In pictures without words, the reader follows the journey of one brown paper bag from a tree in the forest through the years it is used by three generations of one family until eventually the old bag becomes the container in which a new tree is planted.

Hundreds of years in the future, a thick white mist covers the Earth, leaving only mountaintops habitable for humanity. The Five Families rule over the slums and junkyards, and the ruthless Lord Kodoc brings his harsh order to the skies. Ships sail the fog, like Hazel's salvage raft. Working for Hazel is Chess, the tetherboy, a boy who has a secret that Lord Kodoc, if he ever learned about it, could use for evil.

Amelia Bedelia and her friends rally their town into recycling, but soon end up with more junk than they know what to do with. Plus, there's a graffiti artist on the loose! -- adapted from dust jacket.

In a futuristic world, teenaged Nailer scavenges copper wiring from grounded oil tankers for a living, but when he finds a beached clipper ship with a girl in the wreckage, he has to decide if he should strip the ship for its wealth or rescue the girl.

"When a little girl's cherished baby blanket becomes old and worn, it is made into a dress, and over the years it is made into even smaller and smaller items, eventually ending up as a bookmark and inspiring the creation of a book. Includes an author's note and a glossary"-- Provided by publisher.

Pinch is a pack rat who does not want to give up the possessions that are cluttering his house, but when he finally is persuaded to sell them at a neighborhood tag sale, he discovers the beauty of recycling. Includes tips on "reducing, reusing, and recycling."

Ixchel, a young Mayan girl who is not allowed to use her mother's thread to weave, exercises her ingenuity and repurposes plastic bags to create colorful weavings. Includes glossary and author's note.