Did you know there is a special day for thinking about our planet? It's Earth Day on April 22 -- a worldwide event dedicated to the environment.
There is just enough time for you and your book club to get ready by reading some great books about trash and recycling.
Did you know that a typical family creates about a ton of trash each year?
That Everest, the tallest mountain on Earth, has a litter problem?
Or that recycled plastic peanut-butter jars may end up on your feet?
Find more surprising facts in "Trash Action: A Fresh Look at Garbage" by Ann Love and Jane Drake.
See where all the trash goes in "Garbage" by Robert Maass, a collection of photographs that follow waste from trash can to recycling plant.
Learn about reusing discarded stuff in "Recycling" by Joan Kalbacken and Emilie U. Lepthien.
Discover fun experiments and Earth-friendly ideas in "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth" by the EarthWorks Group.
See how amazing water is in Walter Wick's "A Drop of Water."
Book club ideas
Talk about ways to reduce trash by reusing and recycling.
Collect unwanted books for your local library's used-book sale or a homeless shelter.
Make your own treasure from recycled materials at the "Trash to Treasure" Eco Art Exhibit and Earth Day Recycling Celebration on April 21 at Studio City Branch Library, 12511 Moorpark St., Studio City, (818) 755-7873.
Build a worm bin so worms can eat your garbage; April 22, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, (626) 821-3222.
Attend an Earth Day event
Los Angeles Zoo's Earth Day Expo, April 21-22, 5333 Zoo Drive, L.A., (323) 644-4200.
Children's Earth Day Celebration, Star Eco Station, April 22, 10101 W. Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, (310) 842-8060, www.ecostation.org.
Topanga Earth Day Festival, April 21-22. Topanga Community House Fair Grounds, 1410 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, www.TopangaEarthDay.org.
A Celebration of our Ocean Planet, Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, (562) 590-3100, www.aquariumofpacific.org/NEWS_EVENTS/04_06/earthday.htm.
This is one in a series on book clubs for kids. E-mail Jo Perry at BookClubFun@aol.com.
