Task: Select a resource and evaluate it according to the Hughes-Hassell & Mancall general criteria.
Resource: The Climate Cure: Solving the Climate Emergency by Tim Flannery
Appropriateness: Senior; Non-fiction. The resource is very specific to Australia and addresses current issues and recent events such as the 2020 megafires and Australia’s response to Covid-19.
Scope: The resource ridicules the current government which I believe would resonate with many young Australians today. It deals withy nationally and locally relevant events such as the 20202 mega fires catastrophe and the ongoing Covid 19 Pandemic.
Accuracy: The book is dominated by Flannery’s perspective, but given his proven track record in the field, his opinion is highly creditable and supported with facts throughout the book. In 2019, Flannery re-joined the Australian Museum as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow and he is currently researching the impacts of climate change which reinforces the accuracy of his work and writings.
Treatment:
The tone of the writer blends a mixture of frustration with hope and determination. There is an emphasis on solutions to the climate crisis and ultimately his book presents an action plan for our future. He presents real solutions for curing the climate which the reader can implement. He outlines ‘three theatres of war’, giving the reader a medical analogy for climate change which reverberates in the current covid climate. He uniquely compares compares the solution of the Covid vaccines and ‘stoping the spread’ to the idea of curing the climate by reducing CO2 emissions.
Arrangement & organisation: the book is compiled through a series of short essays. This is very informative but there is a lack of visual appeal and it is purely textual. The resource would not be appropriate for reluctant readers or a typical middle school student would struggle with the reading level of this book. It is suitable for older senior students and teachers.
Authority: Tim Flannery 2007 Australian of the Year. He is one of the leading Australian’s scientists on climate change. He has written notable bestsellers on the same topic, such as ‘The Weather Makers’ and Atmosphere of Hope. In recognition of his work on the Climate Commission and the Climate Council, he was recently awarded the Geddes Environment Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, joining the likes of Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenborough.
Comparison with other works: A well written novel. Won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2021. It expands the speculative fiction genre. Useful in the English modules listed above.
Physical quality: Paperback.
Aesthetic quality: It will appeal to older students’ tastes, gifted and talented students and would be a useful teacher’s reference. It would be visually unappealing to younger students or reluctant readers.
Literary merit: Flannery is an acclaimed writer and an expert in the field. He is a Professor at Macquarie University and a chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council. He has a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise in the subject area that he writes about. His award winning previous book The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change (2005) has been published all over the globe.
Reputation of author: Tim Flannery has an excellent reputation as a distinguished Australian Scientist. Not YA popular but useful for their study of current climate issues, specifically in Australia. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement. Flannery also contributes to NPR and the BBC.
I think the Hughes-Hassell & Mancall criteria is useful and guides a librarian in using a range of selection criteria that focus on . What needs to still be central to any resource selection is the users. Purchasing the most highly rated resource isn’t enough; the TL needs to ask the pertinent question of whether the resource is appropriate and valuable to the student and staff users in their unique school community.
An alternative approach which incorporates the teaching and learning environment within the key general selection criteria.