Her mother had taught her to revere and love the trees of Kenya.  When few girls went to school, Wangari’s parents managed to send her where she excelled in science.  She won a scholarship to attend college in Kansas where she learned that a woman could do anything she wanted to.  She found her strength as a woman scientist. America had changed her.

When returning to her homeland she accepted a teaching job at the University of Nairobi in a profession were there were very few woman teachers and even less female scientists.  But she also witnessed a change happening in Kenya.  Trees and the land were being destroyed and so much that the people depended on was lost. Wangari had an idea that started as small as a seedling but that would effect  much change in the environment of her country and that was to plant trees.  “We might not change the big world but we change the landscape of the forest,” she said.

Seeds of Change is Wangari Maathai’s inspirational story.  It is a story of planting more than thirty million trees in Kenya.  It is also a story of overcoming and persvering through those who work against you.  It is a story of woman’s rights.  It is a story of giving back to the Earth when we take too much from it.

To quote the book, “She understood that persistence, patience, and commitment – to an idea as small as a seed but as tall as a tree that reaches for the sky – must be planted in every child’s heart. ‘Young people you are our hope and our future,’ she said.”

An excellent portrayal of  Wangari Maathai.  And a great reminder that even as an adult, I learn so much from picture books.


Links of interest: Jen Cullerton Johnson website, Sonia Lynn Sadler website, The Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai biography on Nobel Prize site.
Genre: Non-fiction picture book. Approx ages 4-8.
Publisher: Lee and Low Books.  June 30, 2010.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 160060367X
Copy source: Review copy sent from publisher.
Seeds of Change is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Early one morning Abaani, a young Maasai boy wakes up early, as he does each day, to take his cattle out to graze for the day.  He discovers along the road a new vendor stall tended by a Kikuyu boy.  Knowing that the Kikuyu have begun to farm on the grasslands needed for the Maasai’s cattle, he begins to hurl insults at the boy.  Haki, the Kikuyu boy, indignantly returns the insults.

But when a nearby baby wanders to close to three warthogs in the area, both boys act quickly and together to safely return the child to his mother.  Each begin to think that the other boy must be all right but yet they each go home and say nothing.  Each day Abaani continues to herd his cattle and pass Haki’s stall.  Each are reluctant to speak with each other.  Finally, they both overcome their apprehension and begin to play mancala together each day.  They even realize that they could benefit from trading Haki’s fruit and vegetables for Abaani’s milk.

Just as the zebra, the wildebeest and the gazeel share the grasslands, the boys hope that the Maasai and the Kikuyu will also find their own peaceful way to share the land.

A very touching book about overcoming prejudices, forging friendships and looking beyond conflict towards the hope of a peaceful coexistence.

At the back of the book are some excellent resources including an authors’s note about the people of Kenya, how to play the game mancala, a map of the area and where Kenya is located in Africa.  There is also a pronunciation guide and glossary for the words that children would be unfamiliar with in the story including the tribe names, sayings, animals such as gazelle, warthog, and wildebeest.  It is always attention to these kinds of details and resources that takes a picture book to the next level for me.

Links of interest:  Lynn Barasch website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Lee & Low Books, July 1, 2009.
Hardcover, 40 pages. ISBN 1600603653
Source: Review copy for a 2009 Cybil’s nomination for which I was a panelist.
First Come The Zebra is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Year of No Rain

Eleven-year-old Stephen Majok lives in a small Sudanese village.  When he is not playing with his friends he tends his family’s two cows. His father had become a soldier when he was just a baby and had never come back.  One of his best friends, fourteen-year-old Wol, becomes engaged to his sister.  He wants to marry before he joins the guerrillas in southern Sudan fighting against the northern government soldiers simply so she can remember him. It’s a war that Stephen doesn’t want to go looking for, he just wants to study but with the war school hasn’t been in session for over a year.

But the war soon finds him anyways, as his village is bombed from government soldiers.  His mother tells him to pack his back with his most valued possessions and run into the forest with his friend Wol.  His mother and sister stay behind.  In the forest, they face hunger, thirst,  and fear that their family has been killed.  Orphans they yearn for home but wander unsure of where to go or who to trust.

A story of how children are caught up and affected in a horrible war.  Stephen is a character whom readers can easily sympathize with.  It’s easily written and perfect for young readers who are discovering the stories of people outside of their life circle and culture.  It’s one that will elicit discussion about the ill effects of war, brutality, hunger, thirst, and the power of the individual, optimism, and the hunger for stability, family, love, and education.

