Book Review: The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change by Barbara A. Lewis
Summer is coming on fast, and with it brings freedom to hang out with friends, get a summer job, travel, and hopefully get outdoors. It’s a time to pause, catch your breath, and dream a little without the demands of school. Imagine if you never went to school and you had all the time in the world to do whatever you wanted! Cool, right? In Barbara Lewis’ fun and creative book for teens — The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change — education is one of the highlighted action areas where you will learn:
-Nearly one billion people are illiterate
-Roughly 134 million school-aged children across the globe have never been to school (most of whom are girls)
-Over 10 percent of students in the US quit school before high school graduation
Maybe school isn’t so bad. The fact that millions of girls around the world can’t read and don’t have the chance to go to school helps put into perspective why having the opportunity to attend school is so important. Even though it’s not always as fun as summer vacation, it’s just as special. Learning about the inequities and injustices of the world can feel overwhelming; but, as individuals, we can choose to make small changes that can add up fast. Lewis’ book is not only an invitation to act, but also a blueprint, challenging teens to use their smarts, time, and energy to connect with one another and make an impact in an area they care about. The book features chapters on human rights, hunger and homelessness, health and safety, environment and conservation, and youth representation as well as peace and friendship. Within each chapter, readers enjoy a funky mix of action plans to get started on a project either locally or globally. The action plans can be mixed and matched, offering several suggestions that are easy to follow and provide a step-by-step guide to get started.
The book is best used with a computer or mobile device nearby since there are over 100 listed organizations and web links to tap into for information. There are also useful and easy to understand statistics and facts to help further understanding of each action area, not to mention the “Quick Tips” for fundraising, volunteering, and even protesting!
If that isn’t enough, this cool book is also peppered with “Activist Flashbacks” and “Difference Maker” spotlights, offering several inspiring real-life stories of youths taking action on behalf of a cause they cared about and making an amazing difference for others. Make this summer extraordinary. Check out The Teen Guide to Global Action: How to Connect with Others (Near & Far) to Create Social Change from your local library, and when you are hanging out with your friends, deepen that connection by talking about what really matters to you. You might just find your inner activist! Keep us posted, literally, by sharing your projects and progress here at Germ. The first 10 teens to post will have a chance to have their social action project featured right here!