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Hope Jones #1
Hope Jones Saves the World
Hope Jones' New Year's resolution is to give up plastic, and she's inspiring others to do the same with her website hopejonessavestheworld.com. When she realises her local supermarket seems to stock more unnecessary plastic than food, she makes it her mission to do something about it. She may be just one ten-year-old with a homemade banner, but with enough determination, maybe Hope Jones really can save the world.
Audio CD
First published May 7, 2020
About the author
Josh Lacey
70 books11 followersJosh Lacey is a British writer born and raised in London. Josh worked as a journalist, a teacher and a screenwriter before writing his first book, A Dog Called Grk. He has written several other children’s books including The Dragonsitter, Island of Thieves, and The Pet Potato. He also wrote the adult book God is Brazilian, a biography of Charles Miller. He also writes under the name Joshua Doder.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
September 7, 2022
A lovely book about a ten year old girl called Hope Jones who wants to Save the Planet from Plastic. Hope starts her own blog about all the plastic in the Ocean killing the animals and tells people to stop using plastic all the time. We use plastic everyday , plastic bottles, plastic cutlery, plastic bags and lots of items use plastic in some way, bread is wrapped in a plastic bag, food in plastic containers. There's plastic on most everyday items. Hope starts protesting outside the local supermarket and types e-mails to businesses asking them to stop using plastic and help the environment.
Will people listen to Hope and stop using plastic??
This is a great book for kids and adults. It was very interesting as you don't realise how much stuff has plastic in it or uses plastic.
A very educational and informative story.
Will people listen to Hope and stop using plastic??
This is a great book for kids and adults. It was very interesting as you don't realise how much stuff has plastic in it or uses plastic.
A very educational and informative story.
January 12, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Ten-year-old Hope Jones decided for her New Year’s Resolution that she was going to save the planet by giving up plastic. She thought it would be a lot easier than it was.
Told in blog entry posts and dated throughout January you witness Hope’s determination to stop using plastic and her education about how many items are made from plastic. From milk bottles, teabags, straws, to fixtures in the bathroom and things such as disposable razors.
The book is right on trend at the moment, especially as it seems to be children who are leading the way on wanting to change the world, even if they can only do a small amount individually.
The book will open your eyes to not only the destruction of the planet that plastic causes or the wildlife it kills or injures but just how much plastic there is. Did you know that the twenty-first century has already exceeded the amount of plastic made than what was produced throughout the whole of the twentieth century?
I think we are learning to change our habits in recycling, using paper/metal/etc straws, bamboo toothbrushes, plastic cotton buds being banned, and reusable bags. But when you think about how much plastic you buy when you go to the supermarket it is shocking.
The book isn’t all ‘stop buying plastic’, it is realistic too. It shows you that not everything is easy to change, that sometimes the plastic is hidden or that going plastic-free can be expensive. But making small changes now can help.
There is some amazing artwork throughout and I love Hope’s dedication to her cause. I can see this being a big hit with middle-graders and hopefully they will get some hints on how to go plastic-free that they can share with their parents/guardians. On a side note, the website in the synopsis works, though it isn’t a blog, there are things to download.
Ten-year-old Hope Jones decided for her New Year’s Resolution that she was going to save the planet by giving up plastic. She thought it would be a lot easier than it was.
Told in blog entry posts and dated throughout January you witness Hope’s determination to stop using plastic and her education about how many items are made from plastic. From milk bottles, teabags, straws, to fixtures in the bathroom and things such as disposable razors.
The book is right on trend at the moment, especially as it seems to be children who are leading the way on wanting to change the world, even if they can only do a small amount individually.
The book will open your eyes to not only the destruction of the planet that plastic causes or the wildlife it kills or injures but just how much plastic there is. Did you know that the twenty-first century has already exceeded the amount of plastic made than what was produced throughout the whole of the twentieth century?
I think we are learning to change our habits in recycling, using paper/metal/etc straws, bamboo toothbrushes, plastic cotton buds being banned, and reusable bags. But when you think about how much plastic you buy when you go to the supermarket it is shocking.