Links of interest: Alice Mead website, more book blogger reviews. I read this book as part of the water theme for the Social Justice Challenge.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher: Perfection Learning. January 2005.
Hardcover, 129 pages. ISBN 0756951585
Source copy: Own
Year of No Rain is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope

At the age of 14, William Kamkwamba was forced to drop out of school because his family was unable to pay the $80 school fees.  Having a very inquisitive mind and not wanting to fall behind his peers, the library quickly became his best friend.  Checking out book after book, particularly books about energy, he would studiously analyze each one.  Most were in English, so he would have to infer the text through the diagrams and illustrations.

In 2002, his home country of Malawi was struck with a severe famine which left his family farm devastated and thousands died of starvation.  Each day his family ate less and less.   But yet with an empty stomach, William continued to study.  When he saw his first picture of a windmill, he was blown away.  Here was a machine that would use their abdunant natural resource of wind to create energy, thus bringing electricity and running water to his home. With electricity, his family could accomplish more in the evening hours at home and with running water they could irrigate and harvest a second crop.

William foraged for scrap metal, bicycle parts, and other components that he would need to build his own windmill.  He received no support from his village or even his family, as they all thought he was crazy.  Building the windmill took patience and perseverance but his work paid off.  Soon the villagers were all marveling when he began to power his radio and light his home.  And what blew my mind away was that he was FOURTEEN!  He stuck with this project for months and self-taught himself everything that he needed to know.  William blew me away.

The best part about the book is that what could ultimately be a dry and technical read – “How to Build a Windmill 101″ – was a great narrative.  I couldn’t put it down.  William’s story is a testament of what one person can accomplish if they don’t give up in the face of opposition.  It’s also a testament to the thought that with knowledge comes power.  And it also reminds me, the Western reader, that electricity is something that I shouldn’t take for granted.  When I flick a switch, it’s something that I don’t even think about.  The light comes on.  But for Williams’ Malawi village, electricity is something that seemed out of their reach.  That is,  until a fourteen year old boy, changed it all.

Here are a few videos to whet your appetite for the book.  This is the first public appearance that William Kamkwamba made at age 19 at TEDGlobal 2007. As he wrote about this event in the book, I really liked to watch this video:

Two years later, he spoke at the same event again. I loved seeing his transformation, his confidence, and his message at the end – “Trust yourself and believe. Don’t give up.”

A Moving Windmills short based on the full-length documentary of the same name, Moving Windmills: The William Kamkwamba Story which is currently in production:

Take the time to watch the videos and let me know what you think.  Have you read the book?  What was most inspiring to you?

Links of interest:  William Kamkwamba website, on twitter, more book blogger reviews. buildOn.org is the charity organization which Moving Windmils project has partnered with to rebuild Kamkwamba primary school. I read this book as part of the water theme for the Social Justice Challenge.
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Publisher: William Morrow.  September 29, 2009.
Hardcover, 288 pages. ISBN 0061730327
Source copy: Library
The Boy Who Harnessed the Windis available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

I first noticed Little Bee when it was first released a year ago because how could I ignore a cover like that?  As soon as I saw this cover, I knew I would like it.  And then the buzz was really good but yet I never managed to read it right away.  SHAME on me for waiting a year to read it because this was MY kind of book.  I loved everything about it.

But the thing is, I really can’t tell you anything about it.  Right on the back cover:

It is a truly special story and we don’t want to spoil it.  Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:  It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.  The story starts there, but the book doesn’t.  And it’s what happens afterward that is most important.  Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds.

I didn’t know ANYTHING about this book before opening it and I was so GLAD that I didn’t.  So I’m not going to spoil it for you either.

The only thing that I will say is that the book is about war, marriage, the refugee system in Britain and the connections that are made between people.  It’s a tough subject matter with truly heartbreaking scenes but interspersed with hilarious moments.  I was truly caught up within a huge range of emotions from laughing out loud to gasping in horror.

(And for those of you who have read the book will understand when I say that my boys are huge into batman and literally were wearing their batman costumes around the house while I was reading this one.  So it truly made for a complete immersion experience.)

And if you’re wondering even more what batman has to do with the book, then you’ll just have to read it!

I seriously just want to point you over to Rebecca’s review because she says exactly what I would want to say about the book but so much better than what I can at the moment:

Little Bee is beautiful, awful, hopeful, devastating, and utterly unforgettable. Cleave juxtaposes gorgeous, almost poetic prose with a truly horrific story that is made bearable by moments of great humor and warmth, many of which are provided by Sarah’s son Charlie, a four-year-old who is convinced he is Batman.

