raz Godelnik.
13 reviews32 followers
April 3, 2010
Global Warming

Author: Seymour Simon

Seymour Simon has been called "the dean of the [children's science book:] field" by the New York Times. He has written more than 250 books for young readers and is the recipient of the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books, the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people, and the Educational Paperback Association Jeremiah Ludington Award. He is also the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's/Subaru Lifetime Achievement Award for his lasting contribution to children's science literature. Mr. Simon lives in Great Neck, New York.

Publisher: Collins

Published on: February 2010

Ages: 5-9

What this book is about? (from the publisher's website)

Earth's climate has always varied, but it is now changing more rapidly than at any other time in recent centuries. The climate is very complex, and many factors play important roles in determining how it changes.

Why is the climate changing? Could Earth be getting warmer by itself? Are people doing things that make the climate warmer?

Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon teams up with the Smithsonian Institution to give you a full-color photographic introduction to the causes and effects of global warming and climate change.
What we think about it?
Simon's book is indeed a comprehensive introduction to global warming, sort of 'An Inconvenient Truth' for children if you like. But not for them - even though this book is aimed at children in the ages of 5-9, I know many adults who will find it very useful, starting with Senator James Inhofe, Glenn Beck and other climate skeptics who might had trouble understanding Al Gore's presentation.

Simon is really doing the best he can to present a complicated issue in a simple way without compromising on depth or details. I find the result very satisfying, given this challenging task. An important part of the book that helps readers to digest the data are the beautiful photographs that you find on each and every page. These photos are really making the book and I'm sure they'll help children better understand its messages.

And yes, it has some messages. It's not just describing the causes and effects of global warming, but also providing some good advice about what can be done on the national and family levels, so children can get ideas on how to translate the information they just received into action (or at least asking mom and dad to do the right things).

Bottom Line: In times where the scientific base of global warming is being attacked again and again, this book is providing a great deal of clarity for both children and their parents. Recommended!

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This review was originally published on Eco-Libris blog (http://ecolibris.blogspot.com/2010/04...)
Profile Image for Becky.
154 reviews
August 20, 2013
Seymour Simon writes his book in simple language, making it accessible to young children. He describes global warming in detail, providing a balanced point of view. Although Simon attributes most of global warming to humans, he says that "Earth's climate is very complex, and many factors play important roles in determining how the climate changes" (9). Using statistics and discussing weather patterns throughout history shows readers how to draw on facts for scientific research and conclusions.

The layout of the book is inviting with full page illustrations nicely complementing the book's content. Before and after pictures of glaciers and the coral reef illustrate the effects of global warming. Brightly colored pictures of nature show young readers the beauty of the world around us while pictures of flooding and natural disaster impart a sense of urgency to the reader.

By ending the book with practical ways to slow down global warming, Simon gives readers a sense of hope. One piece of advice is "taking short showers uses less energy than long showers" (28). Another is "turning off electric appliances and lights when they are not being used" (29).

On the last page of the book, there is a glossary, index, and list of websites. By collaborating with the Smithsonian who is "an international leader in scientific research and exploration", Seymour solidifies his credibility for writing scientific informational books.
Profile Image for Christine Clayton.
16 reviews4 followers
June 19, 2014
Twin Text: Ivy & Bean: What’s the Big Idea? By Annie Barrows, copyright 2010.

Rationale: I really enjoyed this nonfiction selection about global warming. I felt it gave a well rounded explanation showing the necessity of action without being scary for younger children. I choose this Ivy & Bean book as the fiction book in my twin set because it has the characters being involved in a science fair and their project has to do with global warming, the same topic as the non-fiction book. I felt that both of the books had similar reading levels and could be read independently by the students.

Text Structure: Cause and Effect; Problem and Solution

Strategy Application: I would use the RAN strategy for this twin text. In the Ivy and Bean story many outlandish experiments to ease global warming are tried. There are also several misconceptions in society concerning global warming, so I really like the fact that the information must be confirmed in the RAN strategy. I think that this will give the students a more factual picture of the topic.

Book Review Citation: (2010, March 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint.com.leo.lib.u...#
19 reviews
October 13, 2013
Seymour Simon always does a great job of illustrating science. I even learned some new things from this book. There was a lot of information on the effect of global warming on our planets water. Both how the oceans could increase, while the polar regions decrease, and areas of land become deserts. My 8th graders do a research project on the effect natural and unnatural phenomenon have on Earth's systems. Last year, a student focused on ice shelf disintegration. We had a difficult time finding text to support her and topic. This book would have been perfect! Hopefully someone will pick that topic this year.
25 reviews
April 18, 2012
It's a challenging read, but a good start to scaring kids into being more environmentally friendly. The pictures are awesome, very shocking. I would read this to 5th or 6th graders as a science and critical literacy piece. I think this book, if read very carefully, can be a great educator. They can learn the science of what is happening, and then devise a project that can help the earth or counteract global warming in some way. It also suggests things they can do at home and with their families to slow down climate change. It also has a glossary for those extra big words!
52 reviews
October 17, 2013
Global Warming was a very detailed book. It was describing the greenhouse effect, and how our planet is being destroyed by humans. This book was kind of long and tiresome. By the age of 12, children will be able to read this book and have an understanding. At the very end, it gave ways to help save our climate. Global Warming would be a great introduction to a sixth grade science class.
2,017 reviews20 followers
April 18, 2015
This is a solid addition to the Seymour Simon collection. He has a knack for taking complicated concepts and making them understandable for primary students. I love the updated versions of his books through the Smithsonian because they include a glossary and a list of suggested resources for further information.
Profile Image for Eun.
77 reviews
August 27, 2016
비소설과 정보책에 대해 관심을 갖고 봤던 책입니다.
시무어 사이몬은 어린이를 위한 정보책 지은이로 유명하지요.
그리고 박물관으로 잘 알려진 스미소니언이 함께 만들었습니다.
글로벌워밍은 이렇게 만들어진 시리즈물 중에 하나입니다.
시리즈는 지진, 우주, 심장, 뇌 등 여러 다양한 주제를 포함하고 있습니다.

짧은 책이지만 색인과 용어 사전이 포함되어 있어요.
지구 온난화가 무엇이며 어떤 변화를 일으키고 있는지.
그리고 개개인으로써 우리는 무엇을 할 수 있는지,
핵심적인 내용을 알아듣기 쉽게 전달합니다.

삽화가 아닌 전문가의 사진으로 구성되어있는데
Grinnell and Salamander 빙하를 담은 비교 사진이 인상적입니다.
1957년에 찍은 사진에는 얼음이 풍성한데,
2004년의 사진에서 보면 얼음이 다 녹아내렸습니다.
또한 살아있는 산호초와 죽어서 하얗게 변해버린 산호초의 사진을 보면 섬뜩하고
자연의 스케일에 숙연해집니다.
Profile Image for Dustin Nguyen.
15 reviews1 follower
May 18, 2017
The book discusses the dangers and causes of global warming. However, I found it to be very unorganized and sometimes condescending. There was not much I have learned from this book as I already knew about global warming prior. But this book may be a stepping stone to one who is curious of global warming
2,261 reviews25 followers
January 26, 2014
I wanted to read another book about global warming, so I picked this one out of a list of over 350 from the local library, only to find out when I got it that it is a children's book! But it was worthwhile and informative as well as quick reading.
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