The book isn’t all ‘stop buying plastic’, it is realistic too. It shows you that not everything is easy to change, that sometimes the plastic is hidden or that going plastic-free can be expensive. But making small changes now can help.
There is some amazing artwork throughout and I love Hope’s dedication to her cause. I can see this being a big hit with middle-graders and hopefully they will get some hints on how to go plastic-free that they can share with their parents/guardians. On a side note, the website in the synopsis works, though it isn’t a blog, there are things to download.
June 14, 2020
A good friend gifted this to me and I read it in an afternoon. I’m obviously not the target market, but I think is perfect for younger kids interested in doing something to save the planet. I’ll be lending it out to some neighborhood kids, and I hope they also enjoy it!
January 8, 2021
De eerste hoofdstukken zijn een beetje zwart wit (veel gemor hier toen Hope zei dat naar een verjaardagsfeestje gaan een vergissing was), maar tegelijk ook inspirerend voor zowel kinderen als volwassenen. Daarna wordt het meer verhaal dan concrete tips, wat misschien maar best was voor de kinderen.
Het boek bevatte, vooral in het begin, heel concrete, praktische en haalbare tips (zoals bamboo tandenborstels gebruiken). Ernaar luisteren leidde tot samen praten over hoe moeilijk het is om een evenwicht te vinden en blijven zoeken naar verbetering. Het verklaarde ook een aantal dingen die wij doen en die de kinderen soms maar raar vinden, dat was mooi meegenomen :)
Hope is een heerlijk positieve meid en zet aan tot actie. Wij gaan alvast nog meer ons best doen om plastic te vermijden!
Het boek bevatte, vooral in het begin, heel concrete, praktische en haalbare tips (zoals bamboo tandenborstels gebruiken). Ernaar luisteren leidde tot samen praten over hoe moeilijk het is om een evenwicht te vinden en blijven zoeken naar verbetering. Het verklaarde ook een aantal dingen die wij doen en die de kinderen soms maar raar vinden, dat was mooi meegenomen :)
Hope is een heerlijk positieve meid en zet aan tot actie. Wij gaan alvast nog meer ons best doen om plastic te vermijden!
December 26, 2021
This is such a great and simple story but with a great message about the environment and problem with plastic. ‘Hope Jones Saves the World’ is filled with black, white and grey illustrations among the text and boasts, on the back cover, that it’s a fully recylable book with no plastic finishes! Hope Jones makes a New Year’s resolution, to stop using plastic to help save the world, but it’s not so easy to save the planet from plastic when it is literally everywhere!
Hope begins a blog showing what she’s going to do to help end the use of plastic and soon starts protesting at her local supermarket. This whole story is written in a fun style of almost daily blog posts and I love the journey Hope goes on to save the world. The story begins with Hope explaining a bit about her resolution and why plastics are bad for the planet. There are lots of fun pictures on the way breaking up the text and I love how easy this book was to get into right away.
As Hope gets more involved in her battle against plastic she ends up going viral and gets more and more people involved in her cause. I love how this story shows just how easy it is for all of us to help reduce our plastic use, even if we think it’s difficult to do so at first. The story is a fun one with Hope and her family having a few problems along the way and although the story is overall a very happy and positive, what happened at the Willow Foods meeting does show the unfortunate reality of how difficult it is to stop plastics being used when some people or organisations aren’t so keen.
The illustrations just make this book so enjoyable to read. The characters are all fun to look at, their expressions clear, and I just love how the illustrations and borders of pages and things help to make the text feel easier to read. The story is funny and ends in a great and positive way. And I just love the fact that at the back of the book, after the tale is finished, there are ideas that children use to help them save the planet and encourage others to do the same.
Overall this is a fun book and with a positive environmental message. The ideas in the book for reducing plastic use are simple ones and I love how it shows that so much good can come from doing this one thing. It’s certainly a book that will be easy to enjoy and one that will help kids to understand the plastic problem as well as help them come up with ideas to help reduce their plastic use, if they want to. This is a really enjoyable read and one I’d recommend, though I did think the mention of black bogeys was, for me, a little bit too much…ew! lol
-Thanks to Andersen Press for a free copy for review.
