The first book that I will mention is A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. This book follows the lives of two young people from Africa. One who left, and one who stayed. The young man in our story left his home in search of safety. His story is like many refugees today. He faced many hardships in his struggle for a better life. The young girl in our story also struggled with hardships. Her very survival was dependent on something that we very much take for granted - water. Her days were always the same as she walked and dug to collect water for her family. But, the story doesn't end there. These two lives were meant to affect change.
Another young man who joined a movement to affect change has his story told in The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. This book will give you a better understanding of the political climate at the start of Hitler's regime. Hitler wasn't always seen as a dictator. He sold his policies on the idea of social justice and plenty for all. But, not everyone was blinded by the promises of a better life. Some dared to resist what was coming.
My third book is also set in the time of WWII. Most people know the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who went into hiding to escape the Nazis, well there are other stories. Hidden Like Anne Frank by Marcel Prins tells some of those stories. This is a book about some of those who were hidden and survived, but it is also a book about the courage of those who opened their homes to the danger of hiding Jews.
So we celebrate having courage to stand up for what we believe in, and being willing to "Be the Source of Change."