With the best of intentions and varying degrees of success, this collection of poems and short stories compiled by Amnesty International is inspired by the thirty articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Humans Rights. Highlights include stories by Margaret Mahy and Michael Morpurgo and a poem from Rita Williams-Garcia. Author biographies and a condensed version of the Rights conclude the text.

Fourteen top writers from around the world contribute short stories for a collection benefitting Amnesty International. Each tale explores one of the rights asserted in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, passed in 1948. The stories vary in style, range, power and tone--some purposive and flat, others nuanced expressions of human nature and hope. Rita Williams-Garcia's "After the Hurricane" is a powerful story in verse about Hurricane Katrina and the "ragtag band" of refugees left in its wake, reminiscent of Whitman's "I Hear America Singing," except here it's disgruntled voices rather than "varied carols." David Almond's "Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads" explores the fascist nature of bullies, a common theme in his work, and Michael Morpurgo's "No Trumpets Needed" concludes the volume with a moving story of a Palestinian boy making kites in the hope of peace. A mostly solid volume for a good cause. (foreword, biographical sketches of contributors, editors' note, the articles of the Declaration) (Short stories. 10 & up)

This collection of 14 short stories is centered on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Each story takes as its theme one of the 30 declared rights and privileges. The stories are written by international authors and set around the world; the main characters are all children or teens. ?Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads? by David Almond is set in London and centers on a bully who is encouraging the neighborhood boys to mischief, but finds a target when Klaus Vogel, a teen smuggled out of Germany, moves to the neighborhood. Theresa Breslin writes about children bought and held in slavery in ?School Slave.? All of these stories could be used as discussion points in studies of the United Nations, human rights, and contemporary problems. Each is short enough to be read and discussed in a class period. Included are short biographical sketches of the authors and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. Recommended. Lee Gordon, Project Facilitator, Library Services, Clark County School District, Las Vegas, Nevada [Editor?s Note: Also available in paperback (978-0-7636-4926-5).]

In this collection of 14 imaginative short stories, writers including Eoin Colfer, Roddy Doyle, Ursula Dubosarsky, and Margaret Mahy come together to celebrate the United Nations' 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In her introduction, Jacqueline Wilson writes, "So many brave writers have drawn attention to the horrors of repressive regimes, even though they've suffered as a result.... Life isn't fair-but we can do our best to right the wrongs." Differing widely in focus and style, the stories eloquently illustrate specific articles in the declaration. In David Almond's tale, a boy who's part of a group of neighborhood "mischief-makers, pests, and scamps" has his perspective changed by an iconoclastic German youth, who plants the seed of freedom through independent thought. Theresa Breslin offers a suspenseful piece about a young daydreamer who stumbles upon a child-labor factory. Written in verse, Rita Williams-Garcia's story is a somber look at the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, while Patricia McCormick presents a harrowing account of those who fled Zimbabwe in 2008 after a disputed election. Frequently thought provoking, the stories adeptly highlight the universal importance of human rights. Ages 10-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

Gr 7 Up-This anthology advocates for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It has the bonus of literary merit, and-another plus-it's highly readable. Don't let the cause or political weight of the title scare readers away. Popular YA authors use their exemplary storytelling skills to present stories set in a variety of countries, including Africa, Palestine, Jerusalem, Ireland, the United States, and England. Rita Williams-Garcia's jaunty short-story-in-verse style belies the contrasting events of the Hurricane Katrina debacle. Three high school teens, bolstered by their marching-band spirit, set off to find water for their families in New Orleans. What transpires is a devastating dose of reality as they witness rescue and governance gone wrong. In David Almond's "Klaus Vogel and the Bad Lads," a pack of boys takes on the persona of tough blokes shoving about an English neighborhood during the late 1940s. Active and impulsive, they fall in with the oldest, coolest, meanest guy on the block. But when a new boy arrives from Germany, allegiances and dynamics shift. Independent Klaus is small but confident, and he risks standing up for himself. Strength of character is exposed, the group's status quo is broken, and the ability to say "no" is celebrated. Each selection cites the article(s) from the Declaration to which it relates.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.