In modern times the world is one place—the globe is not just shrinking, it has already shrunk. Children need and want to read about how people in other parts of the world live because we are all connected. When we buy something that seems like a great deal, it might have been made by exploiting children halfway around the world. We must stop and think about that. Every day we hear stories about environmental degradation, human rights violations, war, and water shortage, which seem far away but will eventually catch up with us because we share the same planet and the same resources. More than anything else, we must read, understand, and empathize with other cultures, even other species, because we share the same journey, not only as fellow human beings but as fellow earth-dwellers. (Kashmira Sheth)
We read Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth this month. This story took us to a rural Indian village and then the big city of Mumbai and introduced us to eleven-year-old Gopal and his family. Gopal’s heartbreaking story of trying to support his struggling family and ending up in a sweatshop where he and five other boys were forced to work for no money and little food is one that will stay with us for a long time. I know for me and my boys, it has already changed the ways we think about our world and what we are called to do and be in it.
Ultimately, Boys Without Names, is a story of hope, one that highlights the power of storytelling to give courage, sensitivity and insight. Sheth draws on her Indian culture and tradition of storytelling to show how stories can make their ways into our hearts and provide sustenance, comfort, and inspiration. I
Farah and Keren led us in a great discussion about the book and shared with us such delicious Indian food. Wow oh wow. Delish!
Book Club for Boys 