Read Little Bee for the language and the variety of voices that are so incredible you’ll want to wrap yourself up with them and stay for days. Read it for Cleave’s ability to tell a story that is framed by politics but that is ultimately about people. Read it because it does all the things fiction is supposed to do and then some. From the striking cover to the very last word, Little Bee is intense, satisfying, and not to be missed. This is a story you will carry with you for the rest of your reading days.

I couldn’t agree more!

Loved it, loved it, loved it.  I hope you love it too.  And if you don’t . . . well, maybe I’d rather not know about it. 

I was fortunate to go hear Chris Cleave at The Kings English Bookshop this past month.  Hands down one of the best authors I’ve heard speak. And a genuinely nice guy. And you know how some authors should never narrate or even read their own books out loud?  Cleave was superb during his reading.  I’ve included a lot of video for you to watch if interested.  Lots of fun stuff.  I had not read the book when I went and there were no spoilers.  When he reads it’s only in the first chapter.  His voice is a bit quiet so you’ll want to turn your volume up pretty high.

On how we used to view and treat asylum seekers:

On how Britain now treats its asylum seekers compared to decades ago:

On why he writes fiction. I loved the story of his little boy in this one:

On writing Little Bee, part 1:

On writing Little Bee, part 2:

Chris reads the first chapter of Little Bee which is told from Little Bee’s viewpoint. Loved seeing how he, as the author, envisions the book to be read. Worth watching the whole thing:

Chris reading from the second chapter of Little Bee which is told from Sara’s viewpoint:

Such a good book!!

Have you read it?

Links of interest: Chris Cleave website, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster February 16, 2010 (originally published February 10,2009)
Paperback, 304 pages. ISBN 1416589643
Source copy: Purchased
Little Bee is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

What I liked about Escape Under the Forever Sky was that it takes place in Ethiopia.  Thirteen-year-old Lucy is the daughter of an American Ambassador and is sick and tired of being treated like a baby who can’t take care of herself.  Her over-protective  mother won’t let her go out on her own.  What she wants most is a bit of freedom.  She longs for the African Safari and the animals that she loves so much.

Lucy decides that she’s had enough and while at her best friends house sneaks away from her bodyguard fully intent on having some innocent fun in town.  Her over-protective mother has always been over-protective for a reason and Lucy fatefully discovers that reason when she is kidnapped.  Taken to a remote location in the Ethiopian wilderness, Lucy knows that she can not rely on the American Embassy for help.  Her only hope is to escape and stay ahead of her kidnappers while braving the wild animals, dense forest, and finding civilization.

I thought this was a great book about a young American girl living in Africa who discovers she has much to learn about the world.  A very fast read and I’d recommend it.  It’s one of those books where she’s so bratty in the beginning that you know that she’s got to have something coming for her.  Come it did.

Links of interest:  Eve Yohalem website, book club questions,  more book blogger reviews.
Genre:  Juvenile Fiction, approx ages 9-12.
Publisher:  Chronicle Books.  April 15, 2009
Hardcover, 224 pages.  ISBN:  081186653X
Source copy: Library
Escape Under the Forever Sky is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Everything in America is strange, cold, bright, and moves so fast.  Making the adjustment isn’t easy and sometimes he still sleeps on the floor instead of his bed because he has bad dreams about war, running, and hiding.  Sangoel starts school and joins the soccer team.  The problem is, nobody can pronounce his name.  Everybody tries but no matter how many times he tells them, nobody can say it.  He tells his mother, “In America I have lost my name.”  She suggests that perhaps he needs a new America name.  But he remembers the words of the wise old man back in Sudan “You will always be Sangoel.”

Sangoel comes up with a creative idea to teach others how to say his name and at the same time begin to adjust in his new home with new friends.

My Name is Sangoel is an excellent book to help teach children about the millions of children in the world who are refugees. There is an author’s note at the end which explains who refugees are, why they must flee their home countries, how they lived in camps, and how they must make a new home in foreign countries.  I’d recommend this one for classrooms, homes, and to teach compassion and diversity.  I like seeing books like this.

Links of interest:  Karen Lynn Williams website, Catherine Stocks website,  more book blogger reviews.  My Name is Sangoel is a Cybils fiction picture book nominee for which I’m a panelist.
Genre: Fiction Picture Book, approx age 4-8.
Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. June 2009
Hardcover/Paperback # of pages. ISBN 0802853072
My Name is Sangoel is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Emmanuel Jal is truly an amazing person and one that makes me believe in the resilience of the human spirit.   A former child-solder at the young age of seven in the Sudanese civil war, he is now a hip-hop star who is using his music to share his message and to find peace for his people in Africa.

