Girl Rising by Tanya Lee Stone

 

I have blogged in the past about the movie Girl Rising and was very excited to see the release this past week of an accompanying text: GIRL RISING by Tanya Lee Stone. It is not often that we see a film become a book, but award-wining author Stone has used the 45 hours of raw video, field notes and her own research to expand upon the truly inspirational stories in the 2013 film.

The many, many vivid photographs of young girls and their comments about the importance of education in GIRL RISING are truly moving and unforgettable. I know that our advisors have used the movie and high school curriculum in the past and I hope they continue to do so since, as Stone reminds us, “Girls are girls, no matter where they live.”  She recounts some amazing statistics:

• a girl on planet Earth has a one in four chance of being born into poverty;
• in more than 50 countries, school is not free; and
• 62 million girls are not in school
• even though education leads to increased earning, later marriages and pregnancies, fewer infant deaths and longer, healthier lives for women. 

Stone continues to share statistics on human trafficking which disproportionately impacts young girls, and of forced labor (called restavek in Haiti and kamlari in Nepal). She briefly profiles organizations such as Restavek Freedom, Nepal Youth Foundation and other NGO’s which rescue girls. Nicholas Kristof has also written frequently about these issues such as in “President Trump’s War on Women Begins” and the books Half the Sky and A Path Appears, written with his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. 

GIRL RISING continues with more statistics on child marriage and explores the factors behind limited access to education, as well as the key role of parents. In addition, there is an entire part that discusses possible solutions and offers hopeful updates on the girls profiled in the movie. There is an extensive bibliography with numerous articles, reports, videos and websites, plus source notes. GIRL RISING received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan is a powerful book with memorable characters. Two brothers, 15 year old Amadou and 8 year old Seydou, are forced to work harvesting pods of cocoa.  The dangerous conditions – long hours, poor food, no schooling – are sad and disturbing, yet Amadou somehow holds to an inner core of goodness and works hard to protect his younger brother.  

His ability to get to a quiet place and cope with the situation is shaken by the arrival of Khadija, a “wildcat” of a girl who tries to escape repeatedly.  Eventually, they form a connection strong enough to cope with a serious injury for Seydou and to ultimately defy the bosses. The Bitter Side of Sweet is emotionally difficult to read at times, but could work as a class read (like assigning A Long Way Gone a few years ago), especially if studying Africa or human rights and child labor. Sullivan has added to her success with Golden Boy: The Bitter Side of Sweet received nearly universal starred reviews.