Off the Shelf 0607-30

A Long Time Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
By Ishmael Beah
Audio – CD – Undabridged
Read by Ishmael Beah
© 2007

Beah's story is an important one to read/listen to - but it doesn't make it easy. The majority of the book is centered on the violent atrocities of the recent genocide in the Sierra Leone civil war. The author was twenty-six when he wrote his story - in that relatively short lifetime, he had not only witnessed but participated in the ugliness of humanity gone wrong. Beah was twelve when rebels attacked his home, forcing him and his playmates on the run with only each other and their childish wits. A year later, at thirteen, he became a soldier and fought in the bloody and torturous war against the rebels, fueled by propaganda, hatred and drugs.

The plot takes you on a roller-coaster ride with hope and despair at many turns. Amazingly, Beah's overall perceptions about life took a lucky turn for the better and he outlived the negative aspects of the violence. Reading his account is almost surreal, but there is unquestionably the stark truth written in each line. As he indicates in this interview clip , his story is personal and unique and yet it also reflects a hidden secret about child soldiers world-wide. Though A Long Way Gone is understandably depressing, Beah advocates for the belief in humanity's goodness even through the eyes of evil.

My recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars
Submitted by M. Coleman, Media Specialist

Off the Shelf 0607-27

Our Stories, Our Songs: African Children Talk About AIDS
By Deborah Ellis
© 2005

AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) has orphaned 11.5 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa. That number is expected to rise to 20 million by the year 2020. (p. vii)

Thus begins the intimate and compelling tale of children touched by AIDS. Their world seems so distant and surreal – and yet, it is their reality: preteens nursing their dying parents and now caring for younger siblings; children begging on the streets to fill their distended stomachs; and teenagers fearing the cyclical life of the disease’s isolation and stigma.

Despite the obvious sadness and despair, these children manage to express hope and dignity through their anecdotes and ‘songs of victory.’ The humanitarian author, donating the book royalties to UNICEF, threads AIDS facts throughout the children’s conversations. One doesn’t leave the book unaffected – in fact, you will likely appreciate your own relatively stable circumstances, as well as, examine how you can play a positive role in increasing the resources and quality of life for those with HIV/AIDS.

On a related note, take a moment to visit the Nata Village blog which brings you the “opportunity to witness the battle to control the spread of HIV/AIDS in an African village.” Their postings are a confirmation of the daily struggle to improve the environment of those impacted with the disease.

My recommendation: 4 out of 5 stars
Submitted by M. Coleman, Media Specialist