Hot Planet offers young readers the perfect, non-alarmist introduction to Earth's climate change crisis

Climate change is a new reality in today's world. From melting ice caps to forest fires, climate change is responsible for dramatic freak weather events and Earth is now warmer than it has been at any point in the last 650,000 years.

Hot Planet aims to raise readers aged nine and up's awareness of the challenges of climate change in a non-alarmist, yet realistic, way. It explores what climate change is, what is believed to cause it, its current impact on the world and what might happen in the future if it progresses at current rates. It also highlights the social inequality of climate change, as richer and more industrialised countries contribute far more heavily to climate change through their energy consumption, yet poorer, less developed nations are currently much more affected by it.

The book looks ahead at how we can all help combat the climate change crisis, from global changes such as investing in sustainable energy sources to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, to green schemes such as carbon pricing, to practical solutions such as eating less meat and using public transport or cycling, rather than driving.

The author, Anna Claybourne, is an award-winning science writer.