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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

In 2015, the lawsuit Juliana v. United States was filed by an organization called Our Children First on behalf of 21 plaintiffs who ranged in age from seven to 19. The suit argued that the U.S. government’s active role in promoting fossil fuels when it had long known the danger they present is in violation of the plaintiffs’ constitutional right to life, liberty, and property. This largely chronological account introduces lead attorney Julia Olson and several of the diverse young plaintiffs. When the case was first filed, the general consensus among legal scholars, including those specializing in environmental law, was that it didn’t have a chance. Most have since changed their minds. Despite numerous machinations by the U.S. government across every presidential administration since 2015 to delay the case or have it dismissed, the Juliana legal team has kept it alive by their insightful, tactical, and creative arguments and appeals grounded in the law. Meanwhile, climate change continues to worsen, while the plaintiffs are growing up; some of them are now college graduates (including one who attended UW-Madison). This account makes clear that even as it is undeniably political, this is a case and issue that transcends party lines and politics. Teens interested in climate change activism or the law will find it fascinating. End matter includes updates on the 21 plaintiffs, legal definitions, a timeline, and more. (Age 13 and older)

CCBC Choices 2024 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2024. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

November 1, 2023
In 2015, lawyer Julia Olson filed Juliana v. United States on behalf of twenty-one young plaintiffs from across the country, all of whom were affected in some way by climate change (e.g., health effects, threats to their homes). The suit alleged that the government was violating their constitutional rights by promoting the fossil fuel system that was wreaking havoc on their lives, and that the government had known about these dangers for decades. The still-pending case wound its way through the legal system with dramatic twists and turns; most recently (as of this writing), a judge ruled that the plaintiffs could amend their complaint and go to trial. Rusch does a marvelous job of weaving together multiple strands into a compelling and timely narrative: an inspiring and empowering story of youth activism, a primer on the role of the judicial branch in our democracy, and a cautionary tale about the mounting dangers of climate change. It's no small task to distinguish the twenty-one young people, but Rusch liberally quotes them throughout the book, and an annotated list of characters at the beginning is paired with an update at the end (there are also sixteen pages of black-and-white photographs gathered in the middle). Additional scientific information, websites, a timeline, source notes, a glossary, and an index are also appended. Jonathan Hunt

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Publisher's Weekly

October 2, 2023
Following the groundbreaking case of Juliana v. the United States, Rusch (All About Nothing) highlights the actions of the 21 passionate teens and tweens who sued the U.S. government over climate change. Rusch employs rigorously researched, plainspoken prose to break down the case into four parts that chronicle it from its initial filing in 2015 to its current status as unresolved in the court system. Quotations from legal experts throughout provide contextualizing information. The group is represented by Julia Olson, founder of Our Children's Trust, who presented the straightforward argument that the U.S. government "knew disasters would happen... knew the planet was warming from the burning of fossil fuels," yet continued to grant leases for drilling oil and coal, resulting in irreparable harm to the plaintiffs as well as future generations. Though the youngest plaintiff, eight-year-old Levi Draheim from Satellite Beach, Fla., worried that people might not take the youths seriously because "we were just a bunch of kids," the caseâ€"which has lasted through three presidenciesâ€"could force the U.S. government to move immediately on climate change. A list of individuals addressed, timeline, source notes, and extensive back matter conclude. Ages 13â€"up.

From School Library Journal

October 1, 2023

Gr 8 Up-Legal buffs and climate activists will appreciate this complex and detailed journey through the U.S. court system. In 2015, lawyer Julia Olson filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government on behalf of 21 youths on the grounds that government actions contributed to climate change, depriving them of their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Ranging in age from eight to 19, the plaintiffs' argument was based on the fact that they had suffered numerous problems due to climate change, and since they were too young to vote, had no other legal recourse but to sue. Over the next eight years and three administrations, the Justice Department hit the plaintiffs with endless motions, arguing that dealing with climate change is the purview of the legislature, not the courts. The extensive legal proceedings read like a tennis match as the suit gets bounced from one federal court to another with the many motions, appeals, denials, hearings, and briefs. Most recently, in June 2023, they received a historic ruling putting them back on the path to a trial. Rusch smartly adds human interest into the narrative with quotes and personal stories from the lives of several of the 21. The passion and determination of the plaintiffs and their lawyer are awe-inspiring. Also included is a summary of other climate-based lawsuits, the science of climate change, a plan to help fix the climate, along with extensive and useful back matter. VERDICT With its legal focus, this makes a compelling and important addition to the growing body of climate change literature for teens. Recommended.-Karen T. Bilton

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

Starred review from September 15, 2023
Grades 6-10 *Starred Review* This is an account of 21 kids who, with the help of nonprofit law firm Our Children's Trust and lawyer Julia Olson, sued the U.S. government over its lack of response to climate change. Chapters are filled with action-packed scenes that often end with cliff-hangers (How will the kids deal with their first press conference? Will their case be dismissed? ). The young plaintiffs are introduced by a chart listing their age, hometown, and ecological motivation, and they quickly morph into relatable, three-dimensional individuals. Clarifications from lawyers and judges help make the dizzying processes of how the federal legal system works accessible. Meanwhile, vivid descriptions of wild storms, heat waves, and devastating forest fires emphasize the mounting urgency. There's a last-minute happy ending: after languishing for more than three years in the U.S. District Court in Oregon, the case was approved to move forward in June 2023 (just weeks before a different group of young people in Montana won a state-level lawsuit arguing that the government's failure to consider climate change when approving fossil-fuel projects is unconstitutional.) The groundbreaking accomplishments of the Twenty-One are celebrated, as is the work of young climate control activists around the world. Rich back matter rounds out this inspiring account.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Kirkus

Starred review from July 1, 2023
A nail-biting account of a still-unresolved landmark case. In Juliana v. United States, 21 plaintiffs ages 8 to 19 sued the federal government for undermining their constitutional rights to a safe and healthy environment. These young people were helped by Our Children's Trust, a nonprofit founded by Julia Olson, the attorney whose passion for the environment led her to dream up this initiative in 2010 and seek out young people willing to be plaintiffs. They sought acknowledgment of the kids' Fifth Amendment rights and that the government cease its "active support of the fossil fuel system." This taut, quick-moving story told in short, lively chapters employs novelistic suspense and focuses effectively on people and their experiences as much as on principles. Vivid details and the plaintiffs' own words convey their personalities and passions; the author's admiration for the kids and their attorneys is clear. Rusch acknowledges the distinct roles of individuals, the impact of economic systems, and the overarching power of government. The young people come from a range of ethnic, geographical, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Quotations from legal experts expand readers' understanding. Government lawyers did not speak with Rusch, who used court documents to convey the defendants' perspectives. Extensive backmatter covers scientific and legal information, resources for young activists, and an update on the plaintiffs. Rigorously researched, this work offers a clear summary of a complex and critically important lawsuit. A moving and absorbing account of an urgent case. (list of individuals, timeline, research process, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 13-18)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.