Text delivered by Patsy Aldana as part of her "Civil Society and Reading" presentation at the TD National Reading Summit.

1. W h a t c a n w e d o fo r C h ild re n in C risis
M y fa th e r w a s b o rn in G u a te m a la in 1 9 0 7 in to a p ro fe ss io n a l, m ilita ry fa m ily o f
so m e m e a n s . B u t in 1 9 1 7 th e y e a r h e tu rn e d te n G u a te m a la C ity w a s a lm o s t
c o m p le te ly d e s tro y e d b y a n e a rth q u a k e , le a v in g m y fa th e r a n d h is s ib lin g s w ith
n o w h e re to liv e . T h e y w e re se n t to sta y w ith th e ir g ra n d m o th e r, h e rse lf
d e p e n d e n t o n h e r so n in la w , in a s m a ll c ity in th e ea st o f G u a te m a la . S u d d e n ly
th e y h a d n o m o n e y . M y fa th e r h a d to g o a n d w o rk a s a tim e k e e p e r o n th e
ra ilro a d— a c o m p a n y th e n o w n e d b y th e U n ite d F ru it C o m p a n y w h ic h u s e d th e
tra in s to b rin g th e ir b a n a n a s to th e p o rt o n th e G u lf o f M e x ic o . M y fa th e r w a s
v e ry b rig h t b u t h e h a d to le a v e sc h o o l. B y so m e m ira c le th e re w a s a n
o u tsta n d in g lib ra ry n e a r b y . It h a d th e g re a t b o o k s o f th e W e s te rn C a n o n fro m
S h a k e sp e a re , to C e rv a n te s , to R a c in e , to T o ls to y to D ic k e n s . B y g o in g a n d
re a d in g in th is lib ra ry e v e ry d a y a fte r w o rk m y fa th e r s u c c e e d e d in p a ssin g h is
b a c h ille ra to, h is s e c o n d a ry d e g re e. H e th e n w e n t to m e d ic a l sc h o o l, b e c a m e a
d o c to r, a n d a su rg e o n . H e w a s o n e o f th e b e st re a d p e o p le I h a v e e v e r k n o w n .
E v e n tu a lly h e b e c a m e th e S u rg e o n G e n e ra l o f G u a te m a la a n d fo u n d e r a n d firs t
re c to r o f th e U n iv e rs id a d d e l V a lle d e G u a te m a la . I th in k it is c o rre c t to sa y
th a t re a d in g sa v e d m y fa th e r’s life .
T h e b e lie f in th e tra n s fo rm a tiv e p o w e r o f re a d in g w a s a t th e h e a rt o f J e lla
L e p m a n ’s c o n v ic tio n w h e n s h e fo u n d e d IB B Y in 1 9 5 2 . W h e n s h e re tu rn e d to
G e rm a n y a fte r th e w a r to d is c o v e r th a t G e rm a n c h ild re n w e re a lm o s t e n tire ly
ig n o ra n t o f th e w o rld a ro u n d th e m , h e r re sp o n s e w a s to b rin g th e m b o o k s fro m
a ro u n d th e w o rld . E v e n tu a lly sh e c re a te d th e In te rn a tio n a l B o a rd o n B o o k s fo r
Y o u n g P e o p le d e d ic a te d to th e id e a th a t b o o k s c o u ld b u ild b rid g e s o f
u n d e rsta n d in g b e tw e e n th e w o rld ’s c h ild re n a n d th a t re a d in g c o u ld s a v e liv e s .
T o d a y IB B Y , h a s 7 2 N a tio n a l se c tio n s. In p u rsu it o f o u r id e a s w e a w a rd th e
H a n s C h ris tia n A n d e rs e n P riz e , o rg a n is e In te rn a tio n a l C h ild re n ’s B o o k D a y , th e
IB B Y H o n o u r L ist, th e list o f b o o k s fo r c h ild re n w ith d isa bilitie s, th e IB B Y
Y a m a d a re a d in g p ro m o tio n p riz e a n d w o rld w id e p u b lish in g w ritin g ,
illu stra tin g , p u b lish in g a n d lib ra ria n sh ip w o rk sh o p s.

