Book Descriptions
for All That Trash by Meghan McCarthy
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, or Mexico, Belize, or the Bahamas. Heading back to where it started, the barge was caught in a court battle while it floated between New York and New Jersey. Finally, after five months and 6,000 miles at sea (with a captain who thought he was setting out for a one-week job), a judge ordered the garbage burned. McCarthy’s slightly quirky illustrations are perfectly suited to this absurd yet true story; while her engaging, thoroughly researched and well-documented narrative skillfully mines facts while letting the drama and moments of humor feel organic to the story. Terrific end matter includes a brief photo essay and facts about the barge and environmental issues related to garbage and recycling along with a source bibliography. (Ages 7–10)
CCBC Choices 2019. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2019. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
An ALA Notable Book
“The year was 1987 and a ship full of trash was about to become famous…The narrative is immensely readable…A fresh take on a story of old garbage guaranteed to spark conversations and a desire for actions among students. Highly recommended.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
A garbage barge that can’t find a place to welcome it sparks a recycling movement in the United States in this smart and smelly picture book from the author of Earmuffs for Everyone.
Lowell Harrelson wanted to turn trash into methane gas so he rented a barge called Morbo 4000. His plan was to ship the garbage from New York to North Carolina, but as the barge floated down the coast, no state would let him dock because of smelly waste on board! The barge became a mockery and the butt of many jokes in the media. What started as an attempted business venture turned into quite the predicament for Mr. Harrelson.
Mobro 4000 roamed the seas for forty-five days and traveled a distance of 6,000 miles. While awaiting its fate, the trash floated in New York’s harbor, garnering much attention by onlookers. Green Peace activists put up a large banner across the barge that read, “NEXT TIME…TRY RECYCLING.”
Even though the garbage barge was a farce, the unintended consequence inspired America to find a new way to deal with its trash.
“The year was 1987 and a ship full of trash was about to become famous…The narrative is immensely readable…A fresh take on a story of old garbage guaranteed to spark conversations and a desire for actions among students. Highly recommended.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
A garbage barge that can’t find a place to welcome it sparks a recycling movement in the United States in this smart and smelly picture book from the author of Earmuffs for Everyone.
Lowell Harrelson wanted to turn trash into methane gas so he rented a barge called Morbo 4000. His plan was to ship the garbage from New York to North Carolina, but as the barge floated down the coast, no state would let him dock because of smelly waste on board! The barge became a mockery and the butt of many jokes in the media. What started as an attempted business venture turned into quite the predicament for Mr. Harrelson.
Mobro 4000 roamed the seas for forty-five days and traveled a distance of 6,000 miles. While awaiting its fate, the trash floated in New York’s harbor, garnering much attention by onlookers. Green Peace activists put up a large banner across the barge that read, “NEXT TIME…TRY RECYCLING.”
Even though the garbage barge was a farce, the unintended consequence inspired America to find a new way to deal with its trash.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
