Free the Children: A Young Man Fights Against Child Labor and Proves That Children Can Change the World

by Craig Kielburger and Kevin Major

Book Overview

"Craig has become a Pied Piper, inspiring students in hundreds of schools across the United States and Canada to join his crusade." -- New York Times

Here is the dramatic and moving story of one child's transformation from a normal, middle-class kid from the suburbs to an activist, fighting against child labor on the world stage of international human rights.

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060930659
• ISBN13: 9780060930653
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent!

"Free the Children" is an excellent book on the issue of child labor. Craig Kielburger, a 12 years old Canadian became an activist after reading from the newspaper that Iqbal Masih, also another 12 years old from Pakistan was killed because of his support for the abolition of child labor. Soon, Craig started the "Free the Children" foundation, consists of only school children and their goal is to bring awareness to the issue of child labor. In order to learn more about this issue, Craig travelled to South Asian countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal and to Thailand, hoping to meet the children himself.His detailed explanation of his trip was quite horrifying. Craig saw that the children were working as much as 10-12 hours a day for a mere US $1-2. Some of the children worked at firework factories where injuries were common and no safety measures were taken. Other times, children were beaten if they do not work. The most disturbing part of the book was his investigations in Bangkok where sex trade was rampant. Children were used as sex tools to lure tourists. The emotional, mental and physical scars that these children bore were immeasurable."Free the Children" for me personally, is quite an inspiring book as it shows how one person can make a difference. In addition, it is quite an eye-opener as Craig argues, with examples, why child labor should be abolished and how each and everyone of us can assist in that. I highly recommend this book to anyone as it is extremely educational and motivational. I would caution parents on the part of Bangkok to young children as it can be quite disturbing and graphic.

Brilliant & Inspiring

After reading Free The Children I feel as though my eyes have been opened to another world. Craig Kielburger managed to keep me interested while successfully telling his story.At times I laughed while I read the book. However at times I was horrified by what I was reading.Free The Children has shown me that one person or a small group of people can make a difference, it has also given me the inspiration that I needed to get on with my life. My problems are nothing compared to what others in the world go through.All over, Free The Children is well worth the read and I would strongly recomment this book to adults as well as children.

Great and touching book....

....I saw this kid on Oprah and so i got this book, it was amazingly powerful. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about kids in anyway. It will totally touch you.

Insperational! I can't wait to start an FTC chapter!

I too saw Craig at NCYC in St. Louis last month. For those who don't know, NCYC is the National Catholic Youth Conference. There were close to 22,000 Teens and young adults at this conference when Craig spoke. We were all in the TWA dome, and you could have heard a pin drop it was so silent. He really grabbed our attention and moved us all to become advocates for the Children. I had to buy his book, and speak to him afterwards. I told him he was very inspirational, and a great role model for his peers, and he responded "the best compliment you can give me is to get active for the children, this is their cause". (Something along those lines at least.) This book gives us all great insight to the horrors that children of the world have to face. We have it so easy here in the USA it's about time someone opened our eyes! And it's amazing that a group of 12 year olds started an organization that has grown world wide in only 4 years. You can bet my church group is going to start helping.Read this book...you'll want to help too.

Wonderful Book, Inspiring, Craig is a very powerful person

I loved "Free the Children", it's one of the best books i have read in a long, long time. Craig has a way of bringing what he saw and did to life, he makes you feel like you are there with him on his journey across Asia. I have got to see Craig in real life at a NCYC conference in St.Louis, Missouri. From the moment i heard him i had to get his book. This is an inspirational book, i think everybody should read this book to see how big of a problem child labor really is, and how FTC is helping children around the world. I definatly give this book 5 stars.