Start Now!

INTRODUCTION

How can we take care of our planet and ourselves? How can we take care of one another and stop bullying? How can we protect endangered animals so that they don’t become extinct? These are some of the questions I wondered about as a kid. I wrote this book to help readers begin to answer these and other questions kids have told me they’re thinking about. I hope the information and stories in Start Now! will empower and inspire you to work on whatever captures your imagination. You may not be old enough yet to vote or to volunteer—but you are definitely the right age to raise your voice about important issues you care about, at home, in your school, in your community and in our world. You can help your family be healthy and make climate-smart decisions at home. You can talk to your classmates about being allies against bullying and educate friends about the importance of protecting animals around the world. You can write to your elected officials with ideas about ensuring everyone has enough food to eat, somewhere to call home, clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. There is so much you can do, and I hope this book helps you get started!