Juvenile nonfiction
"The cows are my family's meat, milk, and hides. They are our family's wealth, and my job is to protect them. I must not fail.
I am nine years old."
Richard Turere, real life narrator of Lion Lights, is Maasai, a member of a people for whom cows are central to identity and life style. A family's wealth is determined by how many cattle they own. Formerly nomadic, they are now squeezed into small spaces, often near national parks and game reserves, by colonial greed.
Nine-year-old Richard, protector of his family's livelihood, was caught in a real bind. None of the ways he tried to deter the king of beasts seemed to work. Others killed the lions. When his family's only bull was slain...
"That meant we'd have to buy another bull or borrow one from another farm to get new calves. It was like waking up in the morning to find you have lost everything. All your savings are gone."
...he knew that if he didn't find a way to outwit the lions he'd end up hating and killing them. Luckily he was creative and persistent.
All American children should have access to this eye opening addition to diversity literature.
On a purrrsonal note, our children and teens are much more capable than most of us are willing to believe. We still have them penned up in class rooms passively taking in information and showing comprehension through tests. How long will it take us to realize that they learn best when actively engaged in solving real world problems? In high school Adam and several classmates created a low cost water filtration system that was actually used in another country. Kids from multi generational lobstering families developed passions for science when they were studying ways to keep their way of life feasible for future generations. (Jules).
Lions are cousins of house cats. So I am related to royalty. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Richard Turere for his eye opening contribution to juvenile literature.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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