2. If a ll th e c h ild re n in w o rld n e e d b o o k s in o rd e r to b e c o m e re a d e rs th e re is a
sp e c ia l g ro u p o f c h ild re n w h o n e e d th em e v e n m o re . T h e y a re th e
C h ild re n in C ris is. T h e o n e s w h o se liv e s c o u ld lite ra lly b e sa v e d b y re a d in g .
W e c a ll th is p ro g ra m th e IB B Y F u n d fo r C h ild re n in C ris is.
M u c h o f o u r th in k in g a b o u t C h ild re n in C risis a n d w h a t to d o w h e n th e re is a
C risis h a s b ee n s h a p e d b y tw o k e y e x p e rie n c e s. T h e la n dslid e s in V e n e z u e la
a n d th e w o rk o f th e B a n c o d e l L ib ro— w h ic h le s to th e ir b e in g a w a rd e d th e
A L M A P riz e a n d th e q u ic k th in k in g a c tio n s o f M u rti B u n a n ta , n o w p re sid e n t o f
IB B Y In d o n e s ia in th e d a y s fo llo w in g th e T su n a m i in A c h e P ro v in c e .
B o th th e s e p ro je c ts a ro u s e in re sp o n s e to m a ssiv e n a tu ra l d is a ste rs in w h ic h
e n tire c o m m u n itie s d is a p p e a re d a n d c h ild re n w e re o rp h a n e d in la rg e n u m b e rs .
O u r IB B Y s e c tio n s in e a c h c a se im m e d ia te ly b ro u g h t b o o k s a n d p e rh a p s e v e n
m o re im p o rta n t re a d e rs. W ith in d a y s in V e n e z u e la a n d a fe w w e e k s in
In d o n e sia b o o k s, c h ild re n a n d re a d e rs c a m e to g e th e r fo r lo n g te rm p ro je c t.
D e sc rib e
W e h a v e ju s t g ra n te d fu n d s to o u r In d o n e sia n se c tio n w h ic h is a lre a d y b rin g in g
b o o k s to c h ild re n liv in g in te n ts in th e m id st o f te rrib le m o n so o n s in P a d a n g
w h e re th e re w e re a n d s till a re m a ssiv e e a rth q u a k e s ta k in g p la c e .
In th e firs t L e b a n e se w a r Ju lin d a A b u N a ssr p re s id e n t o f IB B Y L e b a n o n to o k
b o o k s in to b a se m e n ts a n d o th e r fo rm s o f m a k e sh ift b o m b s h e lte rs a n d re a d to
c h ild re n w h ile th e b o m b s fe ll a ro u n d th e m . T h e sa m e a c tu a lly h a p p n e d in
C ro a tia w h e re th e N a tio n a l L ib ra ry tu rn e d its b a s e m e n t in to a b o m b sh e lte r a n d
re a d in g p ro m o tio n c e n tre . T h e re U N IC E F h e lp e d .
F o llo w in g th e se c o n d w a r in L e b a n o n Ju lin da d e v is e d a p ro je c t fo r sc h o o ls in
S o u th e rn L e b a n o n w hic h a s y o u k n o w w a s b a s ic a lly fla tte n e d . T h is p ro je c t
in v o lv e d tra in in g te a c h ers a n d d e v isin g a b o o k b a se d c u rric u lu m in c o n flic t
re so lu tio n w h ic h w a s b a se d o n u s in g b o o k s to h e lp c h ild re n a c k n o w le d g e

3. fe e lin g s— g rie f, s a d n e s s, fe a r a nd p le a su re a n d to g e t th e m to ta lk a b o u t th e s e
fe e lin g s a n d fin d w a y s to re so lv e a n g e r w ith o u t c o n fro n ta tio n .
T h is p ro g ra m h a s b e e n a d o p te d in m a n y sc h o o ls th ro u g h o u t L e b a n o n to d a y .
