In the 4-billion-year history of our planet, we’ve had five big mass extinctions; the most recent ended the Cretaceous period and the dinosaurs at the same time. We’re living in the Anthropocene Era, a time when humans have progressed to the point that our collective actions will likely lead to a sixth mass extinction. That extinction has already started with an estimated three species wiped out every hour. This book is not a tome that will increase your respect for humankind.

Author Elizabeth Kolbert painstakingly traces geological history, beginning with when humans realized that species could even go extinct. Thomas Jefferson, a Renaissance man well versed in science, shared the majority opinion of his day that species could NOT disappear. Kolbert quotes Jefferson: “Such is the economy of nature that no instance can be produced of her having permitted any once race of her animals to become extinct: of her having formed any link in her great work so weak as to be broken.” That changed with French naturalist Georges Cuvier who recognized both extinction and fossils. Kolbert leads readers through the next two centuries to trace both the development of paleontology and the geometric increase of human effect on the planet.

Kolbert has taken her original The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History and adapted it for younger readers. I have not read the adult version, but I thoroughly enjoyed this so-called “Young Readers Adaptation.” However, I wonder if this version is not too advanced for kids. Anyone astute enough to read the adaptation could handle the original. Best to consider this a Reader’s Digest Condensed edition for those pressed for time rather than something for tweens. With that consideration, it’s a five-star read.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Godwin Books in exchange for an honest review.

R

Young readers, not littles.

This is a great info packed book. As a homeschool parent this was a fun addition to read-aloud time.

THE SIXTH EXTINCTION (young readers adaptation) by Elizabeth Kolbert is scheduled to be available on February 6, 2024. No one would deny that this is an important topic of grave concern to young people and I am grateful for having seen a preview. I wish, however, that greater effort had been made to provide a version of this award-winning text that more clearly outlined key issues. Kolbert shares many relevant stories (e.g., the rhino ultrasound), but important messages may be lost in the still rather dense text. In addition to line art images (no graphs or diagrams that I saw), there is a three page glossary and index, but, sadly, sources and further reading are not included. Booklist recommended THE SIXTH EXTINCTION for grades 5 thru 8 (seems young, given the language level) and gave it a starred review. 3.5 stars

As someone who loved the original version of the Sixth Extinction and was hoping for a young readers adaptation to use in the classroom, this doesn't fully hit the mark for me. Even though I teach high school students, this adaptation often still seems a bit unwieldy with the vocabulary used and explanations of certain scientific concepts. It would likely need further adaptation for my students.

While it remains true to the original book, it might remain a bit too true; often it keeps the elevated vocabulary of the original and offers minimal background explanations that young readers would likely need. Some parts are written quite lyrically, which was enjoyable in the original but can feel inaccessible for younger readers.

Finally, while there are some graphics in this version, I hope the published version includes more visuals that can help ground younger readers better.

This e-arc was provided by NetGalley and the publisher, and I was blown away by the environmental crisis we are finding ourselves in. We can and must change our ways to lessen human impact on the earth. Our future depends on it. Author Elizabeth Kolbert has researched and laid the facts bare for the reader, with evidence based on various species who are endangered or already extinct, and examples from around the world. The author not only did research, she accompanied researchers on location. This is a timely message for young readers who can work to combat pollution, deforestation, globalization of viruses, and more hazards.

I highly recommend this book to all ages. It is a grim message that we are causing our own extinction, but it ends with the belief that we can have hope that each generation will continue to improve the world for the future.