Power Up! The Big Book of Energy by Charles Hope

Power Up by Charles Hope is an excellent non-fiction resource for middle-upper primary/lower secondary students and their teachers researching and discussing the topic of Power. The contents page clearly lists each topic covered and includes headings such as: Primary & Secondary sources, Renewable & non-renewable power, Fossils fuels, Wind, Solar, Biomass and many others. Each topic has either a single or double page spread of clearly written text presented in paragraphs surrounded by white space and containing easy to comprehend facts. There are large photographs throughout as well as labelled diagrams, timelines and images.   At the end of the book there is a glossary and index. The relevant chapter on climate change will be of interest to today’s environmentally aware students and the inclusion of the large diagram provides a visual explanation. The author has included a snapshot of the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the way people lived. The future of power is a particularly engaging chapter looking at developing energy sources both on a small and large scale.

This book is a worthwhile and valuable resource for a school or public library.

Themes: Power, Renewable & Non-renewable Energy, Future of Power, Climate Change, Sustainability.

Kathryn Beilby