THE SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL

Letters to the future left by a class in 1900 prompt sixth graders in 2025 to consider what their school might be like a century from now.

Drawn from a time capsule unearthed during building renovations, the letters celebrate innovations at the then-new school including indoor plumbing and large windows, marvel at such exciting recent inventions as automobiles and electric lights, and wonder whether the future will bring cures for all diseases. Meanwhile, the modern students discuss upcoming renovations, such as replacing the drafty old windows with weather-tight ones and adding both a rainwater collection system and a rooftop garden. The kids envision great things for 2125, including playground equipment that actually harvests kinetic energy, zero-fuel hover skateboards that use magnets, and extensive uses for leftover food and plastic. Into the bustling mix of monochrome missives from the past and graphic color posters and cartoon panels of the present and future, Fyvie slips nods to five actual “time capsules,” including the arctic Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the wreckage of the Titanic. The book closes with suggestions for readers inspired to create depositories of their own. Along with making lively connections from past to present to future, the modern students engage in ongoing classroom discussions of energy flow and storage, environmentally sustainable practices, and the need and benefits of recycling, all of which will prompt younger audiences to dream along similar lines.

Stimulating and encouraging.