Cleanin' Up the River

 

Riverkeeper: Protecting an American River (Books for a Better Earth) 

By Nancy Castaldo

128 pages; ages 10-12

‎Holiday House, 2025

Rivers are important in our ecology and commercial existence. Not only are they a source of water, but they also play important roles in power generation and transportation. What’s cool about rivers is that each one has its own personality. So do books about them.

Riverkeeper is a story about cleaning up and monitoring the once polluted Hudson River. It’s a story about caring for the watershed. And it’s told through the work of environmental activists. I’ve got to confess that the whole time I read this book, Pete Seeger’s version of “Sailin’ Up, Sailin’ Down” was streaming through my head!

But the efforts to clean up the Hudson stretch way beyond the river and the Clearwater. Nancy Castaldo lays out the importance of rivers – they are the lifeblood of the ecosystem – and how citizens stepped up to clean the banks and raise awareness. And still do.

From the thousands of volunteers who pick up trash to the folks doing habitat restoration work, this book focuses on the people who brought the Hudson River back to health. It’s also about those who work to make sure the River has a voice in its future by asking basic questions: does a river have fundamental rights beyond their perceived economic value to people? Doe a river have the right to flourish and naturally evolve? Current environmental regulations don’t protect rivers from stopping harm, writes Nancy. They regulate the amount of harm that is “acceptable.”

In addition to introducing the Riverkeepers, Nancy includes extensive back matter. There’s an author’s note where Nancy talks about growing up beside the Hudson, a glossary, and a ton of resources. The lists of rivers and resources make this a handbook for Riverkeepers of all ages. 

Even before finishing the last chapter, I knew I had to ask Nancy a Couple of Questions!

Me: If a person could do only one thing to help a river, what do you think is the most important action they could take?

Nancy: All rivers are unique and have their own challenges, but they all have one thing in common  — they need our attention! Learn how to engage with your local river. Participate in riverside park events. Sign up for clean-up days. The more we learn about our local rivers and become active neighbors with them, the more we can help them. More actions can be found in the resource section of Riverkeeper. 

Me: You mention the movement to protect the rights of nature. If rivers had rights, how would that change our interactions with them?

Nancy: Rivers are essential to all life. Sadly, we have caused significant degradation to the world’s rivers. But if rivers had rights, they could advocate on their own behalf, through legal guardians.  Lawsuits can be filed against polluters. Judgements would be passed that would benefit them directly. It’s hard to imagine, but there are already rivers in the world with rights. They serve as great examples for other rivers. You can read more about the Declaration on the Rights of Rivers at www.rightsofrivers.org and sign the petition to endorse the Declaration.

Nancy is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, nancycastaldo.com

Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge’s blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.