Community and Service
Children of the Tusnami : Khao Lak – A story of Hope compiled by the students of Bangkok Patana School edited by Robin Nagy
Any schools involved with community service will be very interested in this project undertaken by 52 senior students of the Bangkok Patana School in Thailand to help the children of Khao Lak, a coastal village in Thailand. The community at Khao Lak was shattered by the effect of the tsunami which devastated so many regions in South East Asia in 2004. The students collected stories, poems and illustrations drawn by the children of Khao Lak and they also took photographs of the children and of their village and put them together in a beautifully presented hardback book. It is a very moving tribute to the children and their courage in re-building their lives. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the education and schooling of the children in Khao Lak. It can be purchased directly from Macmillan Education in Australia, from the Bangkok Patana School in Thailand or through Austral Ed. (10 years up)
Children’s Rights
Education
Health
Home
Safety
Voice
These five titles have been published in conjunction with Save the Children Fund. Each title begins with a brief explanation of how Children’s Rights were first proposed in 1919 but were not accepted as International Law till 1989 at the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. In addition to a general introduction to each subject, each book has individual portraits of particular children from different countries throughout the world. There is also discussion of the various rights that should be provided under each of the headings of home, safety, education, health and voice and as a result the reader gains a good idea of how many childhood rights are regularly violated and the many problems involved. However many positive individual stories of cases where children’s rights have been improved are also included. (10 - 14 years)
Tough Stuff: True Stories about Kids and Courage by Kirsty Murray A fast paced and inviting collection of short stories about children who have done amazing things. It includes the story of Iqbal Masih the 12 year old bonded carpet maker from Pakistan who led a movement for children’s rights, as well as stories about exceptional children including those who saved lives, or were geniuses, earned a fortune or survived war and oppression. (9 - 14 years)
*Global Citizenship by Susan Watson (Macmillan World Library) This was originally published as seven individual titles: Global Citizens, Making Global Connections, Improving the Quality of Life, Protecting Global Environments, Respecting Cultural Differences, Understanding Human Values and Valuing World Heritage. This 2009 edition has been revised and updated from the original 2003 titles. I am often asked for books with information relating to these topics and so I am delighted that it is available again. It focuses on the roles, rights, responsibilities and relationships of citizens living in a global world. Each book is well set out and information is presented in an accessible way making good use of charts, maps, photos, and examples are given of particular children or adults. The books also emphasise what action children can take themselves. (9 – 14 years)
Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers’ Edition) by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin adapted by Sarah Thompson
The adult version of this book Three Cups of Tea has been extremely popular and well known since it was first published some years ago. It is the remarkable story of a mountaineer who in 1993 after a disastrous attempt to climb K2, wandered exhausted and dehydrated into an impoverished village in Pakistan. There the villagers nursed Greg back to health and he was so moved by their kindness that he vowed to return and build a school for their children. That happened in 1993 and since then he has set up a fund and built over 60 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Young Readers’ Edition also called Three Cups of Tea has many photographs of children from the villages and also of his own family who have also become very involved with this endeavour. There are also maps and a question and answer section with Greg’s daughter Amira and a Timeline and a Glossary. Children will find it an inspiring story. (9 – 14 years)
Stones into Schools (written by Greg Mortenson with Mike Bryan) is the sequel to Three Cups of Tea in that it follows chronologically from where that book ended and so it goes from 2003 to the end of 2009. In many ways I found this book even more fascinating because of the descriptions of the men who work with Greg and Pakistan and also in Afghanistan and how they achieve such amazing results. The logistics of getting schools built and then staffed in remote areas of Pakistan is difficult enough but in remote areas of Afghanistan the challenges are mind-boggling! The story of how a school was built in the extraordinarily remote area of Bozai Gumbaz in Wakhan Corridor in north eastern Afghanistan reads like a thriller as they race to get building materials by yak into the village across difficult snow covered mountain passes before the winter encroaches and the whole area is totally cut off for many months. (12 up)
