Kids
can really make a difference in the world -- in many different ways!
With
the spread of the World Wide Web, kids have more access to information
than ever before. And they have more
ways to share information
with their friends -- text
messaging, email, web cams and online videos. But we know that
even though you love joking around and talking about music and movies
you also care about the things that really matter in the world.
You want to help children who
don't have enough food, who are in danger because of wars and famine.
You want to learn how to cope with bullies and to promote fairness.
You're worried about the environment, about pollution and
global warming.
And most of all, you're wondering what you're going to do in the world
--what kind of job you should have and how you can help make the world a
better place.
Even though you are not the
first generation to worry about these things, you may be the first to
have at have the tools to change the world readily at hand.
What's more, if you live in America, you are part of a huge baby boom
that is just now coming into its teenage years. The last time this
happened was in the 1960s, when determined young people became part of a
grass roots social revolution that drastically changed the way we live.
No matter what you think of the
1960s or the values that the youth culture then supported, the fact
remains that they were a powerful force. You now can be that
powerful force. Only better informed, and better able to share
your ideas -- with friends all around the world. You know that
something needs to be done. But maybe you're not sure
exactly what, or how. Here's the answer: become
informed, and then share what you have learned with others.
One way to do this is to join
the Earth's Kids KIDS CLUB.
The EK KIDS CLUB is for kids and teens who want to learn more about
their world, especially nature, and how to make a positive difference.
You can join KIDS CLUB by yourself or you can start a local chapter
with friends. For more information, click
here.
Click on one of the
underlined titles below to find a whole page of great ideas on how you
can make a difference. You'll find helpful links to organizations
working on that problem, plus books and activities to get you focused.
Born in 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, C�sar
Chavez lived the hard-scrabble life of a migrant worker during
the depression. He grew to be a charismatic leader and founded
the National Farm Workers Association, an organization that
fought for basic rights for his fellow farm workers. In powerful
poems and dramatic stylized illustrations, Carmen T.
Bernier-Grand and David D�az pay tribute to his life and legacy.
(Reading level, ages 9-12.)
What is courage? Certainly it takes
courage for a firefighter to rescue someone trapped in a burning
building, but there are many other kinds of courage too.
Everyday kinds that normal, ordinary people exhibit all the
time, like "being the first to make up after an argument," or
"going to bed without a nightlight." Bernard Waber explores the
many varied kinds of courage and celebrates the moments, big and
small, that bring out the hero in each of us.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, known by his
followers as Mahatma -- or great soul -- was born in India in 1869
and grew up to become one of the most influential and well-respected
political and social leaders the world has ever known.
An adamant idealist and a courageous
thinker, Gandhi identified himself with the struggles of the common
people. He became the sole voice of the downtrodden and the
exploited and believed fervently in the notion that "hatred can only
be overcome by love." He vowed to instigate social and political
change through nonviolent means and succeeded in changing India's
prejudicial caste system and winning India's independence from
British rule.
Gandhi's teachings inspired Martin Luther
King's nonviolent civil rights movement in the United States and
Nelson Mandela's anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. Gandhi's
philosophies of nonviolence and peaceful protest continue to inspire
people around the world.
In beautiful language and exquisite
illustrations inspired by Gandhi's own belief in the simplicity and
truth of life, Demi captures the spirit that was Mahatma Gandhi and
pays homage to this great man. 40 pages.
For more
thoughts on accomplishing your goals,
on living
your dream...
