Notes From A Librarian

                                                                                      Bluebirds at the "pool"

    

     Summer is supposed to be a 'laid-back, lazy' time of year with trips to the 'pool'--or river in our case--or just a peaceful afternoon on the porch is nice.  I imagine that image of summer doesn't happen for most of us--unlike to birds in the photo.  However, this summer I plan to set aside time to settle down and 'get lost' in a few good books.  The librarian in me compels me to recommend a few of my favorites---

     The first one, which turns into several on the same subject, goes on my 'all-time most memorable' list.  THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson and David Relin will change the way you look at the people and conflicting religions of Afganistan and Pakistan.  I quote the blurb on the cover, "The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban's backyard."            Mortenson, a lost and weary mountain climber, drifted into a remote village in the Karakoram Mts. of Pakistan, and his life and the lives of thousands of children, especially girls, was changed forever.  When he promised to build a school in return for the kindness the village had shown him, his quest became not to conquer a mountain, but to conquer illiteracy and make possible an opportunity for children to learn by building one school at a time in the most remote and dangerous regions of the world.  His portrayal of the people who are so willing to do whatever it takes, at whatever it cost, to bring education to their villages could be a great novel on its own.  However, it is a true story, and an ongoing one at that.
     You will also want to read the sequel, STONES INTO SCHOOLS, that picks up where the first book left him--confronted by a group of horsemen, much like those in Marco Polo's day, who asked that he build a school in their village--in what is called the 'rooftop of the world'. 
     THREE CUPS OF TEA has a your reader's edition. And, there is a read-aloud version for young children with illustrations by Susan L. Roth entitled
LISTEN TO THE WIND.      "Beach" reads are a great way to 'get away' for a while, but, this one will stay with you for a long time.

Education is the long-term solution to fanaticism.

Col. Christopher Kolenda, U.S. Army, Afganistan

I have made links to Amazon.com in order to make it easier to purchase these books.  All money from sales on my blog, and 7% from Amazon will go to the Central Asia Institute which funds the building of schools and promotes the educations of girls in Pakistan and Afganistan.  By the way, it costs them $1.00 per month for one child's education and $1.50 per day for an average teacher's salary.  What a bargin! 
This will also be true for any books I recommend in the future.
                                                                   After reading these books, I would like to hear your comments.  I hope you are as inspired as I am to do a small part to support education and learning in this part of the world.  I believe the adage--'where much is given, much is required'  though this isn't 'much' as compared to those, including our soldiers, who are on a battlefield much different (or maybe not) from the schoolgrounds of these villages.