"The Antidotes: Pollution Solution" by Dr. Patricia Mechael is an award-winning middle-grade book that combines an exciting eco-adventure with valuable life lessons. The story fosters STEM education, public health awareness, and environmental consciousness among young readers, making it an essential read for children and adults alike.

The Antidotes

In the wake of a global pandemic, a band of intrepid fifth-grade friends is thrown headlong into a high-stakes environmental crisis as the waters of the Chesapeake Bay become a hotbed for a disastrous plastic-eating bacteria experiment. With their school shuttered and the health of children and marine life at risk, Izi, Gir, and their classmates uncover a shocking cover-up and respond by forming the Antidotes—a group of dedicated young climate warriors.

Navigating through secret meetings and undercover operations, the Antidotes leverage STEM strategies and youthful creativity to find clean water solutions, rallying children around the globe towards zero plastic use before it's too late. Join the Antidotes on their first exhilarating science adventure—where time is of the essence, and the stakes have never been higher.

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Free Resources

Free Resource for Teachers: The Antidotes: Pollution Solution Classroom Activity and Discussion Guide
This free resource for Science and Reading teachers aims to help classroom teachers and reading specialists use the middle-grade STEM fiction novel, The Antidotes: Pollution Solution, to engage students in grades 4 through 7 in fun cross- disciplinary science, environment, public health, arts, and reading activities.

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Praise for The Antidotes

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Global warming. The climate crisis. Plastic-eating bacteria. These are only some of the issues that are tackled by author Patty Mechael in the deeply engaging and layered book, THE ANTIDOTES: The Pollution Solution. The first in a series of middle-grade science adventure books, it addresses various issues via a group of diverse friends who come together to solve problems arising from a corporate experiment that ends badly. An engrossing, superbly paced read right till the end.

—Rachel Randolph, Indiereader Review

Patty Mechael’s The Antidotes is the perfect book for young readers to feed their passion for science and the environment and make a commitment to try to make a positive impact on the planet. This inspirational book will encourage readers to take action and create a change in their homes and communities.

—Literary Titan Awards 5-Star Review

Congratulations to Patty Mechael!

The Antidotes: Pollution Solution is our latest Certified great Read!

—Reading With Your Kids Podcast

Unpredictable, exciting, and thoroughly engrossing… A page-turner.

—The Prairies Book Review

Encouraging Kids to Pursue STEM Issues in Exciting New Children’s Novel

-Book Trib.

The Antidotes News, Interviews, and Podcasts

Invisible Water Quality: STEM education activities for kids / pupils / parents / teachers

Fireside Chat with Thoughtworks

Good Day Orange County TV Interview with Lauren Solomon

The Celeste Stein Show

Roger Nicols Cover to Cover Book Beat

Bridging Health & Technology: STEM Career Interview with global health expert & author Patty Mechael

Mission 4.7 Interview with Patty & Gabriel

Big Blend Radio’s Nature Connection Podcast Interview with Patty

Exploring Mind and Body with Drew

Golden State Media Concepts Book Review Podcast Interview with Sarah Meckler

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Reading with Your Kids Podcast Interview with Patty

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Ordinarily Extraordinary- Conversations with Women in STEM Podcast

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Oak Knoll School Alumna Patricia Mechael ’92 Draws on Career in Public Health to Co-write Book with Her Son

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Teaching Learning Leading K12 with Steve Miletto

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Literary Titan Author Interview

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At the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Patty and her son Gabriel talked about how the pandemic might have been different if children were more actively engaged. They created The Antidotes during long walks with their pandemic puppy. Patty drew inspiration from her experience with a team of young boys in South Sudan that she had enlisted to map a two-year outbreak of a mysterious and often-fatal illness. The World Health Organization used those maps and quickly identified the disease as relapsing fever. The boys then began a campaign to help school children teach their families how to prevent and treat the disease.