Every Last Drop: Bringing Clean Water Home uses photographs instead of illustrations. It talks about why Earth's resources are at risk and how that affects specific communities across the world. I chose this book to tie to the NGSS standard about the Earth's Systems that asks students to describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth. I think this book ties humanity to Earth's functions very well and allows students to see the true impact of what they are learning about through the photographs. I think this book would work well in my 5th grade classroom setting.

This is an informative nonfiction title best suited for children in the upper elementary and intermediate grades. (Although to be honest, I still found it incredibly interesting as an adult.) The author talks about the important role water plays in every living thing's life and then goes on to discuss creative ways people have used water all over the world and throughout the ages. This includes collecting water as well as cleaning water, running the gamut from natural wetlands to full-scale water treatment facilities. And for those kids who love bodily functions, there's quite a lot about different ways people have disposed of their feces, from public toilets in ancient Rome to compost toilets in modern-day Mexico City. While I felt the book was light on everyday things we can do to save water, it does touch upon that somewhat with a few suggestions and resources to explore further. But the look at how other cultures use water in ways that impact daily life was absolutely fascinating. These are often peppered with vignettes from the author's life as she traveled the world from Argentina to the Dominican Republic to Germany and many other locales. Her writing style throughout is very accessible, almost conversational. Combine this with the eye-catching fonts and many lush full-color illustrations, and you have a very appealing book on your hands. ( )

An engaging, informative mix of history, technology, environmental and conservation issues, and global initiatives, all appealingly presented. ( )