Tanya Roberts-Davis

"We Need to Go to School: Voices of the Rugmark Children" is one of the most moving and special books I have ever read for two major reasons. The language, although difficult for younger readers, is informative, thought-provoking, and interesting. The author, having been to Nepal herself and witnessed the horrible working conditions firsthand, included the stories and voices of several Nepalese children who were rescued by the Rugmark organization. One of the voices was of Sapana, who said "My name is Sapana and I am thirteen years old....At the age of nine I started working in a carpet factory. I worked there for three years. Along with working in the factory, I also had to look after my younger sister and cook for my family". The author did an amazing job of presenting each story, and the writing itself is moving and gripping. This book doesn't have a main idea because the main idea is integrated into the story of each child. Each child was saved by the Rugmark organization and given the right to attend school and get an education.… (más)

This book could be a great asset to a school library or used in a classroom setting as a classroom read. It carefully presents the current world problem of child labor abuse focusing on the rug industry in Central Asia. The book begins with a carefully written introduction by the author explaining the research she has done in this region. The rest of the book is a compilation of short personal essays written in first person by children who have worked in the rug industry. These children share their hardships with the reader and then explain how Rugmark have been freed from the rug factories and now can attend school. Within each brief essay many children reflect and comment about the region in which they live as well as the culture of the region and other related environmental/societal problems. I found this book to be quick to read, yet very informative. At the end of the book there is an index that will help any reader glean as much as possible from the essays.… (más)