Any schools involved with community service will be very interested in this project undertaken by 52 senior students of the Bangkok Patana School in Thailand to help the children of Khao Lak, a coastal village in Thailand. The community at Khao Lak was shattered by the effect of the tsunami which devastated so many regions in South East Asia in 2004. The students collected stories, poems and illustrations drawn by the children of Khao Lak and they also took photographs of the children and of their village and put them together in a beautifully presented hardback book. It is a very moving tribute to the children and their courage in re-building their lives. All proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the education and schooling of the children in Khao Lak. It can be purchased directly from Macmillan Education in Australia, from the Bangkok Patana School in Thailand or through Austral Ed. (10 years up)
Children’s Rights
Education
Health
Home
Safety
Voice
These five titles have been published in conjunction with Save the Children Fund. Each title begins with a brief explanation of how Children’s Rights were first proposed in 1919 but were not accepted as International Law till 1989 at the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child. In addition to a general introduction to each subject, each book has individual portraits of particular children from different countries throughout the world. There is also discussion of the various rights that should be provided under each of the headings of home, safety, education, health and voice and as a result the reader gains a good idea of how many childhood rights are regularly violated and the many problems involved. However many positive individual stories of cases where children’s rights have been improved are also included. (10 - 14 years)
Tough Stuff: True Stories about Kids and Courage by Kirsty Murray A fast paced and inviting collection of short stories about children who have done amazing things. It includes the story of Iqbal Masih the 12 year old bonded carpet maker from Pakistan who led a movement for children’s rights, as well as stories about exceptional children including those who saved lives, or were geniuses, earned a fortune or survived war and oppression. (9 - 14 years)
*Global Citizenship by Susan Watson (Macmillan World Library) This was originally published as seven individual titles: Global Citizens, Making Global Connections, Improving the Quality of Life, Protecting Global Environments, Respecting Cultural Differences, Understanding Human Values and Valuing World Heritage. This 2009 edition has been revised and updated from the original 2003 titles. I am often asked for books with information relating to these topics and so I am delighted that it is available again. It focuses on the roles, rights, responsibilities and relationships of citizens living in a global world. Each book is well set out and information is presented in an accessible way making good use of charts, maps, photos, and examples are given of particular children or adults. The books also emphasise what action children can take themselves. (9 – 14 years)
Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers’ Edition) by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin adapted by Sarah Thompson
The adult version of this book Three Cups of Tea has been extremely popular and well known since it was first published some years ago. It is the remarkable story of a mountaineer who in 1993 after a disastrous attempt to climb K2, wandered exhausted and dehydrated into an impoverished village in Pakistan. There the villagers nursed Greg back to health and he was so moved by their kindness that he vowed to return and build a school for their children. That happened in 1993 and since then he has set up a fund and built over 60 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Young Readers’ Edition also called Three Cups of Tea has many photographs of children from the villages and also of his own family who have also become very involved with this endeavour. There are also maps and a question and answer section with Greg’s daughter Amira and a Timeline and a Glossary. Children will find it an inspiring story. (9 – 14 years)
Stones into Schools (written by Greg Mortenson with Mike Bryan) is the sequel to Three Cups of Tea in that it follows chronologically from where that book ended and so it goes from 2003 to the end of 2009. In many ways I found this book even more fascinating because of the descriptions of the men who work with Greg and Pakistan and also in Afghanistan and how they achieve such amazing results. The logistics of getting schools built and then staffed in remote areas of Pakistan is difficult enough but in remote areas of Afghanistan the challenges are mind-boggling! The story of how a school was built in the extraordinarily remote area of Bozai Gumbaz in Wakhan Corridor in north eastern Afghanistan reads like a thriller as they race to get building materials by yak into the village across difficult snow covered mountain passes before the winter encroaches and the whole area is totally cut off for many months. (12 up)