About Emmanuel Jal’s story (from the War Child movie website):

In the early 1980s at the age of seven, Jal was swept into Sudan’s civil war, becoming one of 10,000 child soldiers conscripted on both sides of the two decade long conflict. After being forced to do many unimaginably horrible things, he escaped the soldier’s camp and trekked for four months through Africa. He was eventually found and adopted by the now legendary British aid worker Emma McCune who had married Sudanese guerrilla commander Riek Machar and convinced him to not employ child soldiers. Shortly after she adopted Jal, McCune died in a suspicious car crash, leaving Emmanuel “orphaned” once again. Jal rose from ruthless child soldier to refugee to rap star. He found his own redemption and life mission through a message of peace that represents one of the 21st centuries’ most inspiring and hopeful journeys, and a metaphor for the broader African predicament.

What I find so surreal about Emmanuel Jal’s story is that he is my age (or nearly close to it as he doesn’t know exactly when he was born).  What was I doing in the comfort of my American home while he had to make decisions about whether or not to eat his dead friend in order to stay alive, or that he was sleeping with an Ak-47 and not only being trained at the age of eight as a soldier but also sent to the front lines to kill?

I was so mad at his father for giving him up.  For abandoning him when he was just a small child No child should have to raise himself at the age of seven or eight.  I was so mad that people could do such awful things to each other.  But I was so inspired with those who reached out to help.  I adored and loved Emma McCune.  She is a hero and sometimes I secretly wish that I could make a similar impact on somebody’s life.   I am so inspired by Emmanuel Jal himself.  For overcoming his war-torn childhood, not only surviving but thriving and using his life to  make a difference for others.

After I finished the book, I rushed out and watched the documentary about his life.  When he lived in the refugee camps, he was filmed by National Geographic.  He loved to talk when he was little so he became a natural spokesman for the children.  It was surreal to watch him as a little boy and put a face to the little boy that I read about.

Another trailer (does contain graphic images):

And then after I watched the documentary, I rushed out and got his CD which I have listened to no less than a dozen times.  His lyrics are so compelling and he’s really talented.  I love that he is using his music to make a difference.

I love this tribute song for Emma McCune, the woman who smuggled him out of the country, took him in, and put him in school:

I wanted to share this song as well, because he was told that if he wanted to be successful he should become more concerned with material things.  His response was that while his people suffered in Africa, those things are meaningless. Just goes to show what his character his like.

Emmanuel Jal tells his story in his own words.  Please stop a moment and take the time to watch:

One  year ago, Emmanuel Jal pledged to fast two meals a day until he raised enough funds to build a school for his people in Africa.  One year later and countless meals missed, he has not given up.  You can find out how’s he doing via the links below and help the cause.

I was so inspired from this book and learning about Emmanuel Jal’s journey that I chose this book for the Twenty-Minute Book Club on the That’s How I Blog, Blog Talk Radio Show hosted by Nicole at Linus’s Blanket, which I will be a guest on Tuesday, January 19th. (and if you’re into reading challenges – this book would fit nicely with the That’s How I Blog Challenge as well as the Social Justice Challenge).  I would love for you to read the book, watch the documentary, or listen to his album and join us on that show to discuss it.

Regardless, this is one of those books that when you read it, you have to tell everybody about it.  So this is me, telling you about it.  Read it.

Links of interest:  Emmanuel Jal website, Twitter, Facebook and on YouTube.  War Child documentary movie website.  Gua Africa, Emmanuel’s non-profit charity which he founded, which is currently raises funds for the Emma Academy, in honor of the woman who saved his life.
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press. February 3, 2009.
Hardcover, 272 pages. ISBN 0312383223
War Child is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Written by three Lost Boys who are also cousins – I could not put this memoir down.  When Judy Bernstein met all three, now in their twenties, after their relocation from the refugee camps in Kenya to San Diego, they asked for simple things including pads of paper to write their story.  What she read was not only heartbreaking but inspiring.  Their words are simple but their experiences are anything but.

Book description from official website:

Benjamin, Alepho, and Benson were raised among the Dinka tribe of Sudan. Their world was an insulated, close-knit community of grass-roofed cottages, cattle herders, and tribal councils. The lions and pythons that prowled beyond the village fences were the greatest threat they knew.

All that changed the night the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking their villages. Amid the chaos, screams, conflagration, and gunfire, five-year-old Benson and seven-year-old Benjamin fled into the dark night. Two years later, Alepho, age seven, was forced to do the same. Across the Southern Sudan, over the next five years, thousands of other boys did likewise, joining this stream of child refugees that became known as the Lost Boys. Their journey would take them over one thousand miles across a war-ravaged country, through landmine-sown paths, crocodile-infested waters, and grotesque extremes of hunger, thirst, and disease. The refugee camps they eventually filtered through offered little respite from the brutality they were fleeing.

