Any education should include learning about people currently making a difference in our world. Reading (or hearing) about regular people who have done extraordinary things teaches all of us that we, too, have that potential.
Children, especially, need to hear this, as they are often inundated with negative views of the world through the nightly news, newspaper headlines, violent video games and movies, and other media. It can be overwhelming.
Numerous stories of heroism, courage, strength, and goodness are just waiting to be read. Many titles are also available as audio books or e-books.
Here is a list of books that are worth investigating:
Kids with Courage: True Stories About Young People Making a Difference, by Barbara A. Lewis
Listen to the Wind & Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq, by Jeanette Winter
Listen to the Wind & Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq, by Jeanette Winter
Banker To The Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty, by Muhammad Yunus
It's Our World, Too!: Young People Who Are Making a Difference: How They Do It - How You Can, Too!, by Phillip Hoose
Acts of Kindness: How to Make a Gentle Difference, by Meladee McCarty
Random Acts of Kindness, by Conari Press
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World, by Tracy Kidder
Random Acts of Kindness, by Conari Press
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World, by Tracy Kidder
Stories available online:
Places to look for more inspiration:
For families with Wolf scouts, reading three of these books (or any others along these lines) satisfies Achievement 7e: “With an adult, find three stories that tell how people are protecting our world. Read and discuss them together.” While “protecting our world” can be narrowly defined as environmental, especially given that Achievement 7 is “Our Living World,” it can also be interpreted as anything a person is doing to make the world a better place: fighting disease, making a school safer, providing education to people who want it, giving blood, helping refugees, and so much more. We are part of this “Living World,” and we need to honor those that make it safer, healthier, kinder, and stronger.
Article by Sarah J. Wilson
Article by Sarah J. Wilson
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