Hope begins a blog showing what she’s going to do to help end the use of plastic and soon starts protesting at her local supermarket. This whole story is written in a fun style of almost daily blog posts and I love the journey Hope goes on to save the world. The story begins with Hope explaining a bit about her resolution and why plastics are bad for the planet. There are lots of fun pictures on the way breaking up the text and I love how easy this book was to get into right away.
As Hope gets more involved in her battle against plastic she ends up going viral and gets more and more people involved in her cause. I love how this story shows just how easy it is for all of us to help reduce our plastic use, even if we think it’s difficult to do so at first. The story is a fun one with Hope and her family having a few problems along the way and although the story is overall a very happy and positive, what happened at the Willow Foods meeting does show the unfortunate reality of how difficult it is to stop plastics being used when some people or organisations aren’t so keen.
The illustrations just make this book so enjoyable to read. The characters are all fun to look at, their expressions clear, and I just love how the illustrations and borders of pages and things help to make the text feel easier to read. The story is funny and ends in a great and positive way. And I just love the fact that at the back of the book, after the tale is finished, there are ideas that children use to help them save the planet and encourage others to do the same.
Overall this is a fun book and with a positive environmental message. The ideas in the book for reducing plastic use are simple ones and I love how it shows that so much good can come from doing this one thing. It’s certainly a book that will be easy to enjoy and one that will help kids to understand the plastic problem as well as help them come up with ideas to help reduce their plastic use, if they want to. This is a really enjoyable read and one I’d recommend, though I did think the mention of black bogeys was, for me, a little bit too much…ew! lol
-Thanks to Andersen Press for a free copy for review.
November 21, 2020
What a great story. Hope has very real, manageable ways for everyone to reduce their plastic use. Like a lot of us, she gets frustrated when it seems like there's too much plastic for her to make a difference, and like probably rather less of us, she keeps going anyway, reasoning that any amount of plastic she can save is better than none.
I liked that everyone around her had different reactions; some of the business people she approached were receptive, some didn't want to hear it, mostly her family helped her but occasionally they got fed up and so on. There was no one-size-fits-all, which I thought was great.
The tips and ideas were great and really easy to implement - most people have reusable bags now, and having a reusable bottle isn't too much more of a step. Carrying your own cutlery when you're going out is easy enough too, and there's plenty of other ideas in here. As Hope says, if everyone who reads it saves ten pieces of plastic...
I really enjoyed this and I think other people will too.
PS You can really visit the website Hope uses as her blog! There are activity sheets and a plastic tracker to download.
I liked that everyone around her had different reactions; some of the business people she approached were receptive, some didn't want to hear it, mostly her family helped her but occasionally they got fed up and so on. There was no one-size-fits-all, which I thought was great.
The tips and ideas were great and really easy to implement - most people have reusable bags now, and having a reusable bottle isn't too much more of a step. Carrying your own cutlery when you're going out is easy enough too, and there's plenty of other ideas in here. As Hope says, if everyone who reads it saves ten pieces of plastic...
I really enjoyed this and I think other people will too.
PS You can really visit the website Hope uses as her blog! There are activity sheets and a plastic tracker to download.
June 30, 2024
I enjoyed this book a lot.
It reminded me of how I used to be when I was around the same age. I was obsessed with global warming issues and trying to get people to understand why we had to do something. This was before the days of the internet and I had no idea about protesting but I tried and eventually I got depressed with getting nowhere and although I never gave up I gave up on trying to convince people. At least for a while.
This book is good because it teaches kids that trying to do the right thing can be difficult and maybe you’ll stumble along the way but trying and even making a small difference can add up to a big difference if everyone does it. I wish someone could have told a young me that.
I also liked the blog style format, it broke the story up in to short sections perfect to read as a bedtime story.
A great read for any one who wants to do more for the environment.
It reminded me of how I used to be when I was around the same age. I was obsessed with global warming issues and trying to get people to understand why we had to do something. This was before the days of the internet and I had no idea about protesting but I tried and eventually I got depressed with getting nowhere and although I never gave up I gave up on trying to convince people. At least for a while.