In They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, Alepho, Benson, and Benjamin, by turn, recount their experiences along this unthinkable journey. They vividly recall the family, friends, and tribal world they left far behind them and their desperate efforts to keep track of one another. This is a captivating memoir of Sudan and a powerful portrait of war as seen through the eyes of children. And it is, in the end, an inspiring and unforgettable tribute to the tenacity of even the youngest human spirits.

I could not put this book down.  I really liked the alternating perspectives of the three cousins while continuing the linear timeline.  The experiences that they went through often make me question why such horrible things happen to little children.  And yet, they grow to be wonderful men who are full of life.

Call me a glutton for punishment, but as soon as I finished this one, I immediately began reading War Child by Emmanual Jal, the memoir of another Lost Boy conscripted to fight in the army.  The Lost Boys have so many stories to share, and I for one will listen.  This is a book that you will not regret reading and one that you soon won’t forget.

Links of interest: They Poured Fire From the Sky website (with lots of great resources), Judy Bernstein website.  Maw Books reviews of What is the What by Dave Eggers, picture book Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams both about The Lost Boys of Sudan.
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: PublicAffairs. June 12, 2006.
Paperback, 336 pages. ISBN 1586483889
They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

If you are not aware of who the Lost Boys are,  let  me set it up for you as I have three more book reviews to quickly follow this one on the same subject.  During the mid-1980’s Sudan had a period of renewed fighting in its long-running civil war.  More than two million people have died.  Many of the children, particularly boys, were left orphaned and approximately thirty thousand Sudanese children, many under ten-years-old, were forced to march across Sudan to Ethiopia then Kenya in search of refuge.  They faced death through war, hyenas, lions, crocodiles, lack of water and starvation.

Their stories are heartbreaking and a testament to the will to survive.  Those boys have now become young men and many have sought refuge in foreign countries including the United States.  Two fantastic documentaries that I would recommend about the refugee experience is God Grew Tired of Us and Lost Boys of Sudan, both excellent insights into the hell that these boys went through and their readjustment to living in the United States.

I loved Mary’s words in her author’s note and wanted to preface my thoughts about the book with her thoughts:

Before meeting any of the Lost Boys, I assumed they would be hardened and embittered by their experiences: the loss of their parents, near starvation, and exposure to violence, persecution, and deprivation.  Imagine my surprise when the first group of ten young men walked into my office with huge smiles on their faces and excellent manners.  They spoke English well and were quick to laugh.  It was obvious they felt blessed to be given the opportunity to come to the United States.

When I asked one young man how they had endured such an arduous journey, he simply smiled and said, “It was the grace of God.”  The Lost Boys’ unrelenting faith in God, their loyalty to one another, and their desire to acquire an education to better themselves and their country is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit.

This book is based on the true story of the Lost Boys as told to me by the young men who lived it.

Brothers in Hope tells the story of eight-year-old Garang as he is orphaned by war, joins with other lost boys, walks to Ethiopia,lives in a refugee camp and then forced back to Sudan and then to Kenya.  Along the way, he takes care of Chuti, a boy younger than him and leads a group of  35 boys.  Garang lives in the refugee camps until he becomes a young man of twenty-one, and he is invited to the United States.  Although apprehensive about such a huge move, Garang remembers the words of his father “Your heart and mind are strong.  There is nothing you cannot do.”  Garang looks to the future and knows that although the road will be rough, he is no longer afraid.

A wonderful book with amazing illustrations by R. Gregory Christie in the African tradition.  I would highly recommend this picture book to introduce young readers to the stories of The Lost Boys.

In addition to the two documentaries mentioned earlier, I’d also recommend What is the What by Dave Eggers (which I hear is being made into a movie), War Child by Emmanuel Jal,  They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan by Alphonsion Deng, Benson Deng,  Benjamin Ajak with  Judy A. Bernstein for adult readers and another picture book My Name is Sangoel by Karen Lynn  Williams and Khadra Mohammed; all of which I can personally recommend and hope to review this week as well.

Links of interest:  To learn more about the Lost Boys,visit the publishers classroom guide, and book talk with author Mary Williams.
Genre:  Picture book, ages 9-12.
Publisher:  Lee and Low Books.  May 30, 2005.
Hardcover, 40 pages.  ISBN 1584302321
Brothers in Hope is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.