Water

From Booklist Gr. 5^-10. Ocko begins her well-written study with a chapter about the 1990 drought in Redding, Iowa, thus bringing the concept of the Earth's finite water supply close to the experiences of young Americans. Subsequently, she tells of parallel situations in other locations, including Antigua and the African Sahel. She explains the complex relationships between air and ocean currents that result in shortages or excesses of rainfall, and she also points out that water shortages are often exacerbated by human carelessness with the environment, such as the destruction of the rain forests in Antigua. An epilogue lists ways in which individuals, including children, can conserve the earth's precious water supply. The book is valuable not only for its factual reporting of world climate patterns and water shortages, but also for Ocko's enlightened view of the earth's interconnected ecosystems and of human responsibility for their care and well-being. Black-and-white photographs, graphs, and diagrams are included. Merri Monks