Youth Global Citizen Reading List Taking Care of Mother Earth by Leanne Flett Kruger, Marie-Micheline Hamelin Charlie and Grandma are doing chores around the house. While doing the chores, Grandma shares loving stories with Charlie about how to take care of mother earth. No Difference Between Us: Teach Children about Gender Equality, Respectful Relationships, Feelings, Choice, Self-Esteem, Empathy, Tolerance by Jayneen Sanders Jess and Ben are twins. Jess is a girl and Ben is a boy but in all the BIG ways, there is NO difference between them! Explore with the children in your care the important issues of gender equality and respectful relationships. Combining cheerful illustrations and a simple but effective narrative, this book will help children to understand that, fundamentally, there is no difference between us. This book encourages equality and respect for each other from the earliest of years. In order to reduce gender-based violence we need to teach gender equality and respectful relationships to young children. What better way than through a picture storybook? Children are visual learners and the match between illustration and text in this story will assist them to understand that we are all human - everyone feels, and everyone has hopes and dreams. Our gender should be and needs to be irrelevant. Throughout the text, open-ended questions are provided on each spread so children have the opportunity to talk about their own experiences - allowing the child to have a voice. There are more in- depth Discussion Questions on pages 30 and 31 encouraging the reader and the child to think about each scenario, and engage with the message. Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. This true story of Wangari Maathai, environmentalist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, is a shining example of how one woman’s passion, vision, and determination inspired great change. A Child's Garden; a Story of Hope by Michael Foreman For a boy in a warravaged world, nurturing a fragile vine has far reaching effects in this simple, universal fable of hope and connection. A little boy’s home has been reduced to ruin and rubble, and now a wire fence and soldiers separate him from the streams and hills he once visited with his father. But the boy sees a tiny speck of green peeping up toward the sunlight, and he quietly begins to coax it with water and care. What sort of promise can a vine’s spreading tendrils bring to a bleak landscape? A beautifully illustrated tale of healing and renewal from a world-acclaimed children’s book creator, A Child’s Garden pays gentle tribute to the human spirit. Every Day Is Malala Day by Rosemary McCarney, Plan International A letter of sisterhood to Malala Yousafzai expressing the belief that every girl has the right to go to school. This beautiful collection of photographs from international agency Plan brings together its "Because I am a Girl" message with the powerful presence of Malala Yousafzai. After being shot for the simple act of going to school in her native Pakistan, Malala has become an international girls' rights icon and a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. The book is written as a letter from girls around the world to Malala, as they express their sympathy, sisterhood and admiration for her. These girls, too, know the barriers that stand in the way of a girl going to school. For some it is poverty, for others, early marriage, discrimination or violence. In Malala, they recognize a leader and a friend. A powerful tool for social justice education and for commemorating July 12, Malala's birthday, recognized by the UN as Malala Day and celebrated around the world. A portion of proceeds will go to Plan's Because I am a Girl campaign. Think Fair Trade First! by Ingrid Hess Stella and Henry are searching for the perfect birthday gift for their mother. With the help of Aunt Mabel, the two children discover the world of Fair Trade and learn about how shopping wisely can help improve many people's lives around the world. One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway Inspired by true events, One Hen tells the story of Kojo, a boy from Ghana who turns a small loan into a thriving farm and a livelihood for many. After his father died, Kojo had to quit school to help his mother collect firewood to sell at the market. When his mother receives a loan from some village families, she gives a little money to her son. With this tiny loan, Kojo buys a hen. A year later, Kojo has built up a flock of 25 hens. With his earnings Kojo is able to return to school. Soon Kojo's farm grows to become the largest in the region. Kojo's story is inspired by the life of Kwabena Darko, who as a boy started a tiny poultry farm just like Kojo's, which later grew to be the largest in Ghana, and one of the largest in west Africa. Kwabena also started a trust that gives out small loans to people who cannot get a loan from a bank. One Hen shows what happens when a little help makes a big difference. The final pages of One Hen explain the microloan system and include a list of relevant organizations for children to explore. One Hen is part of CitizenKid: A collection of books that inform children about the world and inspire them to be better global citizens. The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor With a lot of practice, a young boy learns from his old teacher how to listen to the sounds and songs of the natural world. When you know “the other way to listen,” you can hear the wild-flower seed bursting open. You hear rocks murmuring and hills singing, and it seems like the most natural thing in the world. Of course, it takes a lot of practice, and you can’t be in a hurry. Most people never hear these things at all. This is the story of an old man who had a special way of hearing and of a child who hoped to learn his secrets. Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall have combined their unique, award-winning talents to celebrate the world of nature. How Are We the Same and Different? by Bobbie Kalman We are the same because we are all human beings. We are mammals, primates, and intelligent vertebrates, who are born, grow, change, and die. We are also the same because we are all different. We have thoughts, ideas, beliefs, talents, and dreams, but how we think and act makes us who we are. Children often feel that they need to be the same as everyone else. That is the main reason for unhappiness. Do we see our differences as reasons for judgment and fighting? How can we view the different ways of others as things to enjoy, rather than criticize? This book encourages children to honor their own uniqueness and that of others through new ideas and positive actions. The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi Being the new kid in school is hard enough, but what about when nobody can pronounce your name? Having just moved from Korea, Unhei is anxious that American kids will like her. So instead of introducing herself on the first day of school, she tells the class that she will choose a name by the following week. Her new classmates are fascinated by this no-name girl and decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from. But while Unhei practices being a Suzy, Laura, or Amanda, one of her classmates comes to her neighborhood and discovers her real name and its special meaning. On the day of her name choosing, the name jar has mysteriously disappeared. Encouraged by her new friends, Unhei chooses her own Korean name and helps everyone pronounce it—Yoon-Hey. Notes from Canada's Young Activists: A Generation Stands Up for Change by Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Kris Frederickson In this compilation, young citizens describe the moments they were inspired to pursue their passions to improve their world. Their methods and causes are diverse, and their stories highlight their innovative ways of identifying and addressing problems in society. The achievements here are impressive, from Craig KielburgerOCOs founding of Free the Children to raise awareness of child labor to Lyndsay Poaps becoming the youngest elected official in Vancouver history. These stories counter the myth of youth as self-absorbed slackers, presenting a bracing new generation of activist leaders." What Does It Mean To Be Global? by Rana DiOrio Can you say “hello” in nine languages? You can! Join children from around the world as they play, sing, and travel, trying all types of food and experiencing other traditions. Living respectfully and peacefully with one another, they celebrate diversity, see how their actions affect another person’s experience, and come to understand that being global means being a citizen of the world. People by Peter Spier With updated statistics and current geographical information, People by Peter Spier, first published in 1980, is a solid addition to any collection.