In P e ru , a s y o u k n o w , th e re w e re m a jo r e a rth q u a k e s a b o u t 1 8 m o n th s a g o . O u r
P e ru v ia n se c tio n im m e d ia te ly w e n t to th e c o a st a n d d is c o v e re d th a t m o s t o f th e
lib ra rie s h a d b e e n d e s tro y e d . N o w a y e a r la te r w ith h e lp fro m IB B Y , a n d s o o n
w e h o p e fro m o th e rs , n e w lib ra rie s w e re b u ilt, s to c k e d w ith h ig h q u a lity b o o k s
a n d n o w th e lib ra ria n s a re b e in g tra in e d in b ib lio th e ra p y . T h is p ro je c t w a s
u n d e rta k e n b y a v e ry s m a ll g ro u p o f p e o p le u s in g th e e x p e rie n c e s o f th e B a n c o
d e l L ib ro .
A n o th e r d is a s te r le d to w o rk b e in g d o n e w ith c h ild re n in th e C h in a fo llo w in g
th e e a rth q u a k e s in S e c h u a n P ro v in c e . O u r C B B Y c o lle a g u e s im m e d ia te ly
p u rc h a s e d 1 .5 m illio n b o o k s a n d to o k th e m to th e re g io n . C h ild re n ’s s to rie s
a n d a c c o u n ts o f th e tra g e d y w e re c o lle c te d a n d p u b lish e d v e ry s o o n s o a s to
g iv e s u rv iv in g c h ild re n a s e n se o f h o p e a n d p rid e in th e ir o w n a c tio n s in th e
fa c e o f th is d e v a s ta tin g e v e n t. T h e re is o n g o in g w o rk in th e re g io n .
A n o th e r p ro je c t d e liv e re d u n d e r fa r m o re d iffic u lt c irc u m sta n c e s is in th e G a z a
strip . T h is m u s t c e rta in ly b e o n e o f th e w o rst p la c e s in th e w o rld to b e a c h ild
a n d it is e v e n w o rse to d a y . W ith th e su p p o rt o f IB B Y L e b a n o n a n d o u r se c tio n
in th e P a le stin ia n te rrito rie s, b a se d in R a m a lla h , w e h a v e b u ilt tw o c o m m u n ity
c h ild re n ’s lib ra rie s, sto c k in g th e m w ith se le c te d b o o k s th a t a re a p p ro p ria te to
th e c irc u m sta n c e s o f th e s e c h ild re n a n d h ire d tw o lib ra ria n s . I’m su re y o u
a p p re c ia te th e fa c t th a t lib ra ria n s h ip h a rd ly e x is ts in G a z a . T h ro u g h re a d in g ,
sto ry te llin g , ta lk in g a n d sh a rin g w e h o p e to b rin g s o m e m e a s u re o f re lie f,
u n d e rsta n d in g a n d lig h t to th e s e c h ild re n .
T ra g ic a lly th e w a r in G a z a h a d a h u g e im p a c t o n o u r lib ra rie s , a n d th e
lib ra ria n s a n d c h ild re n w o rk in g w ith in th e m .
I b rin g y o u s o m e s a m p le s o f th e ir te stim o n ia ls a b o u t w h a t h a p p e n e d to th e m .

4. W h ile th e lib ra rie s th e m se lv e s w e re n o t d e s tro y e d w e lo st o n e o f o u r lib ra ria n s .
A n o th e r lib ra ria n lo s t c h ild re n fro m h e r fa m ily . A n d th e y w e re lib ra ry u se rs .
Y o u c a n se e fro m th e s e p ic tu re s h o w te rrib le th e s e e x p e rie n c e s w e re fo r th e se
c h ild re n a n d h o w th e y h a v e b e e n fille d w ith id e a s of d e a th , d e s p a ir, a n g e r a n d
h u rt.
