Empty by Suzanne Weyn

This book is set in the near future and the world is quickly running out of oil.  There is a gas crisis, electricity grids go down, wars over oil, and the US is hit with a super hurricane caused by global warming.  The book follows several teenagers as they go through the crisis and have to learn to cope with a new way of life that does not rely on oil. 
Ironically, I had to fill up  my van with gas the day I read this book and I went to Costco because gas was about 10 cents per gallon cheaper there and there were long lines at the gas pumps.  In the beginning of the book, gas was selling for about $20 per gallon.  I paid $3.64 per gallon but at the rate the prices are going up, $20 per gallon is not looking as outrageous as it might seem.  I am seriously thinking about working closer to home more often to save on gas.
The book is written for an audience of kids in about grades 5-9 and it is a quick read. 
I wish there really was some sort of magnetic electricity generator like the one described in the book.  I think the book may help kids to realize that we really do need to find alternative sources of energy pretty quickly. 
The way the wind is blowing outside right now, wind energy is looking like one good source.  It blew over a huge chunk of one of our trees last night.  Luckily it went over the fence and did not even knock down the fence and no trees landed on our house.