One of the reasons I chose this book, was because I have always been a fan of Craig Kielburger’s work. I know all about the work he does now but never how he got to where he is. This book tells the story of how Craig, a twelve year old boy, wanted to change the world. Free the Children is about the journey of his first trip to South Asia, where he immersed himself in the lives of millions of children who are forced to work as child labourers. He visited the slums of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and a few more countries to see how children were being treated. What he discovered changed his whole view of the world. Kielburger wrote the book with a sense of enthusiasm which made me want to keep reading. The way he was describing everything, it was easy to imagine the horrors that children go through everyday just to survive. The way he described everything helped put everything into perspective for me. The differences between Canada and South Asia are astounding. Kielburger mentions how even though children are children, he clearly writes how different the children in South Asia are treated compared to the lives of children here, in Canada. The whole purpose of his trip to South Asia was to talk with children and to submerge himself in the lives of these children. What I did notice though, was that, although he talked to children, and wrote about it, he didn’t elaborate on their life stories. He just asked them a few questions and then moved onto the next child where he would do the same thing. He wrote a lot about the culture and the city conditions but not enough about the children. Other than that, I really liked reading this book. Everything that he has done is inspiring. He has changed the lives of all the children he visited. Even if it was just the simplest thing like buying them a meal, giving them money or giving them a soccer ball to play with, he put a smile on every one of those children’s faces. Considering what they have to face in their everyday lives, this was a huge gesture to them. This book gave me a new understanding of what those children go through every day. Most of them, if they get to, go to school, but if their family isn’t making any more money, then they have to drop out. As I read this moving book, I was inspired by the stories of the children. If you like books that make you want to create change then this is your book.
One of the reasons I chose this book, was because I have always been a fan of Craig Kielburger’s work. I know all about the work he does now but never how he got to where he is. This book tells the story of how Craig, a twelve year old boy, wanted to change the world. Free the Children is about the journey of his first trip to South Asia, where he immersed himself in the lives of millions of children who are forced to work as child labourers. He visited the slums of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and a few more countries to see how children were being treated. What he discovered changed his whole view of the world.
ReplyDeleteKielburger wrote the book with a sense of enthusiasm which made me want to keep reading. The way he was describing everything, it was easy to imagine the horrors that children go through everyday just to survive. The way he described everything helped put everything into perspective for me. The differences between Canada and South Asia are astounding. Kielburger mentions how even though children are children, he clearly writes how different the children in South Asia are treated compared to the lives of children here, in Canada. The whole purpose of his trip to South Asia was to talk with children and to submerge himself in the lives of these children. What I did notice though, was that, although he talked to children, and wrote about it, he didn’t elaborate on their life stories. He just asked them a few questions and then moved onto the next child where he would do the same thing. He wrote a lot about the culture and the city conditions but not enough about the children.
Other than that, I really liked reading this book. Everything that he has done is inspiring. He has changed the lives of all the children he visited. Even if it was just the simplest thing like buying them a meal, giving them money or giving them a soccer ball to play with, he put a smile on every one of those children’s faces. Considering what they have to face in their everyday lives, this was a huge gesture to them. This book gave me a new understanding of what those children go through every day. Most of them, if they get to, go to school, but if their family isn’t making any more money, then they have to drop out. As I read this moving book, I was inspired by the stories of the children. If you like books that make you want to create change then this is your book.