Raising Luminaries & Books for Littles are free and accessible for readers who can’t afford a paywall. Since we’re a contribute-what-you can community, I try to fill in the gaps with affiliate links. Posts may contain affiliate links, which allow me to earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Check out the full affiliate disclosure along with my statement of accountability.

Let’s Explore Environmentalism & Climate Justice

Silver lining for these unbearable, unusually hot, drought- and fire-infested summers. They motivate kids to take urgent action against climate change!

Read

• My Wounded Island (Ages 4.5+)
• Seeds of Change (Ages 4+)
• We Are Water Protectors (Ages 3-7)

Watch, Discuss & Take Action

• Video, discussion & family action guide
  • What is our relationship to water?
• Family Summer Actions
  • What 3 actions can we Take Responsibility for In our Own Backyard?
• How You Growin’?
  • Art-based family discussions connecting family relationships and supporting your local community garden, for members of Revolutionary Humans
• Climate Justice Family Action Toolkit
• Understanding Plastic
  • How is plastic made?
  • History of plastic
  • What is ‘ethical’ plastic consumption?

Watch Together: Family Movie Night Discussions:
(Accessible for Luminary Brain Trust Members)

• Unpacking Greenwashing & Cheery Fatphobia in Wall E
• Erasing Climate Devastation in The Lorax

Call to Action: Take the Plastic Free July Challenge

I know you have a lot on your (reusable, compostable) plate – so rather than look at this as an ALL OR NOTHING initiative, let’s choose at least one way we can eliminate plastic consumption from our daily lives and see what experiments sound fun this month.

Click here for ideas to eliminate single-use plastic from your home & habits.

Call to Action: Make Your Own Ecobricks

For folks with medications, medical devices, and dietary needs, avoiding non-recyclable plastic is just impossible.

And even for those of us who do recycle religiously – most of that plastic isn’t accepted by our recyclers and actually getting processed properly,

For that plastic that we can’t avoid – consider making ecobricks to sequester and upcycle all that garbage.

Click here for ideas to sequester plastic and reduce your burden on the waste stream.

More resources to dig deeper

• Kids books about Intersectional Climate Justice
• Food Sustainability: Cooks, Chefs & Activists
• Post-Consumerism for Kids
• Stories connecting kids to nature
• Stories for Forest Schoolers
• Displacement, Housing Equity & Accessible Shelter
• Following Indigenous Calls To Action with ‘We Are Water Protectors’
• Protecting The World’s Water In Your Own Yard With ‘Luz Makes A Splash’
• George Washington Carver Day
• International Day of Forests