![]() ![]() Now that she is ten, they have to secretly signal each other when they meet - Naima sports a white ribbon and he lets a white handkerchief peep out of his pocket. Her friend Saleem is the only person who knows she is unhappy about not attending school. The novel, widely nominated for several awards and translated into many languages, has been made into a play that has been performed by the Bay Area’s Children’s Theatre in California. ![]() It is the perfect book for girls and boys to understand what it is like to be a poor village girl as they immerse themselves in the story. Not long after my neighbor and I had expressed our worries, Rickshaw Girl, a novel by Mitali Perkins for 7 to 10 year-olds, came into my hands. This would enable them to see the world through less privileged eyes and learn what they take for granted, like education or equal rights for girls, may not be the norm in some places. Our conversation steered me to the thought that our children needed to develop empathy with fictional characters. ![]() My neighbor and I have obligations that would make an extended stay in our countries of origin (Brazil in her case and India in mine), where the kids could become familiar with poverty and hardship, out of the question for the time being at least. I, too, have similar concerns about my son. The other day, my neighbor and fellow book club member told me she is concerned her children who are growing up privileged in affluent Lexington won’t know what is like to be poor or disadvantaged. ![]()
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