Justine McKeen, Walk the Talk
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The video ended.
Mrs. Howie turned the lights on and the television off.
“Girls,” she said, “do you have any questions about the message from our janitor?”
Three girls put their hands up.
“Yes,” Mrs. Howie said to the first girl.
Sydney Martin’s eyes bulged. “Can I go to the bathroom? I have to brush my teeth! Right now!”
Ava had her hand over her mouth and said, “Me too! Please! Right now! I can’t believe he uses toilet water to clean the mirror!”
Then the third girl, Mya, said, “Please! Right now! I feel sick.”
Justine tried not to giggle. She knew they had kissed the mirror.
She also knew they would never do it again.
Notes for Students and Teachers
Chapter One
Many schools have No Idling signs outside them. Not only does this help the environment, but it prevents kids from breathing unhealthy air. If you think this is a problem at your school, you could ask your teacher about trying to put up No Idling signs. But ask nice!
Chapter Four
Roof gardens are a great idea, and they are becoming more and more popular. Often roofs that are black take more energy to cool, so putting plants on the roof saves energy. Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, so the more plants there are, the better. If you think it’s possible to start a roof garden at your school, just make sure you do it with your teachers and not the way Justine did.
Chapter Six
If you have a lot of students who live close enough to your school to be able to walk, it would be a great project to start a walking school bus. As you saw with Justine, it takes planning, parent volunteers and permission slips. You can also start a bicycle train, and it’s just as much fun. Here’s a website with all you need to get started: www.walkingschoolbus.org.
Chapter Ten
It’s a little thing, but did you notice that Justine decided she was going to pick up litter while the dog kept her company in the park. Keep your eyes open for any pieces of litter you see. If every student in your school picked up one piece of litter a day, that would make a huge difference.
Chapter Twelve
Have a fun discussion with your teacher about when it might be appropriate for students to try to influence grown-ups by marching in a public place with signs.
Chapter Thirteen
Here’s a rule to always follow: Never smooch mirrors at school. You never know if the janitor uses toilet water to clean them off.
Sigmund Brouwer is the bestselling author of many books for children and young adults. Sigmund loves visiting schools and talking with youth of all ages about reading and writing. Justine McKeen, Walk the Talk is the second title in his new series about Justine and her efforts to create a greener community. He also has a new book for teachers and parents called Rock & Roll Literacy. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta, and Nashville, Tennessee.