With this week's edition of THE SUNDAY EVENING POST I have decided to jump ahead a few years and introduce a few young adult novels that deal with social justice. It is simply a coincidence that all 3 books take place in Southern Asia and focus heavily on the rise of the Taliban regime and the impact on the area.

The Breadwinner
by Deborah Ellis

Written by Canadian author, Deborah Ellis, this book tells the story of a young Afghan girl who had to disguise herself as a boy in order to get food for her family. Ellis, travelled to refugee camps in 1997 where she started gathering interview data that would eventually turn into this award winning book. This children's novel would be appropriate for grade 5 students but cold also be used for struggling high school readers. The issues raised in the book would initiate lively literature discussions at home and at school. This book is the first in a trilogy, so if your young reader enjoys this book, look for Parvana's Journey and Mud City as well.

I Am Malala
by Malala Yousafzai

The subtitle for this book reads: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. I think this subtitle is quite graphic and grabs the attention of the readers. Many western youth may have trouble understanding the value and desire for education because in Canada it is a right that is taken for granted. Some children would love not to HAVE to go to school. In Pakistan, education is not a right for girl's and, in Malala's case her desire to learn and go to school led to her being shot by the Taliban, hospitalized and eventually leading a global movement to promote education for girls. She has won several awards for her work and is the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

http://www.malala.org

The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini

This is my favourite book....ever! It is the only book that has made me cry but then had me laughing on the next page. It is an emotional journey that deals with many issues ranging from family relations, aggression, guilt, violence and friendship. Although I read this book as an adult, I have a friend who used it in her grade 12 English classes to help her students explore these social issues. I am told that the discussions were heated and controversial. Isn't that what we want in our youth so they will eventually stand up for injustices in their own communities?