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One Peace: True Stories of Young Activists

by Janet Wilson

This collection of poems, stories, and illustrations of young lives caught up in a cycle of poverty, violence, and illiteracy unleashes the voices of those too-often silenced or ignored. Though at times the layout is a bit confusing, the book’s freewheeling nature provides a diverse and telling emotional impact through words and pictures that express the visions of change of children worldwide who were inspired by their own pain and that of others. The analysis tends to be superficial in nature, but the stories get to the heart of conflict in the lives of children, who, as one young writer says, are not the future, but “the present, a present which we all have to build together.”

What is remarkable is the sheer breadth of activity from these inspirational young leaders. From Craig Keilburger of Free the Children and Kimmie Weeks of Youth Action International to Sonia Azad of Children Against the War and Alaina Podmorow of Little Women 4 Little Women in Afghanistan, these are young people forming grassroots organizations that, in many cases, have become powerful forces for change.

Wilson has provided a much-needed call to action for adults and children alike. The theme of this collection is clear: feeling powerless is no longer an excuse for inaction, and the fact that one person – of any age – can indeed make a difference is not a cliché, but rather a necessary way of living if we are to have a future.

 

Reviewer: Laurel Smith

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers

DETAILS

Price: $19.95

Page Count: 48 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 978-1-55143-892-4

Released: Oct.

Issue Date: 2008-12

Categories:

Age Range: 10+