IB B Y h a s re c o m m itte d to th is p ro je c t a n d w e a re su p p o rtin g in d e p th w o rk
th e re . W e h a v e b e e n a b le to c o n n e c t o u r lib ra ria n s w ith th e G a z a C o m m u n ity
M e n ta l H e a lth C e n tre , a v e ry re p u ta b le m e n ta l h e a lth fa c ility w h ic h w a s itse lf
d e stro y e d in th e e a rly d a y s o f th e b o m b in g .
G a z a a n d its c h ild re n a re a lo n g w a y fro m liv in g n o rm a l liv e s . H a rd ly a n y
re b u ild in g h a s ta k e n p la c e in th e strip . N o t so lo n g fro m n o w w in te r w ill c o m e .
W h a t w e d o is ju s t a d ro p in th e e n o rm o u s b u c k e t o f n e e d b u t I d o h o p e th a t w e
c a n a t le a s t lig h t a sm a ll lig h t o f h o p e in th e se c h ild re n ’s liv e s.
O u r p ro je c t in C o lo m b ia w h e re a m illio n a n d a h a lf c h ild re n h a v e b e e n
d isp la c e d b y th e in te rn a l c o n flic t h a s e x p e rie n c e d s o m e tw is ts a n d tu rn s fro m
w h ic h w e h a v e le a rn e d a lo t. H e re w e h a d p la n n e d to in v o lv e 1 0 0 0 stre e t
c h ild re n in re a d in g g ro u p s .
B u t c h ild re n w h o a re d isp la c e d a re b y th e v e ry n a tu re o f th e ir c o n d itio n
h a rd to fin d a n d re a c h . T h e y ra re ly sta y in o n e p la c e , o fte n fle e in g fro m o n e
n e ig h b o u rho o d to a n o th e r, s o m e tim e s h id in g fro m th e p e o p le w h o c a u s e d th e ir
d isp la c e m e n t o rig in a lly . T h e y a re o fte n d is c o n n e c te d fro m th e ir fa m ilie s . In
th e c a se o f d e m o b iliz e d c h ild s o ld ie rs th e s o c ia l a g e n c ie s w h o w o rk w ith th e m
a re re lu c ta n t to b rin g th e m in c o nta c t w ith a n y o n e a s a c o n d itio n o f th e
d e m o b iliz a tio n o f c h ild s o ld ie rs is th a t th e ir p riv a c y b e a ssu re d . A n d y e t th e s e
fo rm e r c h ild s o ld ie rs a re o fte n th e “ h a rd e st c a s e s.”
S o m e o f th e se d is p la c e d c h ild re n a re in to u c h w ith s o c ia l a g e n c ie s a s in
th e e x am p le a b o v e . H o w e v e r th e se so c ia l a g e n c ie s se ld o m p e rc e iv e a n y v a lu e
to th e ir c h a rg e s in b ib lio th e ra p y . T h e y te n d to s e e th e ir o b lig a tio n to b e th e
p ro v is io n o f fo o d a n d s h e lte r, p e rh a p s to b rin g th e c h ild in to c o n ta c t w ith th e

5. sc h o o l sy ste m . B u t fo r th e se a g e n c ie s a s w e ll a s fo r th e s e c h ild re n b o o k s a re
n o t a p rio rity .
H o w e v e r, d e s p ite th e s e d iffic u ltie s w e h a v e p e rs is te d in th is p ro je c t.
O u r e x p e rie n c e te lls u s th a t y e s; in fa c t, th e se a re th e c h ild re n fo r w h o m
c o n ta c t w ith b o o k s is m o s t p o te n tia lly b e ne fic ia l.
S o w e c o n tin u e . W e h a v e se t u p re a d in g g ro u p s. A v e ry in te re stin g
re a d in g list h a s b e e n d e v e lo p e d . Y o u n g le a d e rs h a v e b e e n tra in e d a n d a re
w o rk in g w ith th e g ro u p s . W e h o p e a n d e x p e c t th a t th ro u g h re a d in g th e s e
c h ild re n w ill b e fre e d to ta lk a b o ut th e ir fe e lin g s , w h a t h a s h a p p e n e d to th e m ,
a n d th u s b e g in to u n d e rs ta n d th e ir o w n c irc u m s ta n c e s s o th a t th e y c a n se e a
w a y th ro u g h to fo rg in g a n e w life . A t th e e n d o f th e p ro g ra m w e w ill c o n d u c t a
rig o ro u s a s se ss m e n t o f its im p a c t. W e w ill in v o lv e th e re lie f w o rk e rs in a n
o n g o in g w a y s o th a t w e c a n c o n v in c e th e m to u se b o o k s ro u tin e ly in th e ir w o rk .
