"So many fail because they don't get started -- they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin." (W. Clement Stone)
It's hard to accept what's happening to change Earth -- the pollution, the rising temperatures, the harm to creatures and places we always assumed would be around.
But it's also difficult to see how any one of us has the power to stop these bad things from happening. The problems are so big and complex, we ask ourselves, "Will our actions to help clean things up ever amount to enough?"
Experts say, absolutely. If we all do something for Earth every day, then soon we'll be doing it together, and the power of one action will multiply. But how do we motivate ourselves to believe this too and change the patterns we live by?
Perhaps we just have to act as if every action matters, even if we have nothing immediate to show for it and are unsure of what we can accomplish. The late writer-editor Dorothea Brande said, "All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail."
As Earth Day approaches, I've gathered 10 books, most new, a few older, that help kids do just this: try to change the world in anyway they can. They inspire children to care about what happens, think through the problems we face and recognize that even the smallest act of conservation can go a long way.
Each of the books below offers a gentle message. The first two are poignant, showing some of the problems we face, but with hope and sometimes humor. The next three are exploratory and do a great job explaining global warming and solar energy, while the last five are motivational and convey how far-reaching one action can be.
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