Non-Fiction Addiction

Non-fiction for teens sure does have a bad rep. This feature will introduce non-fiction titles that are fun and informative and hopefully bring to life the wealth of relevant and amazing titles that are out there.

Slavery Today by Kevin C Bales

Summary:
Slavery Today introduces teens to the issue of modern day slavery. In fact, as they point out in Slavery Today, slavery is tragically alive in our modern world, with some 27 million people globally enslaved as factory workers, miners, farmers, and prostitutes. The book, part of Groundwood’s series of guides on current events topics, gives a crash course on slavery’s history and how it operates in our contemporary world. It’s a lot of ground to cover, and the book’s short chapters should give young readers plenty to talk about.

Bales and Cornell employ clear, jargon-free language that should pose no problem for a younger audience but doesn’t shy away from the seriousness and horror of modern-day slavery. The authors also include profiles of individual slaves – many the same age as the book’s intended readers – that humanize a global problem often overshadowed by other tragedies. – Quill and Quire

Thoughts: I came across this book at the library the other day while I was searching for books for an assignment and I was instantly taken aback. Those of you who know me know that slavery is an important issue to me. I majored in American history with a specialization in African American slavery and I’m a total groupie to the organization International Justice Mission. I was surprised that such a resource was available for teens. It’s actually a really amazing resource that informs teens who might not have been aware of the issue, but it also gives really helpful information for those that want to do more to help. The writing style and the way it is compiled make it really accessible and appealing. I’m thrilled!