To Dye For by Alden Wicker

A Next Big Idea Club selection for June, TO DYE FOR by Alden Wicker is definitely worth reading. Wicker, an award-winning journalist and sustainable-fashion expert, outlines “How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick.” She uses very relatable examples, including the new uniforms distributed to Alaskan Airline personnel and subsequent adverse reactions. Hives, rashes, breathing difficulties are just a few examples of how Wicker contends that clothes (and the many unregulated chemicals they carry) may make us sick. Later chapters address concerns like fertility issues and autoimmune disease. Fashion is a 2.5 trillion-dollar global industry so it has vast resources and that means increasing consumer knowledge and wariness is critical. Wicker describes conditions in factories abroad and offers an entire chapter with suggestions of how to protect yourself (more natural fabrics, less dry cleaning, etc.). Approximately twenty percent of the book contains a lengthy Glossary and detailed Notes. I agree with Booklist which gave TO DYE FOR a starred review and which also recommended the text for teens, saying that as a group they “are way ahead of the curve with sustainable fashion, and they will appreciate this smart investigation.” Our students will be engaged and further motivated after reading TO DYE FOR. Looking for a preview? The publisher’s website has an audio excerpt and amazon offers one to read. Even better: “meet” the author via Zoom on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00pm (East Coast time) at an event sponsored by the Hudson Library and Historical Society.