Town Life

These titles in the Project Eco-City series examine the challenges facing ever-growing urban populations. The attractive designs intersperse clearly delineated blocks of text with photographs, charts and drawings; both books suggest related hands-on projects--``Run a School Eco-Audit,'' ``Make a Compost Can.'' Town Life focuses on the ecological demands of town living, including the toll taken on surrounding land and water by transportation, sewage, energy and trash needs, and discusses problems faced when the requirements of people and nature collide. Global Cities covers some of the same material, but adopts a more international approach. Parker looks at how major metropolitan areas have developed environmental problems, and at the diverse methods being used to combat waste and pollution. Such issues as overcrowding (e.g., Mexico City) and transportation alternatives (e.g., Copenhagen) are intermixed with a comforting dailiness--festivals and street art, for example. Concise works on critical subjects. Ages 9-11. (Feb.)