This book is good because it teaches kids that trying to do the right thing can be difficult and maybe you’ll stumble along the way but trying and even making a small difference can add up to a big difference if everyone does it. I wish someone could have told a young me that.
I also liked the blog style format, it broke the story up in to short sections perfect to read as a bedtime story.
A great read for any one who wants to do more for the environment.
January 19, 2021
Hope Jones is a conscientious child who intends to educate us about the perils of plastic; this happens through a series of mixed media extracts which really compel you to keep reading.
I love the message, and I found the approach to it delicate and not at all patronising, as some environmental books can be (especially aimed at children!). The graphics, illustrations and newspaper extracts go a long way to making this book feel less like an educational message and more like a fun read. Unfortunately, there was no convincing a 7 year old that this was a book they would want to keep reading - the message was loud and clear very early on without needing an entire novel about it.
So, I like the approach, but I don't think the story itself is compelling enough to hold interest.
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I love the message, and I found the approach to it delicate and not at all patronising, as some environmental books can be (especially aimed at children!). The graphics, illustrations and newspaper extracts go a long way to making this book feel less like an educational message and more like a fun read. Unfortunately, there was no convincing a 7 year old that this was a book they would want to keep reading - the message was loud and clear very early on without needing an entire novel about it.
So, I like the approach, but I don't think the story itself is compelling enough to hold interest.
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2021
This book suffers from what a lot of other books on climate change and the environment do, and completely ignores the privilege of being able to make more environmentally-friendly choices. Hope Jones has middle-class parents that can, firstly, afford plastic alternatives, and secondly have enough time and money to take their child out to protest about plastic consumption and meet with supermarket managers/CEOs.
The climate change movement is also dominated by white people, and although this book had POC characters in it, it would be nice to have a children's book on the environment with a POC main character.
I also disliked the narrator's voice (I listened to this in audiobook), so I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the physical copy.
That being said, I think many children will be able to take something away from Hope Jones.
The climate change movement is also dominated by white people, and although this book had POC characters in it, it would be nice to have a children's book on the environment with a POC main character.
I also disliked the narrator's voice (I listened to this in audiobook), so I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read the physical copy.
That being said, I think many children will be able to take something away from Hope Jones.
December 2, 2020
This was an enjoyable novel for newly confident readers which is the first in a new series. The character Hope is passionate about saving the world and in this story she focuses on the issue of plastic and the harm it does. Her ambitions are all encompassing and this story captures really well the enthusiasm of a child and how she deals with knockbacks and disappointment. While addressing the complexities of the issues this also highlights the very real positive actions Hope, her friends and those she inspires achieve. As Hope herself says "doing something is better than doing nothing". a good story with a positive, topical message, really enjoyed it.
My thanks to #NetGalley and Anderson Press for the ARC copy in return for an honest review.
My thanks to #NetGalley and Anderson Press for the ARC copy in return for an honest review.
January 6, 2022
A great eco crusader novel that's full of good tips for how to reduce your plastic pollution and raise the issue of pollution within your community. Aimed at young readers in primary school.
Hope Jones may inspire your kids to give a stuff about the world around them. They may want you to stop buying plastic and stop shopping at the supermarket after they read this. There are lots of good suggestions for recycling, reducing and reusing here but it also addresses some of the reasons why people still take convenience over eco friendly options (busy parent, work late etc.).
I listened to the audio book version on borrow box. You may miss some of the diagrams and instructions if you listen this way.
Hope Jones may inspire your kids to give a stuff about the world around them. They may want you to stop buying plastic and stop shopping at the supermarket after they read this. There are lots of good suggestions for recycling, reducing and reusing here but it also addresses some of the reasons why people still take convenience over eco friendly options (busy parent, work late etc.).
I listened to the audio book version on borrow box. You may miss some of the diagrams and instructions if you listen this way.
April 4, 2021
I read the audiobook version and felt the requests to look at pictures annoying, secondly whilst Hope is trying to remove all plastic, there was a lack of education in responsible use of plastic. No emphasis on disposing of plastic appropriately or the inconsiderate littering and discarding of plastic after use. There was no main rationalle given for the use of plastic other than cost. Finally children should learn empathy, why others do what they do, not just protest until blue in the face. Yes the book has a significant message but much more could have been developed to make Hope Jones a more successful campaigner.
