Change is in the air. Power outages are increasing, and gas prices are soaring. At first, 12-year-old Luz balks, hardly thrilled by the prospect of actually having to walk to the mall. But Luz doesn't mope for long. After all, her name -- pronounced "loose" -- means "light." Soon, this intelligent and spirited chica begins to understand that she must change with the times. As food prices rise, Luz decides to help create a more self-sustainable community by transforming a run-down city lot into a garden where she and her neighbors can grow their own fruits and vegetables. But when she solicits help from her friends -- boy-crazy Anika and computer-whiz Robby -- they think she's a little loco. Luz pedals her idea on the street, but the community is equally dismissive. Can Luz pull off her plan and help change her world alone? This graphic novel is a kid-friendly take on sustainable living in a fossil fuel?dependent world. Preteens will love the fearless, fiery and resourceful heroine and will find inspiration in her efforts to steer her society toward self-sustainable living. Hip and energetic illustrations bring Luz and her world to life in a jazzy, appealing fashion, and a bonus chapter teaches kids how to make garden compost.
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About the Author
Graphic designer and children's illustrator Claudia Dávila was born in Chile and now makes her home in Toronto. She was formerly the art director of Chirp and Chickadee magazines.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My kids really enjoyed this, and I was glad to be able to share something with them that showed a "real" seeming kid struggling with issues I fully expect them to grapple with as our resource-constrained and climate-catastrophized future unfolds.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Luz is jumping around, watching TV and waiting for her brownie to finish warming up in the microwave. Her fun comes to a sudden end when there's a blackout. This gets Luz to start thinking.
At first she's very much in her own world, wanting expensive shoes and goofing around. Things going on in her neighborhood -- like the blackouts and her mother's concern about gas prices -- get the girl to start thinking. Her mother also teaches her about how buying locally can help in numerous ways. If they buy local foods, they'll save money and gas and curb some pollution.
Luz takes this to heart and decides to turn an abandoned lot into a neighborhood park and garden. With the help of her friends, she succeeds in this. The garbage-filled abandoned lot soon has a garden full of vegetables and park equipment so the neighborhood can come together and socialize.
Luz Sees the Light aims to inspire kids to help the environment. And while I don't think many kids will be able to turn an abandoned lot into a park (if only because they don't have the resources or zoning), it can teach them about gardening and recycling. At the end of the graphic novel there's even information on how to make compost. The fact that the main character is a kid is also a good thing. It shows that everyone can take steps to help, even if they're small steps, and that you don't have to be an adult to make a difference.
Luz Sees the Light is a serious book, but it isn't scary. Instead of frightening children into action, like some books, it gives them beneficial ideas that look fun. It also isn't preachy. As important as helping the environment is, if the writer had taken a preachy tone, it would turn readers off. But thankfully she doesn't do that, which is to the benefit of everyone involved. I think this is a useful book elementary school teachers could use with their students, especially for an overlapping of English and science work. This book is the start of a graphic novel series called The Future According to Luz.
Reviewed by Danica Davidson
At first she's very much in her own world, wanting expensive shoes and goofing around. Things going on in her neighborhood -- like the blackouts and her mother's concern about gas prices -- get the girl to start thinking. Her mother also teaches her about how buying locally can help in numerous ways. If they buy local foods, they'll save money and gas and curb some pollution.
Luz takes this to heart and decides to turn an abandoned lot into a neighborhood park and garden. With the help of her friends, she succeeds in this. The garbage-filled abandoned lot soon has a garden full of vegetables and park equipment so the neighborhood can come together and socialize.
Luz Sees the Light aims to inspire kids to help the environment. And while I don't think many kids will be able to turn an abandoned lot into a park (if only because they don't have the resources or zoning), it can teach them about gardening and recycling. At the end of the graphic novel there's even information on how to make compost. The fact that the main character is a kid is also a good thing. It shows that everyone can take steps to help, even if they're small steps, and that you don't have to be an adult to make a difference.
Luz Sees the Light is a serious book, but it isn't scary. Instead of frightening children into action, like some books, it gives them beneficial ideas that look fun. It also isn't preachy. As important as helping the environment is, if the writer had taken a preachy tone, it would turn readers off. But thankfully she doesn't do that, which is to the benefit of everyone involved. I think this is a useful book elementary school teachers could use with their students, especially for an overlapping of English and science work. This book is the start of a graphic novel series called The Future According to Luz.
Reviewed by Danica Davidson
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A topical graphic novel about a spunky girl who organizes her community to transform a run-down lot into a self-sustaining park and garden, ideal for progressive kids and their parents.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Luz - an eco-heroine - from a grown-up's perspective
Reading Nancy Drew books fed my young imagination with a much-needed female character who's intelligent, gutsy, clever, and resourceful while she solved mysteries, fighting the... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Yuba Gals Independent Media (Consignment)
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Middle School Teacher's Review
Hey Kids,
Want to read a black/white/brown graphic novel that lectures you about climate change?
Yes, me neither. Read more
Want to read a black/white/brown graphic novel that lectures you about climate change?
Yes, me neither. Read more
Published 15 months ago by M. Kelly
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