W e h a v e c o m e to u n d e rsta n d th a t a b ig p a rt o f o u r c h ild re n in c ris is p ro g ra m
m u st b e to tra in p e o p le w h o ro u tin e ly w o rk w ith c h ild re n in c ris is a n d w h o h a v e
g re a te r re so u rc e s th a n w e d o .
In O c to b e r o f th is y e a r th e re w ill b e a m a jo r c o n fe re n c e in C o lo m b ia to
g o o v e r th e re su lts o f th is w o rk . A m a n u a l o n w o rk in g w ith d a m a g e d c h ild re n
in sc h o o ls w ill b e p ro d u c e d .
A n o th e r e x a m p le o f w o rk w ith c h ild re n in c risis is th e w o rk d o n e b y o u r
Ira n ia n se c tio n w ith th re e d iffe re n t g ro u p s o f c h ild re n w h o se liv e s a re
d isru p te d .
T h e firs t a re c h ild re n in p ris o n . In Ira n th e re a re re sid e n tia l ja ils fo r
c h ild re n , in c lu d in g c h ild re n w h o h a v e re c e iv e d th e d e a th p e n a lty a n d a re
a w a itin g e x e c u tio n a t a g e 1 8 .
T h e in itia l ste p, a s a lw a y s, w a s to se le c t th e b e st b o o k s fo r th e s e
c h ild re n . T h e th e y a re p u rc h a se d a n d p la c ed in ro o m s w h ic h b e c a m e lib ra rie s in
th e c h ild re n ’s ja ils . H o w e v e r, it q u ic k ly b e c a m e a p p a re n t th a t w ith o u t a
lib ra ria n th e m e re p re se n c e o f b o o k s w o u ld n o t le a d th e s e c h ild re n w h o a re
o b v io u s ly v e ry d a m a g e d to b e g in to re a d . T h e ja ile rs w e re n o t in te re s te d . S o ,
th e o ld e st c h ild re n in th e ja il, u su a lly th o se fa c in g th e d e a th p e n a lty, w e re
se le c te d a s lib ra ria n s a n d tra in e d . T h e s e c h ild re n d id s u c h e x c e p tio n a l w o rk
e n g a g in g a n d in v o lv in g th e y o u n g e r c h ild re n in b o o k s th a t IB B Y Ira n d e c id e d
to a d v o c a te fo r th e m . In Is la m if th e p e rson a g a in st w h o m y o u h a v e c o m m itte d

6. a c rim e fo rg iv e s y o u , y o u r s e n te n c e w ill b e re d u c e d o r e lim in a te d . T h is is e v e n
tru e in m urd e r c a s e s. IB B Y Ira n to o k th e fa c t th a t th e s e c h ild re n h a d b e e n
re h a b ilita te d b y th e ir w o rk a s lib ra ria n s to the v ic tim s’ fa m ilie s . In m o st c a s e s
th e y w e re fo rg iv e n a n d h e n c e sa v e d fro m th e d e a th p e n a lty .
A s m a n y o f th e c h ild re n in th e se ja ils w e re A fg h a n re fu g e e s IB B Y Ira n
d e c id e d th a t th e y m u s t b e g in to w o rk in e a s te rn Ira n in th e A fg h a n re fu g e e
c a m p s. A g a in th e c o rre c t b o o k s w e re s e le c te d a n d th e p ro c e s s o f b ib lio th e ra p y
began.
