Energy Island: How one community harnessed the wind and changed their world

Drummond, A. (2011). Energy island: How one community harnessed the wind and changed their world. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 978-0-374-32184-0

Author & illustrator: Allan Drummond
Website: http://www.allandrummond.com/

Media Used: Ink and wash illustrations

Summary: This is the true story of how an ordinary island decided to do something extraordinary and become almost completely energy independent by utilizing renewable energy sources such as sunlight, rivers, biofuels, and wind.

Personal Thoughts: This book is a great way to introduce what renewable energy is and how it can be implemented in real life.  The fact that it is based on a real island, rather then on theory, makes it so much more interesting.  The book really stresses that the reason that the island of Samso has been able to reduced its carbon emissions by 140 percent in just ten years is because every person on the island is contributing in a small or large way.  The green sidebars contain wonderful information that expands or defines different energy topics mentioned in the story text, such as global warming, renewable energy, and nonrenewable energy.  The illustrations are light and colorful, which capture the constant wind present on Samso. 

Lesson Plan #5: Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Energy

Curricular Connection: Grade 6 Science
California Standard: Resources 6. Sources of energy and materials differ in amounts, distribution, usefulness, and the time required for their formation. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know the utility of energy sources is determined by factors that are involved in converting these sources to useful forms and the consequences of the conversion process.

b. Students know different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, minerals, petroleum, fresh water, wildlife, and forests, and know how to classify them as renewable or nonrenewable.