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Luz Sees the Light (The Future According to Luz) Paperback – August 1, 2011

by Claudia Dávila (Author, Illustrator)

4.2 10 ratings

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Change is in the air. Power outages are increasing, and gas prices are soaring. At first, 12-year-old Luz balks, hardly thrilled by the prospect of actually having to walk to the mall. But Luz doesn't mope for long. After all, her name --- pronounced ?loose? --- means ?light.? Soon, this intelligent and spirited chica begins to understand that she must change with the times. As food prices rise, Luz decides to help create a more self-sustainable community by transforming a run-down city lot into a garden where she and her neighbors can grow their own fruits and vegetables. But when she solicits help from her friends --- boy-crazy Anika and computer-whiz Robby --- they think she's a little loco. Luz pedals her idea on the street, but the community is equally dismissive. Can Luz pull off her plan and help change her world alone? This graphic novel is a kid-friendly take on sustainable living in a fossil fuel-dependent world. Preteens will love the fearless, fiery and resourceful heroine and will find inspiration in her efforts to steer her society toward self-sustainable living. Hip and energetic illustrations bring Luz and her world to life in a jazzy, appealing fashion, and a bonus chapter teaches kids how to make garden compost.

Editorial Reviews

Review

... an enjoyable book that should inspire kids to act locally.―Publishers Weekly

This book is a good transitional reader for children interested in activism or the environment.―School Library Journal

Davila's black, white, and sepia-washed illustrations, set inside generously sized panels, manage to be friendly and dynamic with just the right amount of seriousness - a fitting complement to this story.―Quill & Quire

A high-energy consciousness raiser, if not a practical guide to environmental issues and action.―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Graphic designer and children's illustrator Claudia Dávila was born in Chile and now makes her home in Toronto. She was formerly the art director of Chirp and Chickadee magazines.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kids Can Press (August 1, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1554537665
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1554537662
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ GN550L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 0.33 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,079,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,360 in Children's Environment Books (Books)
- #4,622 in Children's Books on Girls' & Women's Issues
- #7,218 in Children's Comics & Graphic Novels (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 10 ratings

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KatieWonderGirl

we need more books like this.

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2012

My kids really enjoyed this, and I was glad to be able to share something with them that showed a "real" seeming kid struggling with issues I fully expect them to grapple with as our resource-constrained and climate-catastrophized future unfolds.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Yuba Gals Independent Media (Consignment)

Luz - an eco-heroine - from a grown-up's perspective

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2012

Reading Nancy Drew books fed my young imagination with a much-needed female character who's intelligent, gutsy, clever, and resourceful while she solved mysteries, fighting the "bad guys" and helping the oppressed. A real heroine.

Luz is a similar role model for modern girls in an action-packed graphic novel Luz Sees the Light (great pun: Luz means "light" in Spanish). She's an energetic young teen who becomes increasingly aware of troubles in her environment. Sure, we get a slice of her life in the city--going to school, meeting a new kid in the neighborhood. And she's a typical teen consumer saving her money to buy some cool shoes. But she ends up walking to the mall with a friend after her mom refuses to drive her due to high gasoline prices. An electricity blackout becomes not just a silencer of electronic toys, but an opportunity to hang out with friends face-to-face.

Luz finds herself attracted to the quiet of a trashed-filled abandoned lot, and imagines it could be--how about a park for the neighborhood? And she's inspired by resourceful DIY neighbors growing veggies in their small garden and re-using stuff. Unbeknownst to her family, she gets the city's permission to clean up the lot. Her friends join in to remove trash, add plants and a concert area. At the big unveiling of the new park, her mom is surprised and delighted. And their new park becomes a start for community-building in the neighborhood for young and old.

Refreshing dynamic graphics, a likable character, and an engaging story to promote ecological awareness and action.

Since I'm not a mom, a teacher, or a librarian, I'm curious to know how young readers respond to the book. Is her transformation into environmental awareness believable and admirable? Would her changes inspire real kids to take the initiative like she does? Would they feel they're being preached to instead of shown? I'm not sure.

3 people found this helpful

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Debra Hunter

I Should've Lowered My Expectations A Bit

Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2016

Since I don't read a lot of graphic novels (even though I kind of own one), I wasn't that interested. Right off the bat, Luz seems to be a dumb name-until you learn that it means light. (Even though I try not to nitpick, I lose interest in something where the main protagonist has a dumb name.) Also, it said that she'd try to change her situation. That made me expect a good story. I was kind of let down.

I thought that I'd end up liking Luz. Well, I found her a little annoying. Of course, she's not as bad as her friends (who'll I get to in the next paragraph). On the brightside, she kind of fulfilled my expectations.

Even though I found Luz annoying, I found her tolerable compared to Robert. He finds out that Luz's family is serving rabbit then runs out! How's that an acceptable reaction? Then, he tries to ignore her for a while the next day. It didn't help that he and Anika considered her idea of turning the abandoned lot into a farm crazy. Wait a minute. Unless your friend launches a harebrained scheme, aren't you supposed to support them? Then again, I don't go around disrespecting my friends. Still, at least they decided to help her out soon after.

That said, there are a few things I liked. I understood why Luz's mother didn't want to drive her to the mall. When she went to get gas, it costed about $7! Also, I understood why she wanted to start shopping local because, it's implied that they're kind of poor.

I empathized with Luz when she found out that the sneakers costed $90. I imagine that she worked hard for several months just to get $50. Then, she finds out the price skyrocketed. That would make anybody upset. I'm also glad that she was smart enough to just lose interest.

Even if you write off Gord as just a pessimist, you have to admit that he's smart enough to prepare. He realizes that they're living in a bad situation and is not trying to distract himself from that fact. His way might be considered a little strange, though. He was carrying around an oil drum or two.

Even though I'm indifferent about the preview of the next book, I'll admit that it contains basic information about composting. There's one thing I found a little funny. When Gord says ,"In nature there's no such thing as waste.", I guess he's never heard about surplus killing. Even though I don't know about the frequency, I do know that every species of predator has done that. That said, I'm aware that scavengers exist to clean up the mess.