T h e se e x p e rie n c es w e re v e ry u s efu l w h e n IB B Y c o n v e n e d a m e e tin g in
B ig a T u rk e y in M a y th is y e a r. W e b ro u g h t to g e th e r a g ro u p o f u s IB B Y p e o p le
fro m Ira n , P a k ista n , a n d T u rk e y to m e e t w ith T a jik s a n d A fg h a n s (p e o p le w h o
sh a re D a ri a s a la n g u a g e ) to ta lk a b o u t w h a t c o u ld b e d o n e fo r c h ild re n in
A fg h a n is ta n .
The Afghans were a fascinating group — feminists who work with Women for Women in
Afghanistan, the director of Aschiana, a very successful agency working with more than 6,000
street children, the head of the Goethe Institute in Kabul, a national newscaster, the editors of
magazines for children, librarians and a reading promoter from Bamiyan.
The first and most shocking problem — in Afghanistan children have no legal status. This despite
the incredible number of NGOs working in the country and the billions being spent to improve
the welfare of Afghans. The Convention for the Rights of the Child remains unsigned. Only half
of the twelve million children in the country go to any kind of school. Half of those who do attend
school are learning in the open air.
Apart from Aina, an NGO funded by National Geographic photojournalist Reza Deghati, no
money at all has been put into publishing materials for Afghan kids. Aina’s magazine, Parvaz, is
excellent, packed with stories that promote the rights of girls, information on health and rights
and nutrition, and is beautifully designed and illustrated with cartoons and photographs. But it
recently died for lack of donor interest. Books donated in other languages (English and Korean,
for example) are of no use at all to child readers. Even high-quality Iranian books written in Farsi,
a language that most Afghans have in common, are not accessible to Afghan kids because of the
differences in vocabulary and usage.

7. Is it even possible to build a democracy in a country in which there are no readers? And how can
there be readers in a country at war, where billions are spent on military hardware, but little
thought given to what might help children become the literate citizens of a democratic future? It’s
all very well to promote higher education, but it is to little avail in the absence of a good basic,
primary education system with access to decent libraries filled with appropriate books published
in Dari and Pashto.
The Afghans were mainly people in their thirties and forties, many of whom had returned to their
country after years in exile, dread and fear the return of the Taliban. They believe that
Afghanistan needs to create a reading culture. For them it is a tragedy that their government’s
priorities are driven by military needs and tactical foreign maneuvering (be it government or
NGO) rather than by what Afghans most desperately need — a decent (and free) public school
system with trained teachers. A network of public libraries. An Afghan publishing industry
capable of producing good books and magazines to give Afghan children a love of reading.
At the end of the meeting we came away with some hope. But it will be difficult. Years of
fighting has meant that Afghans are a very fractured people. It’s hard to get together to do
something. Patronage by NGOs means that each one depends on their own niche for survival.
But we truly hope and believe it is very worthwhile for IBBY to continue to work with them.
IBBY Iran is already supporting some community library projects. TRhe director of Aschiana
will be invited to our next Congress. The women from Women for Women have committed to
enlarging and enriching their children’s programming. IBBY will need to continue faithful and
true as all this work goes ahead. We hope to see a section there in the not too distant future.
F in a lly w e h a v e b ra n d n e w p ro je c t ju s t s ta rtin g in H a iti. Our Haitian section
is about to begin a project that will use the healing power of storytelling and books to help reduce
the trauma brought on by the deadly hurricanes that hit Haiti last year. The country is just about
the poorest in the world and then they were further devastated by these series of severe storms;
storms that are becoming more and more frequent. The project will help children and young
people who lost their homes, families and everything they knew. Children in Haiti are afarid to go
to school because of the school collapses that took place. Books have been be translated into their

8. mother tongue of Creole to reach them more directly and training of therapists will take place so
that they can continue with the work after the initial IBBY project is finished.
B u t b ib lio th e ra p y c a n a lso ta k e p la c e o n a v e ry sm a ll s c a le a n d m u c h
c lo se r to h o m e . T h in k o f C a n a d a ’s su c ic id e e p id e m ic o n th e n o rth e rn re se rv e s .
