I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States (English and Spanish Edition) by Compiled by Warren Binford for Project Amplify Published by Workman Publishing on April 13, 2021
Pages: 96
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
A Heartbreaking Book That Is A Call to Action
“We are kept in a cage. It is very crowded. There is no room to move without stepping over other. There’s not even enough room for the baby to crawl.”
– Child Testimonial, Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz
Review: Heartrending. That is the word that would best describe my feelings as I read Hear My Voice/Escucha mi voz: The Testimonies of Children Detained at the Southern Border of the United States compiled by Warren Binford for Project Amplify. This is a powerful account of stories of immigrant children trapped in the horrible conditions of the “camps” at the borders and other areas of the country.
The beautiful compilation of illustrations by 17 Mexican and Mexican-American artists serves as a tapestry for conveying the hard truth of the suffering of these children. My heart broke reading the testimony of these children. The stories are actual testimony of children who are/were being held by the U.S. government. The book is written in both English and Spanish.
This book is in the format of a children’s book, but don’t make any mistakes, it is for adults too. Children need to read and discuss this book so they don’t grow up and become perpetrators of this type of trauma on other human beings. Adults need to read it so they can wake up and take action. Don’t skip the portion at the end of the book titled “Give Children A Voice” which details the Flores lawsuit, as well as “Questions to Ask and Think About for younger readers and suggestions for how you and your family can help with the situation.
Would I Read it Again? Yes. I will be reading it and discussing it with my own children as well.
Recommend: Yes. This book is a great candidate for a community read in addition to being read in K-12. Discussion needs to occur so that this issue doesn’t fade to the background and out of sight. Also, one of the bonuses of this book is that if you do purchase it, proceeds will go to support Project Amplify.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital review copy of this book.
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