Total Garbage

February 1, 2023

Gr 4-8-Donnelly explores where trash comes from, who is responsible for it, the environmental and health implications and consequences of garbage, and how we can cut down on it. Our dependence on synthetic, mass-produced materials like plastic and stainless steel is presented in stark contrast to the trash accumulated hundreds of years ago when garbage came from discarded handmade, organic materials. The existence of rag-and-doll men, waste pickers, and mud larks, gave trash a second life while helping those less fortunate make a living pre-Industrial Revolution. Presently, Americans throw out almost 300 tons of garbage a year, but even though it's out of sight out of mind for many, waste does not disappear. The author's accessible text is informative and straightforward but never judgmental. The matter-of-fact narrative makes a seemingly nasty subject fascinating and even palatable. Terms like municipal solid waste, planned obsolescence, and compost and anaerobic digestion are explained in a kid-friendly way. Hendrix's humorous and genuine line drawings add levity to the subject but keep things accurate. The design includes chapter openers and teal font and illustrations, which will instantly draw in reluctant readers. An index is included; other back matter was not seen at the time of review. VERDICT Incredibly, this book makes garbage fun to read about and is a great choice for browsable nonfiction shelves and curricular tie-ins.-Shelley M. Diaz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2023
Grades 5-8 Readers will need strong stomachs for some of the nauseating facts Donnelly dishes in her deep dumpster dive, but they'll emerge a heartier lot that's armed with awareness and the tools to clean up their acts, environmentally speaking. This guide to garbage takes a rounded approach to its topic, offering readers eye-opening statistics and facts about the world's waste problem along with a dash of science and historical and social contexts. Donnelly's engaging tone and Hendrix's cartoon spot art lend a welcome breeziness to an otherwise malodorous affair. As can be expected, the book tackles what we're throwing away, where it goes, and what happens once it reaches its destination, whether landfill, incinerator, recycling center, or compost heap. What readers might not expect to encounter are fatbergs, "wish-cycling," fast fashion, environmental justice, and the U.S. habit of shipping our waste to poorer countries. It's a lot to take in, but not all of it stinks, as Donnelly offers readers solid advice on reducing and responsibly disposing of their trash while maintaining hope for a cleaner future.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 3, 2023
In seven chapters, Donnelly talks trash, addressing questions including “Where does our garbage come from?”; “Why do we make so much garbage?”; and “What can we learn from our garbage?” The book—filled with statistics from before 2020—touches on the usual topics, but also on archeology, contemporary art, environmental racism, history, upcycling and downcycling, and corporate efforts to keep consumers buying and using plastic. “If you look hard enough, you’ll find money at the root of most of our waste problems,” reads one characteristically incisive takeaway. Occasional line drawings from Hendrix, cast in teal, break up the text and lighten the mood with gentle humor. Despite the seriousness of the world’s garbage predicament, the text’s message remains one of encouragement, offering creative examples of different communities’ solutions and urging readers not to give up hope. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from January 15, 2023
A study of trash, past, present, and future. Brief descriptions of a "trash museum" and a library of discarded books introduce this entertaining but hard-hitting look at what we toss, where it goes, and how we can do better. Focusing throughout on Europe and the Americas, Donnelly misses the chance to compare 19th-century U.S. "waste-pickers" to children picking trash today in India or South Africa. But she produces mounds of data, makes connections to various cultures throughout history, art, and archaeology, and raises crucial questions about environmental values, capitalism and profit motives, and the future. Making the topic personal, Donnelly addresses readers directly. Depressing statistics and sections discussing the consequences of irresponsibly disposing of waste, as well as environmental justice and racism (people of color and impoverished communities are disproportionately affected by issues with garbage), are gloomy, but Donnelly's clear, engaging writing also lights up the many pages on health, science, and human behavior, on positive actions that families and communities can take, and on industrial responsibility (but none on U.S. government regulatory authority or fossil fuel subsidies). Whimsical, informative, detailed teal-tone line drawings add to a captivating and important book. A fact-filled and fascinating dumpster dive of a book. (author's note, timeline, selected resources) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from May 1, 2023
In this accessible overview of garbage, Donnelly's trash talk supports an appealing conversational narrative. She asks readers to examine five questions, each addressed in its own chapter: "What is garbage, where does it come from, where does it go, why do we make so much of it, and how can we do better?" Rather than assuming the tone of an all-knowing narrator, Donnelly uses the first-person-plural we (e.g., "We make a lot of trash") and direct address, inviting readers to be partners in understanding and seeking solutions to this global issue. Hendrix's occasional spot art emphasizes the light tone, accentuating but never undermining the narrative. Donnelly presents pertinent comparisons; for example, in 2018 Americans produced 292 million tons of trash -- or what 5,600 Titanic-sized ships would weigh. And she reminds us that when we throw something away, it really doesn't go away. This thorough and thoughtful treatment allows readers to understand the many complicated issues and possibly generate their own individual solutions. Here, Donnelly has turned trash into treasure. Appended with an author's note, a waste management timeline, print and electronic resources, and an (unseen) index. Betty Carter

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
In this accessible overview of garbage, Donnelly's trash talk supports an appealing conversational narrative. She asks readers to examine five questions, each addressed in its own chapter: "What is garbage, where does it come from, where does it go, why do we make so much of it, and how can we do better?" Rather than assuming the tone of an all-knowing narrator, Donnelly uses the first-person-plural we (e.g., "We make a lot of trash") and direct address, inviting readers to be partners in understanding and seeking solutions to this global issue. Hendrix's occasional spot art emphasizes the light tone, accentuating but never undermining the narrative. Donnelly presents pertinent comparisons; for example, in 2018 Americans produced 292 million tons of trash -- or what 5,600 Titanic-sized ships would weigh. And she reminds us that when we throw something away, it really doesn't go away. This thorough and thoughtful treatment allows readers to understand the many complicated issues and possibly generate their own individual solutions. Here, Donnelly has turned trash into treasure. Appended with an author's note, a waste management timeline, print and electronic resources, and an (unseen) index.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)