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November 23, 2020This book is great! If you know a child who is worried about the future, this book will help and inspire and remind them that they can't change everything and everyone ... but each little change is a win.
If you know a family who maybe could use a gentle nudge towards doing more for the planet, this is also the book for you! Hope's worries and dilemmas as she tries to achieve her New Year's resolution to use no plastic are realistic and the book works through them very well.
Great voice, engaging format as an online blog with lots of pictures, great message. Good for ages 8 and above.
If you know a family who maybe could use a gentle nudge towards doing more for the planet, this is also the book for you! Hope's worries and dilemmas as she tries to achieve her New Year's resolution to use no plastic are realistic and the book works through them very well.
Great voice, engaging format as an online blog with lots of pictures, great message. Good for ages 8 and above.
January 5, 2021
A lovely book for lower KS2. Hope Jones decides her new year’s resolution is to save the world by encouraging people to cut down on their plastic consumption. Written 8n the form of a daily blog, Hope recounts her experiences, rejoicing in her victories and reflecting in her defeats.
This would be a great book for a class tackling a topic on climate change, plastic pollution or political activism.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This would be a great book for a class tackling a topic on climate change, plastic pollution or political activism.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2021
This was a brilliant book. I'm not the target audience but I still enjoyed it. I love that this was educational yet entertaining. It delivers an important message and was inspirational.
The only thing I have to say about the audiobook is that I didn't feel like I got the full reading experience. There were illustrations and other artworks that were referred to in the audiobook that I missed out on seeing.
The only thing I have to say about the audiobook is that I didn't feel like I got the full reading experience. There were illustrations and other artworks that were referred to in the audiobook that I missed out on seeing.
September 28, 2021
An earnest graphic-like novel about Hope who starts protesting about plastic outside her local grocery store. She is charming, although the plot is predictable. This series is from the UK, and everything is “brilliant.” It also is an actual blog that Hope writes, so it reads young, perhaps like a chapter book.
January 2, 2023
I read this book with my Year 4s in autumn term but we never got around to finishing it. I took it home over Christmas to finish it as I needed to see what happened (I don’t plan English) and it was a good story for my pupils, a bit ignorant to privilege but the general idea was really good and the children loved it
July 18, 2021
Goed thema: plastic minderen en daarbij anderen motiveren hetzelfde te doen.
Geschreven in blogstijl. Niet heel spannend en taalrijk geschreven, maar wel toegankelijk boek voor kinderen om zelf te lezen in groep 6 t/m 8.
Geschreven in blogstijl. Niet heel spannend en taalrijk geschreven, maar wel toegankelijk boek voor kinderen om zelf te lezen in groep 6 t/m 8.
January 7, 2022
I loved the book it was a short book but very detailed. Hope Jones wanted to save the world by putting up signs saying your plastic is killing animals and Earth. This book is very interesting to read. I would definitely recommend to a friend.
By Belle
By Belle
August 24, 2020
Enjoyed reading this about reducing plastic from a child’s point of view it had me chuckling to myself and could have continued to read more if it was a longer story
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March 2, 2022This book is now available for loan as an EBOOK from the SEC at Harcourt Hill Library :)
January 19, 2023
We all need a little Hope in our world.
September 13, 2022
Hope Jones has decided that for her New Year’s Resolution, she is going to give up plastic, in order to help save the world, and she goes about trying to encourage others to also do this. She writes in her blog about it and teaches others how they can avoid using so much plastic, even if it only involves giving up a little bit at a time.
The book has nice graphics, which will appeal to children, and help them visualise what Hope's cause is all about.
I love how Hope wants the best for others and for the world, and I hope she continues to be this inspirational.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
The book has nice graphics, which will appeal to children, and help them visualise what Hope's cause is all about.
I love how Hope wants the best for others and for the world, and I hope she continues to be this inspirational.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.
August 14, 2020
MG story with environmental theme set out in the style of a blog. Lots of cross-curricular opportunities for using this book in primary schools. You can read my full review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews