Brilliant!: Shining a light on sustainable energy

by Michelle Mulder

Overview

Did you know that cars can run on french-fry grease or that human poop can be used to provide power to classrooms?

Brilliant! is about what happens when you harness the power of imagination and innovation: the world changes for the better! Kids in Mexico help light up their houses by playing soccer, and in the Philippines, pop-bottle skylights are improving the quality of life for thousands of families. Full of examples of unusual (and often peculiar) power sources, Brilliant! encourages kids to look around for new and sustainable ways to light up the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459805200
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2015
Series:	Orca Footprints Series , #3
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Michelle Mulder is the founding author of and has written numerous titles in the Orca Footprints series including Pedal It!, Every Last Drop, Trash Talk and Home Sweet Neighborhood. They have also written several works of fiction including The Vegetable Museum and Not a Chance. Michelle lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: From Sparks to Zap: the Story of Energy

• Let’s Hear It for the Sun!
• Fire (Hurray!)
• Put Some Muscle Into It
• Huff and Puff
• Water Works
• Full Steam Ahead!
• Getting a Move On
• Electrifying
• Fueling Up

Chapter Two: What Makes it Go?

• How on Earth…?
• How to Make a Fossil Fuel
• Hot Stuff!
• Cool Solutions

Chapter Three: flying on a french fry!

• Grow, Grow, Grow Your Fuel
• Pond Scum in Your Tank
• Fast Fast Food
• The Little Fungus That Could
• The Scoop on Poop
• Muscle Power and Elbow Grease

Chapter Four: Flicking the Switch

• Have a Powerful Day
• Plop! Sizzle!
• Bright Ideas
• Bananas on Ice
• Hang On to Your Hat
• Wave and Smile
• The Power of Play
• Meanwhile, in the Living Room
• Zooming Ahead

Resources
Acknowledgments
Index

Editorial Reviews

"A great addition to an elementary library as an excellent resource for students learning about sustainable energy sources."

Resource Links

"These are books that should be in classrooms everywhere. They are brilliantly designed and truly informative for children wanting to know more about the footprints we leave in our world...As has been the case with the previous books in this series, the illustrations and clear photographs give essential meaning to the text. The 'Power Lines' and 'Energy Facts' boxes add personal observations and humor, as well as much needed information. Get it for your classroom, your library, or your home to provide food for thought and action! Put on your own thinking cap, and try to visualize new ways to improve life on our planet."

Sal's Fiction Addiction blog

"A high interest book dealing with the topic of alternative sustainable energy sources. The information is all presented in an easy to read narrative format."

Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group

"Mulder investigates our energy dependence and explains other environmentally friendly possibilities in a fun, exciting, and optimistic manner...Clear language and catchy wordplay in the sub-headings help make the science behind energy accessible...[Mulder's] passion for environmentalism is obvious and her enthusiasm contagious. Brilliant! will spark the interest of many future innovators who can and will change the world."

Quill & Quire

"A book that combines history and science to teach children about sustainable sources of energy...Lots
of pictures and personal vignettes lighten up its tone and deliver a powerful message: finding new, sustainable ways to harness energy is not only possible but can be incredibly fun...Mulder’s passion for sustainability is contagious and this is a good book to have a conversation with your children about ways to change the world."

Eco Parent Magazine

"Teeming with creative innovations from around the globe...The illustrations and colour photos enhance the text, and the ‘Energy Facts’ and ‘Power Lines’ sections fill the spaces and create more energy themselves!...An informative, entertaining and electrifying addition to the Orca Footprints series. This energetic book is a must-have for any school library. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"A terrific informational book for students to learn about sustainable energy sources in the world. It has beautiful photographs and is packed with information that students can learn. It will also help students learn about other parts of the world that they may not know about as it is a book about global energy. Wonderful book. Highly Recommended."

Tucson Unified School District

"Mulder presents an objective, positive approach to teaching young people about traditional, non-renewable sources of energy, and also about looking for alternative sources of renewable energy, sometimes in unexpected places...An excellent choice for introducing children to the variety of energy sources available today and to the complexities of the energy discussion."

Library Media Connection

"Environmental problems are treated as exciting opportunities for ingenuity, rather than a scary future menace. Geothermal heat, wind, hydroelectric power, and the sun are all discussed as potential alternate sources of energy, but biofuel is given the most attention. More cutting-edge approaches, such as burning human waste or creating energy through play, encourage kids to look for solutions in unexpected places."

Booklist

"Brilliant! takes not only a tour around the world, but a journey through time…This book is accessible to all students and, more importantly, everyone can find themselves represented in some way. The diversity of ideas and uses being presented will open the eyes of any reader and challenge them to think differently about every single resource they use and the endless possibilities of what may come. Enjoy the journey!"

ETFO Voice

"Environmental problems are treated as exciting opportunities for ingenuity, rather than a scary future menace. Geothermal heat, wind, hydroelectric power, and the sun are all discussed as potential alternate sources of energy, but biofuel is given the most attention. More cutting-edge approaches, such as burning human waste or creating energy through play, encourage kids to look for solutions in unexpected places."

Booklist