Description
Light pollution threatens the survival of every living species on our planet, including people.
It started when Thomas Edison invented the first light bulb more than 150 years ago. Then, as electric light became more common, light pollution began to take over cities and towns. Today, in urban centers all over the world, the stars in the sky aren't visible. Millions of people have never seen the Milky Way. In Saving the Night, we discover how plants and animals have adapted over millions of years to survive and thrive in the dark, and how artificial light can upset the balance of entire ecosystems. But there are ways we can take back the night for animals, plants and us. It starts with the flick of a switch.
Author Bio
Stephen Aitken is a biologist, author and artist of over 30 books, both fiction and non-fiction, for young readers. He is passionate about the conservation of all life on Earth, the wonders of the plant and animal kingdoms and engendering respect and awe for the natural world. Based in Ottawa, Stephen is the co-founder and executive secretary of Biodiversity Conservancy, a Canadian charity that restores degraded habitats, develops and conducts education programs and supports biodiversity research. He is the editorial director and co-founder of Biodiversity, a peer-reviewed science journal published in partnership with Taylor and Francis journals in Oxfordshire, UK. This is his fourth middle-grade nonfiction book published by Orca.
Prizes
- BC Books for SchoolsCommended 2023
- TD Summer Reading Club Recommended ReadsCommended 2024
- Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard SelectionCommended 2023
- Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the YearCommended 2024
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & TeensCommended 2023
- The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award (GEBA) - Children’s NonfictionLong-listed 2024
- Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards - Youth CategoryLong-listed 2023
Review Quotes
“Invites middle graders interested in learning more about how light pollution is a threat to every living thing on the planet.”
— Sal's Fiction Addiction“This book gives us ways to love the night, and be part of the movement to keep darkness with us. The author shows how to be a part of a darker movement, for the betterment of all…A beautiful eye opener.”
— Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)“Learning about ways to reduce light pollution gives students opportunities to be educated and engaged citizens who can make careful choices about how light is used in their own lives.”
— BC Books for SchoolsBiographical note
Stephen Aitken is a biologist, artist and science writer who has been creating children's books for the past 15 years. Stephen's books and articles are inspired by the wonders of the natural world. He has explored the forests, oceans and mountaintops of the world at all times of the day and night. Stephen is the co-founder and executive secretary of the charity Biodiversity Conservancy International and senior editor of the journal Biodiversity. He lives in Ottawa.
