Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls Are Used in War

Reach for this book when your middle-schooler begins asking complex questions about global inequality, human rights, or why some children live very different lives than their own. This graphic memoir follows Michel, a five year old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo who is abducted and forced into a rebel army. While the subject matter is undeniably heavy, the narrative focuses on Michel's resilience, the importance of family memory, and his eventual journey to safety and advocacy. Parents will appreciate the way the graphic novel format makes a difficult global issue accessible and humanized. It serves as a powerful tool for developing empathy and discussing the concept of justice without being gratuitously graphic. It is a story of survival that ultimately celebrates the strength of the human spirit and the power of sharing one's truth.