Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan – A Book Review

Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan by Tony O'Brien and Mike Sullivan • photographs by Tony O'Brien; October 2008 •Bloomsbury Children’s Books • Nonfiction (illustrated)

I recently received this book featured on The Picnic Basket to review and couldn’t put the book down. I would definitely rate it a 5 (Strongly Recommend: This book is so delectable that it calls for a picnic just to read it. I might even skip dessert to read it or enjoy the book and the strawberry shortcake. Definitely part of the gourmet, decadent picnic basket)! The photography was awesome and the stories from the children were too. My heart was full as I read the different stories and tried to imagine the hard lives they lead. I realized how spoiled our children are in my own country and wonder if they appreciate all that we have. When I read stories about how much school meant to some of them and how far they went for any education they could get amazed me. When the end of the book came, I wasn’t ready to stop reading because I wanted to read more stories. Part of me wanted a happy ending for the end of the book even though I knew it wouldn’t happen.

I think this book would be great for many middle school and high school students to read because I think it would show them how they take their education for granted. If they realized how many students yearn for an education but unable to get it, our students might appreciate what they have access to in a different way. I think this book is also a window into the lives of other young people that our students do not get to see on TV or in the movies. Reading this book could lead into discussions on different cultures, tolerance, living conditions and a myriad of other topics. Using this book in the classroom would help make lessons more successful!

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