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The great Pacific garbage patch

Laura Perdew - Author

The book connects ocean currents and plastic’s chemical composition with the accumulation of rubbish, then considers consequences for marine habitats, wildlife and people.

More about this book

Humanity's impact on the natural world can have disastrous effects. The Great Pacific Garbage Patchshines a light on the giant accumulation of garbage in the Pacific Ocean. With abundant charts and diagrams and large-format photos, this title explores the science behind ocean currents and plastic's chemical composition to explain the threat trash, especially plastic, poses for the world's oceans, and considers actions people and governments can take to try to improve the situation. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Ocean currents· ExplainedPlastic· ExplainedMarine pollution· Explained

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

ocean currentsplasticmarine pollutionmonitoringclean-upprevention

Non-fictionIllustrated book

Themes in Context

Explaining causes and effects

The book uses science explanations and a cause-and-effect flow chart to connect ocean currents and plastic with the garbage accumulation and its effects.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: Its structure invites readers to follow links between processes, the accumulation of rubbish and consequences for ocean life and people.

Talk about: Which connection in the flow chart would you want to investigate further?

Responses to ocean rubbish

The book considers actions by people and governments and includes sections on monitoring, clean-up efforts and prevention.Provisional reading

Talk about: Which responses does the book present, and what does it say each might achieve?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

Charts, diagrams, photographs and a cause-and-effect flow chart offer several ways into the topic; a glossary and index can help readers revisit unfamiliar terms and sections.

What Deserves Attention

The subject includes environmental damage and threats to ocean life and people; consider whether this environmental focus is right for your reader.

A Conversation Worth Having

Which effects on marine life or people do you find most important, and what makes you think so?

Reading Approach

Pause at the cause-and-effect flow chart and ask the reader to trace one connection. Then compare the monitoring, clean-up and prevention approaches the book presents.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Explaining causes and effects: The precise scientific explanations and how uncertainty or differing views are handled are unclear.
Responses to ocean rubbish: The specific actions, recommendations and assessment of their effectiveness are unclear.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Laura Perdew - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Explaining causes and effects; Responses to ocean rubbish

The great Pacific garbage patch by Laura Perdew | Open Library