THE CLIMATE DIARIES

A trouble-making boy joins a youth-led project to counter the climate crisis in Arsenault’s middle-grade chapter book.

Jax Wilkinson, an 11-year-old with a penchant for breaking the rules, struggles academically and clashes with teachers but harbors a fervent passion for combating climate change (“Jax was desperate to understand whyhumans were doing so much damage to our only home”). After landing in detention on the final day of school, Jax seizes an opportunity for mischief, hacking into an abusive teacher’s car’s computer and taking it for a rooftop joyride. Caught red-handed, he faces two options: juvenile detention or a summer camp dedicated to engineering climate-crisis solutions. Unsurprisingly, Jax picks the latter and is transported to a mysterious island with three other unique kids: Grace Beckett, the daughter of an astronaut and a U.S. Airforce General; August Raines, a computer whiz and the son of a brain surgeon; and Kylie Malone, whose family owns a company on the Forbes list and is committed to sustainable living. At camp, the team must work together to build shelter and solve a major climate issue: bovine methane emissions (in cruder language, “cow farts”). Tensions between the rebellious Jax and the assertive Grace threaten the team’s hopes for success. This story has potential appeal as it aligns with current trends in youth fiction, but it falters on a couple of major points: Unrealistically convenient plot machinations, like Jax’s no-brainer choice between punishment options, detract from believability, and some of the characters evoke tired stereotypes (primarily Kylie, who is a stereotypical Australian hippy, and August, who is Black and has been abandoned by his father). Additionally, there’s not much of a narrative arc—Jax and Grace don’t seem to learn much by the end of the story, nor are their flaws redeemed, making for an unsatisfying conclusion. That said, the comedic dialogue and Harto’s black-and-white illustrations throughout the book are consistently humorous and engaging.

A strong premise addressing an important issue derailed by flawed storytelling.