Nature Out of Balance:
How Invasive Species Are Changing the Planet

ISBN: 9781459823952
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Spring 2021

There’s always more to the story than we think.

Living things can travel naturally, sometimes thousands of miles, to new regions and even different continents. In fact, these “invasions” are an essential part of the history of life on Planet Earth. But humans have also been moving plants, animals and other organisms around, whether by accident or on purpose, for thousands of years. We’re the all-star vector for non-native species. We’re also the planet’s most invasive species!

When an organism moves into a new place and becomes invasive, it can do a lot of harm. But many of these species are here to stay; they’re not going back to where they came from, no matter what we do. We’re facing many other large environmental problems, like climate change, and we have limited time and dollars to deal with them all. So maybe, in addition to preventing new species from becoming invasive, we need to fight only the most damaging invasive species – and look for ways we might benefit from the others.

 

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Awards





Reviews

Nature Out of Balance is loaded with well-researched and up-to-date information presented in a clear, concisely written manner. The careful, detailed explanations of what constitutes an invasive species and how systems are interconnected do a thorough job of laying a foundation of understanding about the many ways to consider the problems . . . Keeping the reader involved in the final pages, the author outlines accessible actions young people can take concerning invasive species in their communities: being alert to undesirable garden plants or exotic pets, not moving firewood far from its source, volunteering to help remove non-native invasive species, and collecting data as a citizen scientist . . .

Nature Out of Balance: How Invasive Species Are Changing the Planet is a well-written volume on a distinctly important topic for youngsters to be aware of as they grow into their role of guardians of the ecosystems. Highly Recommended (CM: Canadian Review of Materials)

 

Provides a thorough overview of invasive species and how they impact the ecosystems into which they are introduced. Compelling real-life examples from around the world show the consequences of introducing a plant, insect, or animal into an environment where it is not native. The brief stories and explanations invite readers to think more critically about the living beings in their own communities. The text concludes with concrete actions that readers can take to avoid and combat the effects of invasive species . . . A high-quality introduction to a topic not often covered in books for middle graders. (School Library Journal)

 

Young readers are introduced to non-native invasive species: what they are and how they are affecting ecosystems around the world . . . Making sure to include humans as one of the Earth’s most dramatic invasive species and greatest vectors of spreading others, Wilcox places the topic in historical context, including the spread of diseases such as smallpox during settler colonialism and mentioning the roles of the Industrial Revolution and capitalism on the human population and use of natural resources . . . The reasonably short sections are clear and engaging, and the balance of hope against the potentially stressful subject leaves readers informed and energized rather than defeated. Handy and lucid, this slim volume makes an important topic digestible. (Kirkus Reviews)

Camas photo by Chris Junck