Child Soldier: When Boys and Girls are Used in War

Five-year-old Michel enjoys his life in the Democratic Republic of Congo until he is playing soccer with friends and they are kidnapped by rebel soldiers. Using drugs and violence, the children are forced to become child soldiers and must commit and witness many atrocities. Michel escapes and returns home but even after his family immigrates to Canada the memories remain and he shares his story to help others understand what children around the world experience. This very effective graphic novel provides history of, and context about, the civil war and the use of child soldiers, and is suitable as a read-aloud or for small group reading. Pre-teaching about child soldiers and their use in wars is recommended