Former ESK Student, Laura Barber, published a book aimed at 6-12 years old.  We wish her a lot of success with her publication and would like to congratulate her!

Author’s Name: Laura Anika Barber

Book Title: Eddy Saves The World

What age group is your book for?

6-12

What is the book about?

Eddy Saves the World is a story about a young boy who, at first, doesn’t even know what climate change is. Instead he wants to save the world by catching bank robbers. After talking to his friends in Canada, Brazil and the Philippines, he sees the effects of climate change in their countries through their eyes and learns the reasons behind global warming. Follow them as they work together as a team and search for ways to save the world.

What inspired you to become an author?/Why did you want to be an author?

I co-founded the ELM Tree Foundation, which focuses on supporting underprivileged children and their education, and in 2019 one of our projects was implementing the Read-to-Learn program to combat illiteracy in 24 provincial schools in the Philippines. I think it was visiting these kids and reading to them that was the catalyst for me writing my own book linked to my biggest passion: fighting climate change and protecting our environment.

While I was living in Manila, I realised that climate change isn’t talked about enough. Most people don’t live their lives with the planet in mind and I would see plastic everywhere and people sitting in parked cars, engines running. This disconnect between how vulnerable the Philippines is to the effects of climate change and how little is done about it (considering many people are still battling poverty), led me to write this book. I realised that educating the children is one of the best ways to make an impact, because they are the future thought leaders and change makers.

Where did the inspiration come from to write this book?

When I was 11 years old, in 2009, I met Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She instilled in me the importance of fighting for our planet, and had dedicated her life to planting trees, despite government resistance. I didn’t realise until recently how big of an impact she had on my life.

Why was it important to share this message in your book?

Climate change is something I think about daily. Truth be told, it terrifies me. I see the news, I see how little other people care and sometimes it makes me feel so helpless. But then I remind myself that all we can all do is our best. The battle against climate change is something our children will inherit, and I don’t want them to feel small and helpless. I want them to know that there is always something they can do, in this case to fight for their future.

What do you hope parents and kids take away from this book?

We can all do our bit to tackle climate change. Making an effort to live more sustainably doesn’t stop living. It means we pay attention to our daily actions, keeping our planet in mind, and do what we can.