Children’s book authors come together to encourage and inspire UK children to tackle climate change

Climate change is one of the biggest threats our future generations face today. 70 per cent of children worry about the world they will inherit with 60 per cent of children thinking climate change and inequality are affecting their generation’s mental health in the UK.

Children For Change is the children’s book world’s answer to helping educate children about the causes, effects and solutions to climate change without generating anxiety about the ecosystem.

It is a new e-book collection of exclusive new stories, poems, illustrations and features, inspiring young readers to ‘take an action’ – big or small, local or global – to protect our environments.

Launching on 4 November, this e-book anthology will be free to access for every primary school, and available to every child in the UK.

This anthology features over 80 of the UK’s greatest creators and illustrators, plus emerging illustrators and young writers, including:

– Creator of Tom Gates, Liz Pichon

– Young Bond author, Charlie Higson

– Multi award-winning author of Boy Everywhere, A.M. Dassu

–  The Gruffalo illustrator, Axel Scheffler

– Bestselling authors of the Dragon Realm series, Katie and Kevin Tsang

– Draw with Rob creator, Rob Biddulph

– Former Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho

– Bestselling author and comedian, David Baddiel

The anthology is edited by former Blue Peter presenter and author of the Cookie series, Konnie Huq.

Children For Change also features a star collection of leading environmentalists, award-winning campaigners and industry experts.

These include author, leading naturalist and TV presenter, Chris Packham; chef, food campaigner and author, Jamie Oliver and retail expert and TV broadcaster, Mary Portas, amongst many others have written pieces to inspire young people to make different choices and take actions to help protect the environment.

Children For Change will empower, motivate and mobilise children with stories that inspire an action. From love letters to Planet Earth, passionate appeals on behalf of endangered species, poems extolling the beauty and fragility of habitats, and much more – all sow the seeds for a better future. The collection is packed full of actionable messages and eco-tips to help children to start to take small steps which make a big impact.

Climate change topics integrated into the Key Stage 2 national curriculum are covered too, including: the causes, impacts and effects of climate change on the environment; weather patterns and heatwaves; biodiversity; renewable energy and sustainable practices; giving children an understanding of the causes and effects of climate change, whilst providing engaging and inspiring ways to help mitigate it in their everyday lives.

Children For Change’s editor, the broadcaster and passionate environmentalist, Konnie Huq, said:“I really believe that children are the key to changing the future. Armed with the right values, goals and mindsets, they can make a difference.

“This book is full of inspiring stories of hope and action that can help them start to make positive changes and decisions to build a greener and healthier future for our planet.”

Writer of the Young Bond series, Charlie Higson, commented: “What I love about the idea behind this book is that it’s not all doom and gloom – it’s about letting kids know there are things they can do to safeguard their futures and encouraging them to get involved and helping them to enjoy their lives – plus, there are some cracking little stories in there.”

Children For Change is being published by Pop Up Projects CIC, a non-profit national children’s literature agency.

Dylan Calder, director of Pop Up Projects, commented: “The UK children’s author community has come together to create something truly extraordinary in Children For Change, a remarkable tapestry of children’s stories for every type of reader.

“It’s our collective gift to the children of the UK, given in the hope it will inspire a generation to look around them at the damage we’ve done, to take up the tools they need to make changes in their worlds, to have agency around their future.”

Pop Up Projects partnered with The Week Junior on The Children For Change Young Writers Competition, a national search for ten lucky young writers aged 8-12, who will have their stories and poems published in the e-book. Children For Change also debuts 13 illustrators from Pop Up’s Pathways Into Children’s Publishing programme for artists from under-represented backgrounds.

Children For Change is funded by a National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council England. To access Children For Change, teachers, librarians and parents can sign up now by clicking here.