Rating: 
Summary: An Inspiration and Call to Action Against Child Labor
Review: It has been my pleasure to recently read "Free the Children," an autobiography/travelogue from Craig Kielburger, the founder of the youth-run Free the Children organization based in Canada. It tells of the morning Craig first heard of and was made incredulous by the realities of child labor around the world. The book follows his strong desire to get together with fellow kids and try to learn more about the state of children and hopefully be able to change it somehow. Through his amazing commitment and dedication, along with his burgeoning public speaking skills, Craig was able to motivate two dozen of his schoolmates immediately to the cause and soon earn several speaking engagements in local schools to spread the word about child labor. With the help of a family friend Craig was able to travel to South Asia to see first hand what working children's lives were like and to speak with the children themselves to hear how they lived, what their working conditions were, if they ever went to school, and if they had any ideas for their own futures. It is a truly inspiring book for adults and children who can always be reminded that one person can absolutely make a serious and badly-needed difference against child exploitation.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspiration and Call to Action Against Child Labor
Review: It has been my pleasure to recently read "Free the Children," an autobiography/travelogue from Craig Kielburger, the founder of the youth-run Free the Children organization based in Canada. It tells of the morning Craig first heard of and was made incredulous by the realities of child labor around the world. The book follows his strong desire to get together with fellow kids and try to learn more about the state of children and hopefully be able to change it somehow. Through his amazing commitment and dedication, along with his burgeoning public speaking skills, Craig was able to motivate two dozen of his schoolmates immediately to the cause and soon earn several speaking engagements in local schools to spread the word about child labor. With the help of a family friend Craig was able to travel to South Asia to see first hand what working children's lives were like and to speak with the children themselves to hear how they lived, what their working conditions were, if they ever went to school, and if they had any ideas for their own futures. It is a truly inspiring book for adults and children who can always be reminded that one person can absolutely make a serious and badly-needed difference against child exploitation.
Rating:
Summary: ...It has changed how I think about child labor.
Review: It hasn't only changed me but it has made me to do further reasearch and actually get-up and do something. This book is incredible! There is no way to describe this book. It has made a big impact on my life. Craig inspires you to take action and do good! It hard to describe this book....unless read it and witness his actions!
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: Read it! It will really move you
Rating:
Summary: An empowering read, a must for all young activists.
Review: Recently I read the book FREE THE CHILDREN, written by Craig Kielburger. Craig's book interested me because I know him and have worked with his organization for the past three years. Craig is sixteen years old, at the age of twelve he decided to take on an international fight against child labour. FREE THE CHILDREN is about his famous trip to Asia, where he met with the Prime Minister and strived to better understand the plight of working children. At the begining of the book Craig talks about Iqbal Mashi, a child labourer who had been murdered for speaking out about his horrible working conditions. It was Iqbal's story that inspired Craig to research the issue further then present the problem to his class and eventually form FTC. It also talks about his family and hoe they have influenced him. If you have ever heard Craig speak, them it should come as no surprise that his book was so captivating and motivating. He has a way of making the most complicated subjects easy to understand, with out taking any of the fire out of them. What is more amazing is that he is only sixteen! The description he uses through out the book grabs the reader and holds them with out wavering till the end, because of this it is the kind of book you can't put down. I read all 318 pages in less then two days after I had gotten it for christmas. It felt as though I were travaling through Asia, riding the trains, meeting the people right alongside Craig. The book also details the events and people leading up to his Asia trip. It was after reading up in all the articals, books and magazines that he could find about child labour that Craig decided to take action. With the help of his classmates a very successful garage sale was organized. More importantly then the money they raised was the awarness they raised about child labour. During the sale they handed out pamphlets on their group and cause, as well as a pettion to free Kalish Satyarti. Craig had learned about Kalish (leader of the South Asian Coalition on Child Servitude) through pervious research he had done. At the time of the sale Kalish had been in jail for a raid on a carpet factory in which a number of child labourers had been freed. It was at this point that Craig began to be in contact with other organizations and decided he must go to Asia himself. What makes this novel work so well is not only Craig's writing style but the fact that he incorporates so many real life stories in to it. It's one thing to list off statistics about child labour, but when you can back them up with real stories it makes it all the more real, which makes it more interesting. Despite the fact that I have already done a lot with FREE THE CHILDREN, reading this book has re-inspired me to do even more. Craig's ability to simplify complex ideas, describe events in a way that makes you feel like you witnessed them personally, and re-tell such motivating real life stories is what will make this book a best seller! I hope that all the cynics out there can look beyond the fact that he is only sixteen and give this book a try, instead of automatically dismissing it! I know they won't be disappointed. In fact I propose that this novel be used as a teaching tool in all schools grades five and up! It is a perfect example of just what we youth are capable of accomplishing, if we put our minds to it!
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Summary: A book both to inform and to stimulate us all to action.
Review: Someone has defined a best seller as a book that fills a need, leaves the reader a different person, and makes you want to rush out and buy one for a friend. Free the Children is all of that. Never have I been as touched by a book on social issues as I was by Kielburger's story of how he at twelve was challenged by the death of a child worker in Pakistan to invite friends to become informed about child labor around the world. Their interest quickly sparked what has become an international organization of children working on behalf of other children. Interspersed with a wealth of data on the subject, Kielburger gives numerous personal stories that take us into the lives of child laborers in Southeast Asia--carpet makers, mechanics, domestic workers, child prostitutes--we see their difficulties, but also see their courage, their dreams, their heartaches, and beneath it all, real, human children. Standard objections to ending child labor are dealt with frankly and wisely. And at the end of the book Kielburger gives information on how we all--children AND adults--can all be a part of ending child labor throughout the world. Kielburger and his co-writer Kevin Major are to be congratulated for giving us a readable, touching, real look into the child labor scene.
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Summary: This book shows how powerful a single soul is.
Review: This book is a great book. I have read it 3 times. It is intresting to hear about what childhood is half way around the world. It makes me proud to be a kid because it shows even kids can try and save the world from falling apart. He is truly the most powerful kid in the world. - Scott
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book
Review: This by far was THE best book i have ever read. It is extraordinarily powerful and inspiring. I have had the privlege to here Craig speak, and I truly believe that if the youth of our world join together, we can make a difference before it is too late.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book
Review: This by far was THE best book i have ever read. It is extraordinarily powerful and inspiring. I have had the privlege to here Craig speak, and I truly believe that if the youth of our world join together, we can make a difference before it is too late.
Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: well this is accually sally lambert's daughter, Beth. I went to the religious education congress in anahiem a month ago and i had the privelage to hear craig speak. my mom hurried to order the book for me and i can honestly say that it is the best book i have ever read. the book is well written, thoughtout, and so interesting! i hope one day to meet craig because his words are so inspirational and he has definetly changed my life.
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