Free?: Stories about Human Rights (review)
2010; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 63; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/bcc.0.1739
ISSN1558-6766
Autores Tópico(s)Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics
ResumoReviewed by: Free?: Stories about Human Rights Maggie Hommel Amnesty International, ed. Free?: Stories about Human Rights. Candlewick, 2010 [224p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-7636-4703-2$17.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-7636-4926-5$8.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-9 This collection from Amnesty International muses on the United Nation's 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights through short stories, poetry, and, in one case, fictional police transcript. Originally published in the UK to celebrate the declaration's sixtieth anniversary, the book pairs each piece with a simplified version of the article on which it reflects. For example, Rita Williams-Garcia's poem about military roadblocks after Hurricane Katrina precedes Article 13, "We all have the right to go where we want to in our own country. . . ." The ways of approaching the reflections, from silly to allegorical, are as varied as the fifteen contributing authors, including such prominent names as David Almond, Eoin Colfer, Patricia McCormick, and Margaret Mahy as well as Palestinian author Ibitsam Barakat, Kenyan writer Meja Mwangi, and others. Readers are largely left to create their own meanings from the stories, but in a few cases notes flesh out historical background or approach. While quality, tone, and age level vary somewhat, there are notable pieces (McCormick's portrayal of Zimbabwean refugees and Jamila Gavin's story of an Indian woman accused of adultery are particularly memorable), and the array of perspectives make the whole even more effective than the parts. The book provides plenty of food for thought, and the brevity of the pieces and current events tie-ins make this an easy-to-integrate and fruitful discussion-starter. The complete simplified Universal Declaration of Human Rights is included, as are brief author biographies. [End Page 369] Copyright © 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
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