S h o u ld w e b e se n d in g o u r le fto v e r b o o k s to th e m a n d fe e l w e h a v e s e rv e d th e m ?
W h e re a re th e s e le c te d b o o k s? W h e re a re th e re a d in g p ro m o to rs? T h e se
c h ild re n a re a lso in c risis. T h e y a ls o n e e d th e c ha n c e to b e c o m e re a d e rs , to
e n c o u n te r b o o k s, to s e e th e m se lv e s a n d th e o u tsid e w o rld , to le a rn to u se w o rd s
to ta lk a b o u t th e ir e x p e rie n c e s, to le a rn th a t o th e rs h a v e h a d fe e lin g s lik e
th e irs, to b e g in to re c o g n iz e th e ir o w n fe e lin g s.
W h a t a b o u t th e n e ig h b ou rh o o d a c ro ss C a n a d a w h e re s o m a n y y o u n g
p e o p le h a v e b e e n d y in g in g a n g re la te d v io le n c e ? T h e se a re s u re ly c h ild re n in
c risis.
I sa w a v e ry s m a ll p ro je c t in a fa v e la in R io d e Ja n e iro . S o m e jo u rn a lis ts
a n d a n e x-d ru g a d d ic t a n d tra ffic k e r c re a te d a p la c e w h e re c h ild re n a t risk o f
jo in in g th e d ru g tra d e c o u ld c o m e a fte r sc h o o l. T h e re is a v e ry g o o d lib ra ry .
E v e ry d a y a fte r sc h o o l th e y d o h o m e w o rk , th e y g e t a s n a c k a n d s o m e o n e re a d s
to th e m . In sid e th e y a re s a fe . T h e y c a n liv e in th e ir im a g in a tio n . T h ey c a n
le a rn a b o u t liv e s lik e th e irs a n d liv e s u n lik e th e irs . In th e re th e y c a n b e so ft,
lo v in g p e o p le . O u ts id e th e ir w o rld is h a rd a n d c ru e l. T h e y w a n t to b e th e re .
N o t e v e ry c h ild w h o c o m e s th e re w ill e sc a p e fro m th e w o rld h e is fa te d to jo in
b u t so m e w ill. F o r so m e b o o k s w ill h a v e c h a n g e d th e ir liv e s.
W h a t is n e e d e d to d o a p ro je c t o f th is ty p e ?
--a n IB B Y se c tio n w h o se m e m b e rs a re c o m m itte d in d iv id u a ls w h o c a re first,
la s t a n d fo re m o s t a b o u t c h ild re n a n d b o o k s
--a w e ll th o u g h t o u t p la n fo r w o rk in g w ith a s p e c ific g ro u p o f c h ild re n in c ris is
--tra in in g in b ib lio th e ra p y
--a d e e p k n o w le d g e o f b o o k s a n d a ll th e d iffe re n t ty p e s o f b o o k s w h ic h m ig h t
h e lp c h ild re n le a rn to sp e a k , e m p a th iz e , a n d fe e l so m e k in d o f h o p e .
--p e rsis te n c e, p a tie n c e a n d tim e

9. --p e rh ap s m o st im p o rta n t— lo v in g , c a rin g a d u lts w h o g iv e th e ir tim e to re a d , to
liste n a n d to ta lk . B o o k s a re e x tra o rd in a rily g o o d a t u n lo c k in g fe e lin g s. O n c e
u n lo c k e d th o s e c a rin g a d u lts n e e d to b e th e re .
R e a d in g a n d b o o k s c a n sa v e liv e s. T h e y c a n c h a n g e liv e s. They can
g iv e c h ild re n in th e m o st d e s p e ra te c irc u m s ta n c e s a w a y to b e g in to liv e a g a in
a n d to u n d e rs ta n d w h a t h a s h a p p e n e d to th e m . W e h a v e le a rn e d th is in m a n y
v e ry d iffic u lt, sa d a n d b le a k p la c e s a ro u n d th e w o rld . I th in k C a n a d a c o u ld
b e n e fit fro m th is a p p ro a c h to o .