Many of the books in the other units are applicable in this unit, especially the ones in the Work Unit and Peace Unit as they tell stories of children who are deprived of basic health rights. Some ones in particular are:
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Iqbal by Francesco D'AdamoThrough the eyes of Iqbal’s fictional co-worker (Fatima), D’Adamo retells the true story of Iqbal Masih. Iqbal, a 13-year-old boy from Pakistan, is originally sold into servitude. This story takes place in a carpet factory where children work all day in hopes of paying off family debt. When Iqbal arrives, he quickly points out to the others that no matter how much they work, their debt will never be paid off. Iqbal is determined to raise the spirit of the children by teaching them to believe eventually they will be free. One day Iqbal escapes and makes contact with the Bonded Labour Liberation Front. With the help of the BLLF and together with his co-workers, Iqbal exposes the corruption within the country and works to free other children sold into servitude.
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A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue ParkWritten for the Breakfast Serials audience by Linda Sue Park, author of many novels for young people, A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of Salva, one of some 3,800 Sudanese “Lost Boys” airlifted to the United States beginning in the mid 1990’s.
Before leaving Africa, Salva’s life is one of harrowing tragedy. Separated from his family by war and forced to travel on foot through hundreds of miles of hostile territory, he survives starvation, animal attacks, and disease, and ultimately leads a group of about 150 boys to safety in Kenya. Relocated to upstate New York, Salva resourcefully learns English and continues on to college. Eventually he returns to his home region in southern Sudan to establish a foundation that installs deep-water wells in remote villages in dire need of clean water. This poignant story of Salva’s life is told side-by-side with the story of Nya, a young girl who lives today in one of those villages. |
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Chandra's Secret by Allan StrattonChanda's Secrets was first published in 2004 to extraordinary international acclaim. It won the Michael L. Printz Honor Book for Excellence in YA Literature, was an ALA Best Book for Young Adults selection and, in France, was a finalist for the Prix Sorcières. It has now been made into a major motion picture, under the name Life, Above All. The film received a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival and was honored with the prestigious Prix Francois Chalais. To coincide with the film's North American release by Sony Classics, the cover of this new reprint features a poignant still from the movie.
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