Yes You Can!

December 1, 2010

Gr 7 Up-Young people who want to effect change are guided by a sequence of nine steps and inspirational examples of grassroots activism. Step one, "I'm fed up," describes the story of Peter Benenson, an Englishman whose outrage at hearing Portuguese college students had been jailed for drinking a toast to liberty in public ultimately led to the formation of Amnesty International. The story is followed by checklists that ask readers to choose behaviors to help define their own ethical self-portrait. Other steps cover summarizing a problem, finding support, being heard, setting goals, and overcoming obstacles. Each step, or chapter, includes a story, strategies, skills, and a time line of milestones and setbacks. Well-known historical activism, such as Rosa Parks's defiance of the segregation laws and Mohandas Gandhi's demonstrations of nonviolent civil disobedience alternate with anecdotes of smaller-scale activism, such as a teen who helped identify a phosphate problem in her hometown lake. The style is conversational and the tone offers realistic encouragement to teens looking to solve problems. Teachers will approve of the focus on the importance of developing writing and speaking skills, being mindful of one's online reputation, and learning how to evaluate project efforts. This title will primarily serve as a how-to, although the time lines, an accessible index, and factual information about anti-smoking campaigns, recycling, and children's rights make it a useful historical perspective of activism.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

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